Alex Jack Cup Final 21/22

After having the mad notion that I’d try and get to every cup final in Scottish senior/junior football along with every club at home I was able to make a start in sunny Fife for the Alex Jack Cup final.
If you’ve followed any of the previous blogs I’ve done this one will be written slightly differently. Normally I’m there to watch the home team and it’s all about them and their ground. New Central Park was the venue but Kelty Hearts had the day off – probably extremely hungover after securing the League 2 title the day before! This time I got to sit back stress free with absolutely no preference and watch Crossgates Primrose and Leith Athletic battle it out to lift the trophy.
Crossgates are the higher ranked of the 2 and are a mid table Premier League side. Leith are a league below but are currently top of their conference and promotion is a possibility – there shouldn’t be too much between the sides.

History

The Alex Jack has been running since the late 80’s and Leith Athletic have lifted the trophy 5 times in 6 finals – all since 2009.
Crossgates have fared differently. The club almost folded only 6 years ago and this would be their first cup final in 27 years!
Only sides not eligible for the Senior Scottish Cup (License reasons etc) can enter and this brings it’s own incentive. The winner will head into a play off with the South & West of Scotland’s equivalent cup winners with a potentially lucrative Scottish Cup place up for grabs next season.

Road to the final

Crossgates Primrose

R1 – 3-2 v Kirkcaldy & Dysart (H)
R2 – 4-0 v Kinnoull (A)
QF – 5-3 v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts (A)
SF – 3-3 (5-4 on penalties) v Bo’ness Athletic (H)

Leith Athletic

R1 – 6-3 v Lochore Welfare (H)
R2 – 5-0 v Glenrothes (A)
QF – 3-0 v Ormiston (A)
SF – 2-1 v Luncarty (A)

Odds (Mcbookie)
Crossgates Primrose 5/6
Draw 15/4
Leith Athletic 17/10

Teams

Crossgates Primrose

1 Sean Robertson
2 Paul Brown
6 Jacob Glass
7 Brian Ritchie
8 Darren Aitken
12 Finn Graham
14 Craig McGuire
16 Cammy Muirhead
17 Ross Graham
18 Calum Smith
19 Ross Pollock

Subs:
21 Shaun Hunter
3 Neil Lawrie
4 Colin Paterson
5 Andy McDonald
9 Scott Lawrie
10 Archie Campbell
11 Mark McKenzie
15 James McAteer

Leith Athletic

13 Campbell McLellan
3 Ewan Howie
4 Craig Hume
5 Kerr Allan
10 Brodie MacKenzie
11 Wayne Sproule
14 Shaun Turnbull
17 Kayne Paterson
18 Michael Barfoot
20 Cameron Stewart
21 John Robertson

Subs:
1 Jamie Smith
2 James Redpath
6 Jay Watson
7 Craig Ferrier
8 Murray Hand
12 Daniel Simpson
15 Ben Wardlaw

The Match

A healthy crowd of around 600 piled in, including large numbers of youth team representatives from both sides – all of which really added to the atmosphere making plenty of noise throughout.
Leith play some good football, especially out from the back and into midfield but struggled to convert these into chances at the other end.
Crossgates were physically dominant and had the bulk of the first half opportunities. The first fell to captain Brian Ritchie as the ball fell to him unmarked in the penalty area with his back to goal. His shot on the turn was without conviction and straight at Campbell McLellan in the Leith goal and a big chance went begging.
Ritchie soon made amends however by opening the scoring. Some neat passing play left Ritchie baring down on goal and his shot would beat McLellan this time (I think with the aide of a deflection).
Dunfermline & Brechin fans will recognise the scorer of Primrose’s second – Finn Graham with the ball at the edge of the box used a turn of pace to go round the defender giving him just enough time to place the ball past McLellan at his near post.
In the second half Crossgates dominated less than the first but looked fairly comfortable throughout. They got themselves an early third goal as Ritchie’s shot was initially saved but only into the path of Calum Smith who bundled the ball home from close range.
Leith did create a few chances of their own, the two biggest coming from corner kicks. First Kerr Allan and laterly Craig Hume found themselves in space but neither could direct their headers into the net.
Leith began to see more of the ball and tried to exploit Crossgates’ high defensive line but the final ball was occasionally just too far but more commonly the linesman flagged for offside. I’d like to see an official stat on Leith’s offside count!
Crossgates deserved their win and their first half dominance was pivotal in winning the game. The better team came out on top in my opinion and you can’t say fairer than that.

