Albion Rovers vs University of Stirling

This weekend’s 8th vs 9th battle is set to be an enticing affair as Uni could leapfrog Rovers (although for the pedants amongst you, Rovers do have a game in hand). 

Albion Rovers fans won’t be much happier than they were going into midweek, having needed a last minute Bright Prince goal to rescue a point against bottom of the table Broomhill. Sandy Clark’s side will need to provide more going forward if they want to get the jump on a Uni side that, on their day, can score for fun. 

Uni took two points from Caledonian Braves in midweek and will be looking to build on that and take the initiative of leapfrogging their positional rivals. 

Broomhill vs Cumbernauld Colts

Broomhill suffered a late sickener against Albion Rovers in midweek and it seems like – at some point – they surely have to gain some kind of reward for their improved play. A 2-2 draw against top half Albion Rovers was creditable but in order to keep in the fight for survival, they’ll have to start picking up wins and fast. 

They’ll see an opportunity against a Cumbernauld Colts side that have struggled hugely in recent weeks and capitulated at their home ground against Civil Service Strollers in midweek. Colts’ slide down the table in recent weeks will be a concern for David Proctor’s side and they’ll be looking to arrest it at The Rock on Saturday. 

Broxburn Athletic vs Civil Service Strollers

Broxburn Athletic played out a cagey nil-nil draw with Bo’ness United on Wednesday night and naturally will be looking to bounce back with a win at Albyn Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Civil Service Strollers for their part dismantled Cumbernauld Colts in midweek and took all three points and a three goal margin in a 4-1 win. Gary Jardine and his side will want to build on that, even if Albyn Park makes for a difficult away day! Strollers will need to shore up defensively, but there are few teams who look brighter going forward in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League at the moment. 

Caledonian Braves vs Celtic B

Caledonian Braves go into Saturday’s match at home to Celtic B, knowing that the momentum lies with their title rivals with them having failed to pick up all three points away at University of Stirling.

Celtic B themselves took down Gretna 2008 4-0 in midweek and are starting to return to the kind of form that put them in third place in the league. This one could easily be one to watch this weekend, but much depends on which Celtic side turns up. 

Cowdenbeath vs Bo’ness United

Cowdenbeath have perhaps been one of the more disappointing sides in the league this season and a visit from Bo’ness United will do little to perk up Blue Brazil fans still reeling from their 8-3 defeat to East Kilbride in midweek. Like Cumbernauld Colts, Cowdenbeath are struggling to impose themselves in games and will need more from their experienced players if they’re to get anything from this one. 

Bo’ness United – who I nearly constantly describe as ‘slow and steady’ – played out a 0-0 draw with Broxburn Athletic in midweek and are going about their business quietly and confidently. They’re currently sitting in 7th place but a wee run of results, either positive or negative, could change their fortunes greatly going into the rest of the season. 

East Kilbride vs Heart of Midlothian B

East Kilbride could probably have won by more in midweek, despite beating Cowdenbeath 8-3 at K Park. They will be incredibly confident going into their match against Hearts B at the weekend, with a chance to put the Premiership youth team whose record in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League has been fairly underwhelming this season, even further behind in their plans. 

East Stirlingshire vs Gala Fairydean Rovers

We said previously that East Stirlingshire needed a big, landmark result to put their season back on track. So them beating high-flying Linlithgow Rose 1-0 in midweek definitely counts. Two wins for the season won’t give Shire fans anything to sing too loudly about, but it’s progress that they can take into this weekend against Gala Fairydean Rovers. 

Gala themselves lost out narrowly to Tranent in midweek in a game where, had they taken their chances, things could have been very different. This match is a chance for both teams to take a huge leap away from the drop zone. Needless to say, The Falkirk Stadium could well be the place to be this weekend!

Gretna 2008 vs Berwick Rangers

Gretna 2008 fell foul of full time football in midweek as they lost out 4-0 to Celtic B. Things have been tougher than Gretna might have liked in this phase of the season, but their fans will still be hoping that the side have enough about them to steer clear of the danger zone over the next few months.

Berwick themselves are struggling a little after a bright start to the season. The former league leaders currently sit in 12th place and following the postponement of their midweek match versus Hearts B, they’ll be rested and raring to go in this one. 

Linlithgow Rose vs Tranent

Rose fans predicting a midweek loss to East Stirlingshire would likely have been run out of Linlithgow on Tuesday, but then imagine the moment of being able to say ‘I told you so’!

