Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Bellshill Athletic

Thistle went into this match with a poor league record this season against local rivals from Lanarkshire and unfortunately kept the bad run going by only just scraping a draw. Yet again the game was played like a cup tie from the start with Bellshill just as desperate to win as Thistle even though they had nothing to play for and were already safe.

 

Thistle were forced into making changes with two of the regular back four missing through suspension so they started with Scott Nicholl at left back and Joe Doyle at centre half alongside Andy Brown, Mark Russell returning to right back. Ross McGeachie dropped to the bench to allow JP Grant to play as supporting striker and accommodate Jack in the midfield.

Bellshill made the early running and had most of the possession in the opening exchanges but it was Thistle who came closest to scoring in the ninth minute. Graham Gracie made his first telling contribution with a run down the left and was fouled, JP Grant took the resulting free kick and was unlucky to see it cannon back off the left post.

Shortly after that Nicholl was booked for needlessly kicking the ball away and from then on he walked a tightrope with the referee showing leniency on more than one occasion, his inexperience showing through.

Fifteen minutes into the game the Jags had their best chance of the first half when Gracie again did well to win a free kick. Joe Doyle swung the ball in and it fell perfectly for Russell 10 yards out but the keeper dived well to smother his shot. Thistle’s pressure looked like resulting in a goal but it was Bellshill who took the lead after 21 minutes against the run of play. They won a couple of corners and the second one fizzed into the middle of the goal, Nicholl swung his boot to try and clear but it spun off him and past Davie McEwan. The Jags were facing a strong wind and the ball seemed to have moved in the air, deceiving the keeper.

Bellshill passed up a couple of chances to go into the half-time break ahead, firstly a soft looking free kick from 28 yards which beat the wall and goalkeeper but sailed just over the bar, then an even better opportunity when a ball floated to the back post forced McEwan into a point blank save from 6 yards.

Half Time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Bellshill Athletic 1

The second half started with Larkhall on the offensive but again it was Bellshill who created the best scoring opportunity three minutes into the half when striker Miller wriggled past two defenders and got a shot away but it went just over the bar. The visitors bench made some half-hearted appeals for a penalty but the referee got this one right.

JP Grant picked up a booking after 57 minutes – even although it was him who was fouled – for swinging a leg at his opponent and was possibly slightly fortunate to stay on the park. Two minutes later Mark McKeever followed him into the book for a tackle.

Ross McGeachie replaced the anonymous Brian Jack and immediately made an impact, winning header after header and getting some very dangerous flick-ons and it was big Ross who was on the end of Thistle’s next chance when he got his head to a Joe Doyle free kick from the half way line but sent it just past the post. The Jags were pushing hard for the equaliser but the visitors were looking dangerous on the break and Davie McEwan had to be at his best in the 75th minute when he pulled off a point blank save to keep them in the game.

Thistle made another change to push for the equaliser and replaced Mark Russell with Sandy Strang, switching to three up front.

If Thistle were to get the breakthrough it always looked likely to come from a set piece and in 79 minutes they drew level from a free kick. Joe Doyle swung the ball in from the right and when it landed in the middle of the six yard area JP Grant reacted first and poked it home.

The joy at drawing level was short-lived however as two minutes later Bellshill regained the lead with a free header in the middle of the goal from a cross from the left. Gracie was booked shortly after in an extremely harsh incident when he swore at a team mate.

It was attack on all fronts now for Thistle but their attempts looked like falling short while at the same time Bellshill always looked capable of scoring on the break and McEwan saved the day on a couple more occasions. The goal did eventually come two minutes into added time and it was the simplest of moves. Gracie took a long throw on the right hand touchline and McGeachie rose highest to flick the ball up and over the keeper into the far corner of the goal.

Bellshill were now starting to regret the time wasting tactics as the Jags pressed again and looked for the winner but time got the better of them and the game ended in a draw that didn’t really satisfy either team.

Full Time: Larkhall Thistle 2 Bellshill Athletic 2

Thistle Scorers: Grant, McGeachie

Larkhall Thistle Team:
McEwan; Brown, Doyle, Nicholl, Russell; Jack, Canning, Kelly, McKeever; Grant, Gracie. Subs: McGeachie, McInall, Strang, Bulloch, Moss

Booked: Nicholl, Grant, McKeever, Gracie

Bellshill:
Donnelly, Brady, McDowell, Dolan, Wilson, Morris, Woods, Redpath, Miller, Selkirk, Holmes. Subs: Connolly, Love, Steele, MacDonald, Calder

Best for Thistle on the day was McEwan with another string of great saves but young Scott Nicholl also had a very good game and showed his versatility by filling in at full back

Central League First Division
Fullarton Park Glasgow
Bellshill Athletic v Larkhall Thistle

Larkhall Thistle kept up their unwanted run of defeats today at Fullarton Park, though a much improved performance should have seen them get at least a share of the points. In the end however the result again swung on several contentious refereeing decisions rather than being outplayed by the opposition.