Full time: Crossgates Primrose 3-0 Leith Athletic.

MOTM

A very tough call, but I’m going to pick Crossgates’ Brian Ritchie. The skipper was a danger throughout the game and was involved in much of his side’s attacking play. He helped himself to the opening goal and had a hand in the third which effectively killed the game before being substituted later on.
It was a solid team performance from the Fifers but his contributions were key to winning.

Final thoughts

The East of Scotland Football League deserve a lot of credit for organising a seamlessly ran Cup final. The large crowd were well catered for, sensible pricing at the gate, an excellent programme produced and the perfect venue chosen to host the match.
Commiserations to Leith, it just wasn’t their day but I’m sure everyone will feel happy for Crossgates. It’s a new name on the trophy but it’s also been a long wait for some silverware. This was a golden opportunity and they seized it with a comfortable win in the end.

A great day out had by all, and the best of luck to Crossgates Primrose in the Scottish Cup playoffs.

Game time. Not a cloud for miles

Crossgates celebrate their goal

The support was colourful, plentiful and the young team made plenty of noise

Party time

Club 44/279 – Newton Stewart

Match: Newton Stewart v Creetown
Date: 26/03/2022
Venue: Blairmount Park, Newton Stewart
Competition: South of Scotland League Cup – Group Stage
Entry Fee: £4
Travel: £29.10
Miles completed today: 168
Total miles remaining: 37575

It’s my intention on this adventure to take in as many derbies as possible. My first trip into the South of Scotland was only a few weeks ago but I liked it so much I’d made a point to hurry back as one fixture stood out to me.
The town of Newton Stewart sits on the river Cree and are known as ‘The Creesiders’. Today’s opponents are Creetown and there’s only around 6 miles between the two – this match is a pretty big deal down here,
Coming from Glasgow there’s really no easy way to get down here using public transport. Three trains, three hours and a 40 minute bus ride is required end up in Newton Stewart and as the times didn’t match up well I had plenty of time to kill in Stranraer too. I left the house at 07:45 and it wasn’t until 22:10 I got back, it’s not for the faint hearted this groundhopping caper.

The South of Scotland League Cup splits their division into an east & west section and play out a group stage. From here, two teams from each qualify for the semi finals.
Both teams have it tough. They currently occupy 3rd & 4th in the league but are in the same cup section as 1st & 2nd and it’d be fair to say that this section is the stronger of the two. A loss for either side won’t eliminate them but it’d be very hard to qualify from here so there’s the added incentive of killing your rivals hopes on top of needing the win to keep yours alive!
Newton Stewart have enjoyed much success against their rivals this season. The Creesiders boast 2 victories in the league including a 5-0 win away from home but Creetown dumped them out of the Southern Counties Cup on penalties in their most recent meeting back in January.

The Ground

Blairmount Park is right at the top end of the town, so much so that I was convinced I’d walked the wrong way before I found it.
Watching football here is a snip at only £4 and a large crowd turned out to watch the game. There’s spectator access on two sides of the ground and whilst I couldn’t hazard a guess at the attendance, there wasn’t too much space anywhere at the barrier. It’s also hard to guess the split of the crowd as some of the spectators seemed to know the names of the players on both sides and shouted encouragement (or some friendly stick) at both
There’s one sheltered area with benches near the halfway line and a backdrop of trees behind – it’s quite picturesque. Unfortunately I struggled to get good ones as the glare of the sun hit almost all of my pictures but what a day for a game of football.
A wee shout out to the club. They’d messaged me beforehand asking if I need travel info and to ask for a specific committee member if I needed anything (and they’d throw in a wee cup of tea). I didn’t take them up on it as I arrived a wee bit later than planned and it was filling up by that point but it’s brilliant that they’d take the time to make a lost weegie welcome.
I normally always have a half time pie but standing at the barrier watching the first half I overheard a snipper of a conversation “There’s sausage rolls… aye they’re home made” and that was me sold. Sometimes it’s handy to be nosy! At only £1.50 it was delicious and reasonably priced. If you’re coming down here patch the pie and get one of these instead.