They’d probably have preferred to take something out of the game though…

They welcome Tranent who are quietly steamrollering their way through the league and looking good while doing it. The battle of fourth and fifth is another reason to get out to the football this weekend (as if you needed a reason). If you’re in the area, this isn’t one to be missed!

It’s time to look back… and forward! Let’s take a look, team-by-team, at how things are going for your team in the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland Football League.

Caledonian Braves

A 1-1 draw in midweek was a fair result between two strong sides as Braves and Broxburn fought it out at Alliance Park. The league leaders will need to be on top of things as they welcome Hearts B to Alliance Park this weekend and they’ll be looking to get back to winning ways. Ross McNeil will be keen to add to his goal tally.

East Kilbride

Many believed that East Kilbride would win the league at a canter this season, but it seems safe to say that after ten matches of the Lowland League season, things might not be so simple for the K Park men, despite a strong start.

A midweek 5-0 win away at Raydale Park will have the positivity flowing again, but the team who currently sit in fourth place will need to be wary as they travel to meet an unpredictable Berwick Rangers side who themselves are looking to put together a good run of results.

Celtic B

Currently sitting second in the division and yet to lose a match, Celtic B go into Saturday’s match against Bo’ness United in search of more of the same.

Linlithgow Rose

A last-minute sickener at home against struggling Gala Fairydean Rovers in midweek saw Linlithgow Rose’s run of five wins end, but the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League’s third placed team will go into this Sunday’s match at Forthbank hoping that University of Stirling will provide less stern opposition for a team with title aspirations. 

Rose have goals spread throughout their team, but will be hoping that their defence can hold firm against a Uni team that score for fun if they are given enough space.

Tranent

Tranent turned up at Forthbank on Wednesday night and promptly gubbed University of Stirling 5-0. With – shall we say talismanic? – Dean Brett out of action for the next few weeks, it would have been reasonable for Tranent to struggle and a freak 4-0 loss to Dundee North End in the Scottish Cup gave cause for concern. 

What a way to allay those fears as they demolished the students on their home turf. They travel to Dumbarton on Sunday with the intention of doing the same to bottom of the league Broomhill.

Broxburn Athletic

Broxburn Athletic played out a draw with Caledonian Braves at Alliance Park in midweek, a match that neither side would have wanted to lose. The Brox sit in sixth place in the league and show no signs of letting up in their impressive start to the season. 

They welcome East Stirlingshire to Albyn Park at the weekend in what would have seemed to be an easier fixture pre-midweek when East Stirlingshire blew Cumbernauld Colts away 5-0 at The Falkirk Stadium. Goals galore in prospect for this one.

Just wait for it to be a nil-nil draw. Sorry in advance.

Bo’ness United

I feel like Bo’ness United have been the quiet force in the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland League this season, quietly going about their business and putting in strong performance after strong performance. A narrow midweek win against Berwick Rangers gained them another three points, and they’ll welcome Celtic B to Newtown Park with the confidence of gaining another good result to push them further up the table.

Hearts B

Hearts B have been all over the place in terms of results in the Lowland League this season and will be looking to put a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Broomhill two weeks ago behind them as they head to Alliance Park to take on Caledonian Braves who sit at the top of the league. 

Albion Rovers

A season of intense ups and downs for Albion Rovers this season led to in a last ditch win over Civil Service Strollers at the Reigart Stadium in midweek. A tumultuous exit from the Scottish Cup has punctuated what many Rovers fans see as a team underperforming, but they travel to Cumbernauld Colts with a chance to make positive gains on a side that have struggled in recent weeks.

University of Stirling

University of Stirling struggled in midweek, being taken apart by a rampant Tranent side. That 5-0 defeat doesn’t really speak to Uni’s recent form which has been pretty balanced (two wins, two defeats and a draw in the last five matches). This weekend’s home match against high-flying Linlithgow Rose will likely provide a better barometer of where Chris Geddes’ side are terms of their league aspirations.

Berwick Rangers

Berwick Rangers have slipped to eleventh place in the table after three defeats in their last five matches. This weekend’s home match against East Kilbride offers a chance for the Wee Gers to put a marker down to the rest of the league, but they know that they are in for a tough time against the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League champions. 

As always, it’s talismanic (twice in the one preview? Yup!) Liam Buchanan whose goals will be vital if they are to put a dent in Kilby’s title chances and get their own season back on track.

