Larkhall Thistle 4 East Kilbride 1 – 1st May 2013
Port Glasgow 1 Larkhall Thistle 4 – 4th May 2013

Due to various factors there were no more fixtures  in May and we had to wait till June 1st to play the last game of the season.

These factors included freak weather for the time of year causing postponements, Port Glasgow having a massive backlog of fixtures and playing them all before playing Thistle and Royal Albert sharing the park and having to fulfil their fixtures.

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v East Kilbride Thistle

Larkhall Thistle went into this game knowing only a win would be good enough to maintain their push for promotion and having won the corresponding fixture at the Show Park by 8-0, were strong favourites to do so even though they were missing three of the regular back four in Dean Richardson, Alan Fleming and Andy Brown. Fellow promotion chasers Lesmahagow and Lanark were playing each other so at least one of them was going to drop points.

The game started quietly with Thistle looking a bit nervous and it was the ninth minute before the first chance was created. Jordan Marshall and Graham Gracie worked the ball between them before laying it back for Mark Canning to volley from the edge of the box, his effort going narrowly past the right post. The visitors showed that they intended to make a game of it and as they grew in confidence they managed their first real attempt at goal when striker Scott hit a dipping shot past the post after picking up a loose ball from a free kick.

Thistle then replied with a couple of half chances, first Joe Doyle – who looked like he has never been away – made a 30 yard run but hit his shot tamely straight at East Kilbride keeper Wilson then Graham Gracie and Ross McKeever combined to set up Mark McKeever but the keeper managed to block his shot with his feet.

Hugh Kelly picked up the game’s first booking after 21 minutes when he left the referee with no option after fouling an opponent who was racing into the clear on the halfway line but five minutes later Thistle were in front. Mark Canning picked up the ball halfway inside the East Kilbride half and poked a ball through the middle into the path of Gracie who looked up and picked his spot with a lob past the advancing keeper into the middle of the goal.

Thistle were pressing for a second and after a couple of attempts the incident that was to confirm the home win came in the 38th minute. McKeever picked up the ball on the edge of the box and hit a hard drive that caught an East Kilbride defender on the arm, the referee decided somewhat harshly that it was a penalty and JP Grant made no mistake from the spot.

Having gone two up some of the Jags players might have thought that the job was done but were to get a sharp reminder that East Kilbride weren’t going down without a fight just four minutes later, when Boyle picked up an excellent through ball and lobbed high into the net past Davie McEwan.

Fortunately for Thistle they heeded the warning and restored their two goal advantage four minutes later through a magnificent solo effort from Gracie. He picked up the ball just outside the left edge of the box and weaved his way past the whole East Kilbride defence before crashing the ball high into the roof of the net.

Half Time: Larkhall Thistle 3 East Kilbride Thistle 1

The second half started with a complete chance of attitude from Thistle as they looked for the early goal to make sure the points were safe. Gracie nearly got the goal after only two minutes when he crashed a fierce shot from the edge of the box, unfortunately for him Wilson was well placed to make the save. Next to threaten the visitors goal was McKeever who struck his shot wide after being played in by a great ball from the outside of Jordan Marshall’s boot. Marshall was becoming increasingly influential and his hard work and range of passing was what had been missing in the right midfield role.

Larkhall were pressing hard without any real cutting edge up front and although they had nearly all the pressure the goals weren’t coming with JP Grant in particular frustrated at not getting his name on the scoresheet.

Thistle did add one more goal to their tally in the 71st minute and it came from the best move of the match. A long ball from McEwan was headed on by Grant and Gracie took a great touch to bring it down and control it in one move, passing it square to Canning 20 yards out in front of the goal. The midfielder looked up and spotted Marshall on the right and played a perfect ball into his path for the youngster to run on and place the ball low into the left corner of the goal.

The Jags made a couple of late substitutions, bringing on first Sandy Strang in place of McKeever then Jack for Marshall and saw the game out safely although there was a late chance for East Kilbride. McEwan had to dive full length to tip past a 20 yard effort for a corner and from the resultant kick the visitors should have scored with a free header from 8 yards.

Although the result was what was required, other games didn’t go in Thistle’s favour on the night and nothing was gained. St Anthony’s came back to beat Dunipace, Shettleston won and Lesmahagow beat Lanark in the derby. The Ants have now played all their games and we can overtake them on points with back to back wins against Port Glasgow, the other contenders being Lesmahagow who would top us if they won all their five games and Shettleston who would now need us to slip up.