The Game

I expected to see a game played at 100mph as we’ve become accustomed to in Scottish football at all levels but both sides seemed happy to let the other have a bit of the ball. On a warm day maybe this was the sensible approach. In the first half Newton Stewart were comfortable without dominating too much but they did play the better football.
The only goal of the game came from some quality football on the left hand side resulting in a cross to the back post and Marc Whyte scored an exquisite volley from around 15 yards back across the goal and into the bottom corner – A great goal.
They should’ve had a second when another outstanding deep cross from Jack Marshall found Robbie Thomson’s run in behind but as he controlled the ball with his back to goal he could only strike the ball straight at the keeper from close range on the swivel.
Creetown rarely threatened but the home side were dealt a warning shot when one came back off the bar from a corner.
The second half was equally comfortable for the hosts but they were able to get forward more often.
They found themselves in good positions regularly but the two centre halves and goalkeeper of Creetown were all outstanding and prevented kept their side in the game. Newton Stewart pushed for a second goal and thought they’d eventually got it but Matt Deazeley’s tap in was ruled out for offside. I tend to stick up for officials and I’ll always sympathise with those without linesman but this decision was a complete guess. He had a bit of a howler all game to be honest, blowing the whistle too often when advantage could’ve been played and frequently gave easy decisions the other way much to the bemusement of the crowd.
The longer Newton Stewart couldn’t find a killer goal the more I thought Creetown would go on and nick something but they rarely threatened and they’ll be disappointed with that.
In the end 1 goal was enough and it’s as comfortable a 1-0 as you’ll ever see.

Full time: Newton Stewart 1-0 Creetown

MOTM
It may seem strange giving the MOTM to a losing player on the away side but I think that’s exactly what goalkeeper Dale Leith deserves. In the second half Newton Stewart were on the front foot constantly and would’ve had the game out of sight if not for some excellent saves both from close and long range.
Even more impressively was how good his starting positioning was almost as a sweeper keeper. As the Creesiders got the ball in behind to some willing runners more and more they were beaten to the ball almost all of the time by the sharp Dale Leith.
There were four or five contenders, but for me Leith was the difference between 1-0 and 3 or 4 and that’s why I’m picking him this time round.

Summary

Another derby down and it’s Newton Stewart who pick up the points. Qualification is far from settled but it certainly gives them a chance.
After an opening day defeat to Stranraer they’ve taken 3 off high flying Threave Rovers and now defeated their biggest rivals – it’s as good a response as they could’ve asked for.
I experienced a good atmosphere in what is obviously a big game and I got witnessed the team I came down to see win the game.
What really struck me was the number of younger supporters at the match. A healthy mix of kids and teenagers replaced the older generations you tend to find at non league games and that can only be a good thing.
It was a deserved win for Newton Stewart who dominated (particularly in the second half) and played some very good football at times, most noticeably for the goal which was well worked before even mentioning the beauty of a strike itself!
I’ve forgotten to mention what a lovely place the town of Newton Stewart is. If you’re walking up the hill towards Beaumont Park turn around and take in a terrific view of the Galloway Hills in the distance.

Spelling mistakes on street signs. The club spell it ‘Blairmount’.