 

Thistle started the game with a couple of changes from the defeat at Lanark, Mark Weir was recalled to centre half with Andy Brown switching to right back and Mark Russell dropping to the bench. JP Grant was also back in the team after suspension and he slotted into centre midfield, with Jack moving to the right and Scott McLachlan making way.

Bellshill started the game looking in the mood and their early pressure brought them a free kick on the right inside three minutes. Bellshill’s number 6, who had a hand in most things, swung a cross into the six yard box and it was met with a glancing header that dropped inside the left post of Davie McEwan’s goal leaving him helpless and the Jags a goal down.

Thistle fought back and a good run down the right side by Graham Gracie took him right to the byline, he cut the ball back but Canning’s shot was wide. JP Grant – back in the team after his two match ban – then played a great reverse pass across the park to Mark McKeever who got his cross in well but Jack’s effort was put out for a corner.

The game then settled for a ten minute spell where most of the action took place in the middle of the park and neither team created much in the way of real chances. It was to prove to be the calm before the storm of the frantic five minutes that followed.

On 28 minutes Larkhall pushed up and a Ross McGeachie flicked header landed perfectly in the path of Mark Canning who found himself clear with just the keeper to beat but unfortunately scuffed his shot. The ball went out for a throw in to Thistle and Gracie’s long effort managed to find it’s way to Grant at the far post who slid in to equalise.

Thistle had the bit between their teeth now and looked to take the lead, Grant’s cross found Jack in perfect position but his shot was saved. Just after the half hour point of the game the referee awarded a free kick to Bellshill inside the halfway line, it looked an innocuous challenge and manager Duncan Sinclair was spoken to for his protests. The free kick was taken quickly and the ball fell to a Bellshill player on the left who looked blatantly offside to everyone except the referee and he scored with a low shot.

Two minutes later Alan Flaming rose above his opponent to clear a high ball into the box but for some inexplicable reason the referee awarded Bellshill a penalty for the challenge. The penalty was scored and Bellshill were 3-1 up. The visitors pushed hard to get back into the game before the interval, in 39 minutes Mark McKeever fired in a cross which was headed just over the bar by Canning and another long throw from Gracie was headed over by Fleming.

Dean Richardson was booked for arguing about a free kick given against Fleming for handball.

Half Time: Bellshill 3 Larkhall Thistle 1

Thistle started the second half looking determined to get back into the game and right away a long pass from Grant out to the right landed perfectly in McGeachie’s path but his snap shot went wide. Bellshill then almost extended their lead when their best passage of play saw the ball being moved down the right and a cross met with a strong header that rattled the bar. It was deja vu five minutes later when they should have scored with a free header in the middle of the goals.

The Jags heeded the warning and on 57 minutes Gracie cut in from the left and his cross was handled by a Bellshill defender. JP Grant stepped up to pull it back to 3-2. Two minutes later Larkhall had the ball in the net for what looked like the equaliser only for the celebrations to be cut short when the referee disallowed the goal for offside. There was to be no respite for the home side though as Gracie sprinted clear on the left side of the box and was upended by a lunge from the Bellshill defender.Grant again took responsibility for the spot kick and levelled the game at 3-3.

Mark Weir was booked for a tackle from behind shortly after that and in the 67th minute came the Bellshill winner. The Larkhall defence was caught out by a through ball that left the number 10 in the clear with another Bellshill player in support and no Thistle defenders back. The player took the ball in towards Davie McEwan and as the keeper came out, rolled the ball to his team mate who slid it into the empty net.

The ball looked to have been played forward and as there were no defenders near, it’s hard to see why offside wasn’t given. Thistle fought hard to get another equaliser with Fleming again going close with a header from a Gracie throw and Weir’s header producing a great save in the dying stages of the game.

Fleming and Grant were both booked for dissent towards the end of the game.

A better performance on the day then from the Jags and a game which they didn’t deserve to lose. It was also good to see them scoring goals again after a three game barren spell. We will be looking to get back to winning ways on Saturday when we face bottom club East Kilbride Thistle at Gaworks Park.

Full Time: Bellshill 4 Larkhall Thistle 3

Thistle Scorers: Grant (3)

Larkhall Thistle Team:
McEwan; Brown, Fleming, Weir, Richardson; McKeever, Canning, Grant, Jack; McGeachie, Gracie. Subs Russell, McKay, McLachlan, Kelly, Moss

Booked: Richardson, Weir, Fleming, Grant

Best for Thistle on the day was Grant who made a big difference in the middle of the park and Gracie who had a hand in all Thistle’s goals.

Bellshill 4 Larkhall Thistle 3 – 3rd  November 2012
Larkhall Thistle 4 St Roch’s 2 – 17th November 2012
Larkhall Thistle 3 St Anthony’s – 24th November 2012

Sectional League Cup Final 2nd October 2001
Firhill Park, Glasgow
Larkhall Thistle v Bellshill Athletic

Thistle faced Bellshill in the final of the Sectional League Cup on a Tuesday night in Glasgow at Partick Thistle’s Firhill Park.

It wasn’t to be on this occasion for the Jags as their North Lanarkshire rivals ran out winners by 3-0. Below are a selection of photographs taken on the night and supplied by Hugh Kerr.