Gretna 2008

Gretna’s early season form has seen them put a buffer between themselves and the bottom of the league, where many pre-season predictions would have had them. Vinnie Parker’s charges have had less luck in recent weeks and suffered a 5-0 home defeat against East Kilbride in midweek, but match-ups with the teams around them in the league provide an opportunity for Gretna to pick up more vital points. That begins this weekend when Cowdenbeath come to town.

Cowdenbeath

You could say much the same about Cowdenbeath as I have about Gretna to be honest, and since they’re so close together in the league (just one point separates them!) I guess I would. Cowdenbeath supporters would have been hoping for more going into the season though and will be looking for their team to kick on towards the top half. Whether they are able to will come down to their ability to beat the teams around them… starting with Gretna.

Cumbernauld Colts

One of last season’s surprise packages, Cumbernauld Colts, have suffered a bit of a collapse this season following a strong start. They find themselves in the bottom half and on a fairly indifferent run. This weekend’s match against Albion Rovers will be seen as an opportunity get their course pointed in the right direction but things will be far from simple for a side who have a significant injury list.

Civil Service Strollers / Gala Fairydean Rovers

We’re combining Strollers and Gala on this list as they are our Neutral’s Choice this weekend. Both sides go into this one level on points and if Gala’s last few matches are anything to go by, literally anything could happen when the Netherdale men are involved. They secured a 1-1 draw with Linlithgow Rose in midweek with pretty much the last kick of the game, having just had a man sent off. 

Strollers on the other hand lost out late on to Albion Rovers to make it three losses in five matches. They need to get their season going and three points at home against a team in their vicinity would help them massively.

East Stirlingshire

Anyone who predicted East Stirlingshire beating Cumbernauld Colts at home might have been seen as normal, but anyone who predicted East Stirlingshire beating Cumbernauld Colts 5-0 at home would likely have been castigated and thrown out of their community. 

That’s what they did though, and Pat Scullion’s side will be looking to keep that momentum going as they head to Broxburn on Saturday. It’ll be a tougher prospect for them at Albyn Park, but wins give you confidence.

And what does confidence make? Points, maybe!

Broomhill

Last but not least we have Broomhill whose last couple of weeks have been punctuated by the highs of their first win of the season at Ainslie Park against Hearts B, the mids of exiting the cup against Turriff United, and then the lows of a capitulation to Cowdenbeath in midweek after looking competitive in the first half.

They are in for a tough prospect as high-scoring Tranent visit the Marbill Coaches Stadium this Sunday. Something has to give for The Broom, but it’s hard to see it coming this weekend.

Hearts B vs Broomhill

Hearts B’s good start has faltered with two losses, two draws and a win in their last five matches. Liam Fox’s full-timers have relied on the experience of goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald (yes, that one) whose form of late has been in question. They will be keen to get back to winning ways when they welcome the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League’s bottom club to Ainslie Park on Friday evening. 

For Broomhill’s part, they are looking for better. While the results haven’t been there for Zander Diamond’s charges, he has felt that their performances have improved and their new signings have begun to bed in together. That being said, it’s very easy to find yourself left behind in this league, and they will need to start picking up points soon in order to allay any fears of relegation. 

Albion Rovers vs East Stirlingshire

Three wins, two draws and three losses isn’t what Albion Rovers fans would have been hoping for going at this point of the season. Sandy Clark’s side have struggled to put games to bed that they should be winning. They find themselves in eleventh place and will be keen to show what they are able to do when one of the league’s struggling sides visit the Reigart Stadium. 

East Stirlingshire are that side and despite taking the lead in several matches this season, they find themselves second bottom of the division. Improving their defensive record will be top of the agenda for Pat Scullion and his team, while he will be looking to his strong attacking lineup to keep the goals coming. 

Broxburn Athletic vs Cowdenbeath

Broxburn have found the going a little tougher in the last few weeks of the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League, but they’ve still been one of the most exciting sides so far. They find themselves in fifth, level on points with Tranent and only two points behind their rivals Linlithgow Rose. 

Cowdenbeath’s start to the season couldn’t be described as ‘pulling up any trees’. They’re without a win in their last four matches and find themselves in fifteenth. Improvements will be required if they’re to push themselves back up the table. 

Celtic B vs Berwick Rangers

Celtic B currently sit second, a position they once sat in beneath their visitors on Saturday. Berwick Rangers dropped to ninth with four losses in a row. There’s more than enough talent in the side to turn that run of form around and they started that process with a morale-boosting comeback victory against East Stirlingshire on 7th September. 