The teams are ready on a roasting afternoon

A portion of the spectators at half time. The rest can be found sinking cans by the bar

The pavillion

The wee stand in all it’s glory

This was part of a bigger welcome sign but was obstructed by the masses

The club represented in the town square

Club 43/279 – Blackburn United

Match: Blackburn United v Linlithgow Rose
Date: 15/03/2022
Venue: Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium (New Murrayfield Park), Blackburn
Competition: East of Scotland League Cup (Group J)
Entry Fee: £6
Travel: £14.20
Miles completed today: 64
Total miles remaining: 37743

You know what? I’ve written and deleted a few into lines numerous times in the last half hour but after remembering that this is MY diary/blog and completely unofficial I want to start by saying how hard is it to write intro’s?
I’m very tired at the moment and much of this is down to the journey. I grudge paying peak train prices, so much so that I’ll arrive at my destination about an hour and a half before I need to just to avoid paying the extra.
Blackburn is a wee place in West Lothian probably most famous for Susan Boyle. Bathgate is the nearest station and after leaving the house at 10 to 4 I arrived at 20 past 5 – a whole 2 hours & 10 minutes before kick off. It’s about an a mile and a half walk into Blackburn, or 3 miles if you take the cycle path through the nature reserve like I did.
It’s a new ground and a new competition for me. The East of Scotland League cup has been running since the late 80’s with neither of the sides playing tonight having lifted the trophy… yet at least.

Preview

Two sides at opposite ends of the same league. The visitors are battling for the title whilst Blackburn are in a relegation scrap. It’s a welcomed break from league duty as the cup can throw up some surprises.
The tournament is initially split into 12 groups where clubs battle to reach the last 16. I’m doing this off the cuff, but I imagine the 12 group winners qualify along with the 4 best places runners up so there really isn’t too much room for error.
Group J has already sprung a surprise when Dalkeith Thistle not only held Blackburn to a draw but also defeated Linlithgow Rose on their own turf so whilst nothing can be officially decided tonight a win is imperative if either side have aspirations to progress.

Odds:
Blackburn United 9/2
Draw 6/1
Linlithgow Rose 1/4

The Ground

Blackburn is a small place and the clubs ground is right in the centre – it’s pretty hard to miss, particularly on a week night under the lights. For sponsorship purposes the ground is officially called the Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium but is commonly referred to as New Murrayfield Park.
It’s a good setup. A floodlit artificial surface would be the envy of many sides all over the country at this level and the club are fully licenced. It seems like they have their house in order which may be an advantage when recruiting players.
The ringfence separating players and spectators is pretty tight to the pitch and there’s one fairly large covered stand where much of the Linlithgow contingent gathered.
The capacity here is around 1100. I’m not sure how they’d squeeze everyone in as the attendance for this game was 179 (thanks @AndTerraces for the figure) and it looked rather busy.
I hadn’t a clue what to expect beforehand, but I’m impressed.
The team were sporting their yellow strip (which I believe is their away kit)?. With Linlithgow Rose in white I’m not really sure why.

The Game

Overall a good watch with plenty of goals. The opening stages were fairly even but Linlithgow showed moments of real quality at one end and defended astutely at the other.
Blackburn tried to put Linlithgow’s defence under pressure with a ball in behind – particularly down their right hand side but Dan Baur and Cammy Thomson handled the threat rather convincingly.
At the other end Linlithgow were having more success and their goals were excellent from an attacking point of view. Their first came from a corner as an enticing delivery was met by the head of Gary Thom who attacked the ball with real intent and reaped the reward.
Linlithgow’s balls over the top were starting to cause problems and they got their second through Mark Stowe who ran on to a bouncing ball and used the ball’s momentum to lift it over Blackburn’s keeper and into the net for 2-0.
A third quickly followed – the game could’ve been stopped for a foul but the referee delayed making the decision to see where the ball ended up and this turned out to be a great advantage for Jack Ogilvie who was in behind the defence for 3-0.
In the second half Blackburn deserve a lot of credit. Lesser teams may have crumbled after the difficult first half but this period was much more even than the first.
Both sides huffed and puffed but it didn’t look like there’d be much to write home about until late on in the game. Blackburn were awarded a penalty (I was miles away but looked a straightforward enough decision) and Laurie Devine sent the keeper the wrong way to give the home side a glimmer of hope.
This was quickly extinguished by super sub Alan Sneddon who scored two almost identical goals in quick succession. Both of his goals were rebounds where he was first to react. His first was after the keeper’s save where he bundled the ball into the net whilst the second was after an effort from range had struck the bar and he headed home before any of Blackburn’s defenders could react.