Full Time: Larkhall Thistle 4 East Kilbride Thistle 1

Thistle Scorers: Gracie 2, Grant, Marshall

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

Booked: Kelly

Best for Thistle on the day were youngsters Marshall and Nicholl, with Doyle and Kelly doing a good job of controlling the defence.

East Kilbride Thistle:
Wilson; McMillan, Sloan, McAnenie, Borg; Stuart, Kelsell, Johnstone, Scott, Jeffrey, Boyle Subs: Findlay, Clark, Meek, Winter, Kennedy

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Showpark, East Kilbride

Larkhall Thistle made a welcome return to football today after a five game layoff and blew away the cobwebs with an emphatic win against bottom side East Kilbride. The heavy park meant that the game only just made it past the referee’s inspection and there was a constant threat of rain that would have seen the match being abandoned but despite the conditions the Jags managed to play some good football and added considerably to their goal difference.

First to show for the visitors was Graham Gracie who took a good touch from a long Dean Richardson pass before firing in a low shot that the keeper touched on the way into the net. Three minutes later Mark McKeever almost added to the lead when he took a nice backheel from Ross McGeachie after a good move, but scooped the ball straight into the keeper’s hands.

East Kilbride then had a short spell where they held their own but it always looked likely that a second goal would kill the game.

Thistle doubled their lead in the 18th minute. JP Grant swept a crossfield ball to Brian Jack who cut inside before passing the ball across the six yard box for McGeachie to backheel into the path of McKeever, who tapped in from two yards. Two minutes later it was 3-0 when Gracie picked up the ball on the left side of the box and squared to McKeever who laid it into the path of Mark Canning who had the easiest of finishes from a couple of yards out.

By this point Larkhall were on easy street with the hosts offering little resistance, just before the half hour mark Gracie again picked up the ball on the left, beat a man then passed to Canning whose drive was well tipped past by the East Kilbride keeper. A few minutes later Gracie himself could have made it four when he picked up a ball from a throw and drifted inside before shifting the ball onto his left foot and firing narrowly wide.

Goal number four did arrive after 41 minutes when McGeachie got his head to a long ball and flicked it into the path of Canning who volleyed it past the helpless keeper.

Canning and McKeever both had great chances to add to the lead before the break in what was one of the most one-sided halfs in a long time.

Half Time: East Kilbride 0 Larkhall Thistle 4

Thistle started the second half looking determined to keep up the pressure on the home team and extended the lead six minutes in when Gracie took a ball on the right inside his man before sending a low left foot shot just inside the right hand post.

Seven minutes later East Kilbride produced their best move of the game and should really have scored, a free kick to the back post was headed down for a shot that went just past Davie McEwan’s right post. A minute later however they fell further behind when an EK free kick from their substitute was easily picked up and fed to McGeachie who played in Gracie for a one on one with the keeper, the big striker cooly slipping the ball home for 6-0.

Straight after the goal Gracie was replaced when Sandy Strang came on to make his debut and five minutes later Scott McLachlan came on for McKeever.

The Thistle supporters had to wait until the 71st minute to see the goal that most had wanted, Big Ross McGeachie finally getting the goal that his hard work and good play deserved when he got his head onto a Jack cross from the right and flicked it high into the net.

Mark Weir came on for Grant just after the goal and five minutes later the scoring was completed when McLachlan made a run down the left before passing to McGeachie who laid it off for Canning to complete his hat-trick with a chip over the keeper.

Full Time: East Kilbride 0 Larkhall Thistle 8

Thistle Scorers: Gracie 3, Canning 3, McKeever, McGeachie

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

Best for Thistle on the day were Gracie, McGeachie, Kelly and Canning although it was a fine team performance with no flops on the day.

East Kilbride 0 Larkhall Thistle 8 – 5th January 2013
Larkhall Thistle 3 Lanark United 4 – 12th January 2013
Greenock 0 Larkhall Thistle 5 – 19th January 2013

Unfortunately a combination of heavy rain, snow and frost meant that there were hardly any junior football games played anywhere in Scotland during December 2012.

In common with a lot of other clubs, Larkhall Thistle didn’t manage to play any games in the whole of the month. Games against Greenock, East Kilbride Thistle,  Shettleston, Port Glasgow and Benburb were all due to be played but fell foul of the weather.