Full time: Blackburn United 1-5 Linlithgow Rose

MOTM

I thought Linlithgow worked well as a unit but giving the MOTM to an entire team is cheesy so my pick is Mark Stowe purely because I enjoyed watching him play. His goal wasn’t an easy chance yet aesthetically pleasing – who doesn’t love seeing a keeper get chipped? Especially on the half volley!
He was also denied goal of the season from about 30 yards out as his rocket of an effort came back off the frame of the goal. You know it’s good when there’s a simultaneous gasp from the crowd.

Summary

It’s a disappointing night for the club but the club didn’t disappoint me. On the park it was well and truly Linlithgow Rose’s night who deserve credit for really showing what a good side they are putting in a clinical and professional performance.
Off the park is where the club really impress. Not only for the ground mentioned above but their community club is a vital hub for local youngsters to get into football with a clear pathway to senior football. They have boys teams from 2014’s right through to the first team, a ladies side, an amateur team and even an athletics club. It’s often said that football clubs are the heart of a community and none more so than Blackburn United – a real credit to their town.

Club 42/279 – Shotts Bon Accord

Match: Shotts Bon Accord v Auchinleck Talbot
Date: 12/03/2022
Venue: Hannah Park, Shotts
Competition: Junior Cup Quarter Final
Entry Fee: £7
Travel: £7.80
Miles completed today: 54
Total miles remaining: 37807

When I first started doing research on the crazy ‘get round every club in Scotland’ idea I had a wee list of around 20 or so clubs that I couldn’t wait to get around. Somewhere on that list lay Shotts Bon Accord. Hannah Park is a favourite of neutrals like myself and there’s no better time to visit than when the Talbot come to town in the Junior Cup.

It’s that quarter final stage of the Junior Cup and both of these sides know what it takes to win. Shotts have lifted the trophy twice, firstly in 1958 and most recently in 2012 when they defeated today’s visitors in the final. Auchinleck Talbot are no strangers to success in this competition either – nobody has won this cup more than the Ayrshire side.
If you don’t know too much about the West of Scotland League you’d be forgiven for thinking that top of the Premier League Talbot should win comfortably against a side in the division below but this really isn’t the case. Hannah Park isn’t only the home of Shotts Bon Accord – it’s a fortress. The Bonnie haven’t lost a game here since mid July.

Odds:
Shotts Bon Accord 21/5
Draw 11/2
Auchinleck Talbot 7/25

The Ground

Hannah Park is a beautiful old school ground situated in the north of the village. It boasts the largest playing surface in senior Scottish football best viewed from the large terraced stand that runs along the side of the pitch. There’s plenty of terracing around the park although the curve behind one of the goals is a fair distance from the action.
This is undoubtedly a ground full of character but today was all about the occasion. I’m rubbish at estimating a crowd but there must be north of 1000 here to watch this one.
Auchinleck Talbot are well supported and will always bring a good crowd but anyone connected with Shotts made a real effort here. A large band of kids from their youth academy were in attendance and made some noise but more impressively was the voice of the home support in the stand – particularly in the second half. What was great to see is the amount of neutrals that’d turned out. Just at a glance I noticed punters in Rangers, Celtic, Livingston, Hearts and even Haddington Athletic gear just to name a few. Now these neutrals (myself included) don’t turn up if we expect the home side to take a beating, we come because we think there might just be an upset and I’m sure I can speak for all non Talbot fans when I say we hoped Shotts could make a game of it.
Shotts pie stall is called the Bonny Bistro and they have an extensive selection of food and drink available at great prices. Any club that’ll sell a steak pie for £1.50 is worthy of a nod of approval – even more so when the pie is delicious! This is further backed up by the fact this was the biggest pie queue I’ve seen anywhere in Scotland this season.

As good a scran as you’ll find in non league Scottish football.

The Match

This would be a match keenly contested by hard work and determination. Heavy rainfall in the last few days cast a little doubt over the match but an early pitch inspection was passed and it was game on.
This did look heavy and would cut up throughout the match. When coupled with some strong winds it was going to be difficult to play pretty football. It’d be disrespectful to call this a leveller but it’d certainly change the way the game was played.
The bulk of the first half belonged to Shotts who looked the better side. With the wind behind them the Bonny used this to put balls in between Auchinleck’s defence defensive line and goalkeeper. This seemed to be working and I had the feeling that Shotts would strike first but the manner of the opening goal was utterly bizarre.
A corner swung into the box was expertly handled by Andy Leishman in the Talbot goal. Nothing to see here I thought and momentarily glanced down at my phone. My head shot back up when I heard a roar from the home fans to find a Shotts player on the deck and a penalty being awarded. A rather honest Talbot fan told me that Leishman (with the ball still in his hands) had shoved the striker to the ground and agreed that it was a penalty which goes totally against what the other Talbot fans close by thought of the decision but fair play to the guy for explaining without the bias.
Ally Martin tucked the penalty into the corner and Shotts had the lead. Still the home side looked the more likely and thought they had a second but the linesman’s flag denied them.
The last 15 minutes of the half saw a turn in the tide as Talbot pushed for an equaliser. For the most part Shotts defended well without threatening themselves but their failure to clear a cross from a free kick found Bryan Boylan who found himself with a yard of space inside the penalty area to draw level.
The second half was dominated by the away side. We didn’t see as many incidents as the first half but the big moment was to come. Talbot found themselves clean through and Shotts keeper Johnny Murdoch rushed out to try and deal with the danger. He was beaten to the ball but the ball did not beat him as he made a good save with little time to react. The only issue with this save is that it was 2-3 yards outside the box and the referee had no choice other than to produce the red card. I believe it’s the linesman that’s given it but I was right in line and it’s a good decision from the officials. The resulting free kick came off the wall but would ricochet to Craig McCracken who’s close range effort found the far corner. Craig deserved a goal having already had one off the post and the bar earlier in the match!
From there the game would fizzle out. Shotts only really had one chance from a corner but whilst Craig Crawford won the header he could only fire the ball harmlessly over the bar.
The home fans in the stand supported their side fantastically singing songs of encouragement to give the players a lift but it wasn’t to be.
Auchinleck Talbot would hang on for the win – not the prettiest game of football I’ll ever watch but thoroughly entertaining nonetheless.

Full time: Shotts Bon Accord 1-2 Auchinleck Talbot

MOTM

This is the hardest one yet. This game was the epitome of a battle and the tough conditions meant there weren’t really too many moments of quality that’d prove to be the difference. I’m going to go with Talbot defender Craig McCracken as the defender dealt with Shott’s long ball very well, scored the winner and was unlucky not the net a hat trick!

Summary

In the end it’s disappointment for Shotts but the club can take real pride in their showing on and off the park.
Their side went toe to toe with (probably) the best tier 6 side in the country and ran them close. Off the park the beautiful ground that is Hannah Park saw a bumper crowd all in good spirits and fine voices.
There are good match ups all around the country on any given Saturday but I can honestly say there’s not one other match I’d rather have been at and I walk away with a really positive experience of Shotts Bon Accord.
Auchinleck Talbot did what they always find a way to do – win games. Good luck to them in the semis!

The bulk of the crowd

The aftermath

Club 41/279 – Threave Rovers

Match: Threave Rovers v Abbey Vale
Date: 05/03/2022
Venue: Meadow Park, Castle Douglas
Competition: South of Scotland League
Entry Fee: £4
Travel: £30.50
Miles completed today: 164
Total miles remaining: 37861

There are twenty one divisions in the Scottish Pyramid split between multiple associations – I’ve been in twenty of them this season. The South of Scotland had until now eluded my footballing travels and whilst I can’t put my finger on why, it was time to change that.
Threave Rovers come from Castle Douglas around 20 miles south west of Dumfries. There’s no train station close so travelling down means a two trains and a bus but here’s something I need to pick up on and something people need to be aware of… SPLIT YOUR TRAIN TICKETS. My local station to Dumfries return is £31.10. If I buy two return tickets – my local to Glasgow then Glasgow to Dumfries it’s £24.50 for EXACTLY the same journey. I’m not sure how this is legal or justified but do a little research before buying a longer haul ticket.

Anyway, back to the football.
There are no odds on South of Scotland League games but it’s the business end of the season and that adds a bit of extra spice to the games. Threave Rovers are 9 points behind St Cuthbert at the top with 6 to play. Abbey Vale are 6 behind Threave with a game in hand but a win for the home side would put them firmly in the driving seat for second place.

The Ground

Meadow Park is pretty easy to find at the far end of Castle Douglas. The town is known as ‘the food town of Dumfries & Galloway’ and every café was busy and some queued out the door.
I didn’t really have time to indulge so I headed straight for the ground and couldn’t believe that entry was only 4 quid! The setup here excellent and well laid out. As you enter the ground I was greeted with a bit of Paolo Nutini playing over the tannoy. You can immediately see their seated stand at the far side of the ground with terracing on the other end.
Behind one of the goals is where their social club and pie stall is. I didn’t check out the social club but the pie stall is one of the best. As you walk in it feels like a wee café/chillout zone with couches and pennants all over the walls from the sides that’ve played here.
The pitch looked in good condition although this would cut up significantly throughout the game which the 80 odd people had turned out to watch.

The Match

A real competitive, full blooded battle. On a heavy pitch it was hard for either side to dominate whilst both defended well.
The game could’ve set a record for the number of 50/50 challenges if such a thing existed and it was around 20 minutes before we saw the first real chance and it fell to the away side.
A free kick from the right was floated high into the box and Vale’s Dan Thom met the ball in the air ahead of Rovers goalkeeper Kieran McCulloch and his header looped into an empty net.
Threave equalised shortly after as right back Phil Middlemiss clipped a ball to the back post which hit the far post and nestled in the net. It was definitely intended as a cross and it looked an excellent ball but if it hadn’t gone in off the post it’d be tapped in by one of the unmarked strikers anyway – he deserved that bit of luck.
In the second half Rovers had a dominant period of around 20 minutes and this was ultimately the difference in the game. Vale were given a warning as a flick on from a long ball put Dan Carmichael through but his effort was wonderfully saved.
Only a few minutes later Carmichael was in again and this time he made sure with a composed finish in the opposite top corner beating the onrushing goalkeeper. He then made it 3 as he was first to pounce on a free kick that was spilled by the keeper. Abbey Vale players surrounded the referee looking for an offside decision and whilst they’ll likely disagree with me I’m not so sure. At the very least I don’t blame the referee if he’s got that one wrong.
Abbey Vale didn’t crumble, in fact they pushed the home side all the way and very nearly got back into the game.
A header from the edge of the box which came through multiple bodies but only on to the post followed by a volley off the bar kept Threave Rovers on their toes but there was to be no more scoring.

Full time: Threave Rovers 3-1 Abbey Vale

MOTM

An easy decision here, Dan Carmichael was a joy to watch. Although not always involved in the game his movement was fantastic, constantly finding himself in space in behind the Vale defence with his well timed runs not being picked up – so much so that the defenders screamed for offside in desperation rather than expectation.
His two goals were both products of his movement and could’ve had another two if not for good goalkeeping. A good days work an ultimately, the match winner.

Summary

As far as grounds go Meadow Park is one of the very best for location, character and convenience. You get a warm welcome, a great view, a great pie and ridiculous value for money at only £4 entry.
This is an excellent ground for Rovers. I think winning the league is probably out of reach but this could be a pivotal 3 points in the race for second spot – It’s Threave’s to lose from here.
I did notice that the town gets a lot of tourists and has a busy caravan park. I wonder if some sort of advertising can get these tourist families along for a cheap and enjoyable few hours away from the park. Pamphlets around the town with next fixture details maybe?
Regardless this is one of my favourite grounds so far and I do fancy a revisit when my challenge of getting around them all is done.

One final completely random note. In the article I use the word ‘tannoy’. We all know what that is right? Well, it isn’t. Tannoy is a brand of loudspeaker and that’s all. If the loudspeaker in question is not made by tannoy (and I’ve no idea how you’d find that out) then it isn’t. The more you know eh?

Around 10 seconds later, Carmichael (10) had scored from about a yard out after a late run into the box.

Action shot

No pie no party