Civil Service Strollers vs Linlithgow Rose

Strollers welcome Linlithgow Rose to Christie Gillies Park on Saturday with the hope of a good result, and specifically the hope of ensuring that their goal difference doesn’t suffer another hit. Their defensive record needs work and it’ll be a tough fixture against the joint third top scorers in the league. 

Linlithgow Rose have won their last four games and are finally coming into the form that their supporters had hoped to see before the season began. They currently lie in fourth but are only three points off the top of the table. Could they rocket up the table this weekend? 

Cumbernauld Colts vs University of Stirling

The person who predicts this one right is more than likely some kind of sage. Some kind of druid whose prophetic knowledge of the most unknowable things either makes them dangerous or makes them worthy of worship. 

Suffice it to say that these are two sides whose form and performances have been very hard to pin down this season. This could easily be a high-scoring thriller… or it could be a nil-nil draw. We’ll just have to wait and see. 

East Kilbride vs Caledonian Braves

This one was a shoo-in for the Neutral’s Pick this week, and for good reason. This top of the table clash has the potential to go down in the annals of Lowland League history as one of the all time great games (it might also be rubbish, I know, don’t @ me). 

Caledonian Braves sit atop the league with a two point advantage over East Kilbride. Ultimately this one is going to come down to the for and against column. East Kilbride have been mighty going forward this season, netting 35 goals to Braves’ 19, but Braves have only conceded 4 while East Kilbride have let in 9 so far. 

The sides could cancel each other out, but either way there’s a fascinating match in prospect at K Park. 

Gala Fairydean Rovers vs Bo’ness United 

No wins in the league so far for Gala Fairydean Rovers, which will upset them after they’ve put in so many stunning performances only to end up with a high-scoring draw. It won’t be an easy prospect this weekend when they come up against a fairly consistent Bo’ness United who have won four of their last five games.

Gala have conceded the most goals in the league so far this season and they’ll know that they need to shore things up if they want to escape the growing relegation battle at the foot of the table. Bo’ness find themselves comfortably in mid-table with room for improvement but also nothing major to complain about from their season so far. 

Hearts B 0-2 Bo’ness United

Friday night saw Hearts B continue their league slump as Bo’ness United took the advantage and put a goal away in each half to consign the youngsters to defeat. 

The match was played at pace and it was credit to Bo’ness that they were able to keep their energy levels up throughout with their desire to take all three points on display for all to see. 

Broomhill 1-3 Linlithgow Rose

Broomhill had a moment of resurgence before they succumbed to Linlithgow Rose’s incisive finishing at The Rock on Saturday. 

Goals from Sneddon and McMullan, added to a penalty from Brown were enough for Rose to overcome a Broomhill side who are looking much more able in recent weeks and struck the crossbar twice. Rose manager Gordon Herd told club media that he believed his side were below the standards required, while Broomhill manager Zander Diamond told his club that it is ‘too easy’ to score against his side. 

Much to work on for both sides as we head into the cup break…

Caledonian Braves 0-0 Gretna 2008

We had this one down as being a tight match, but we didn’t foresee Braves and Gretna playing out a 0-0 draw at Alliance Park. 

We also didn’t see Gretna 2008 manager Vinnie Parker dusting off the gloves to play in goal. We didn’t envisage him receiving a straight red card for a challenge on Lennon Walker with fifteen minutes remaining. We didn’t predict the resulting free kick being well palmed away the trialist substitute ‘keeper and Gretna immediately conceding a penalty with the very next touch. 

Were we clairvoyant enough to see said Trialist save the penalty to keep the match level? At a certain point you just have to say yes. 

East Stirlingshire 2-3 Berwick Rangers

Shire must have thought this was it, their first win of the season when Shaun Brown and then Stephen O’Neill fired them into a two goal lead at half time. 

Berwick must have feared the worst for their chances when the break came, but it was Scotland’s Englishest (??) side that came roaring out after the break as Liam Buchanan bagged a brace on either side of goals from Grant Nelson to secure three points for the visitors. 

Shire had a chance to win it themselves when Matty Flynn’s stunning strike was well saved by Callum Antell, but it was three points squandered for Pat Scullion’s side. 

Gala Fairydean Rovers 4-4 Cumbernauld Colts

Gala Fairydean Rovers do not do boring matches. In fact, if you’re a neutral and you’re not making plans to get to Netherdale this season then I would declare you to be a fool. 

Cumbernauld Colts went in at half time 4-2 down as Hall, Sharp and Sinclair netted for Gala before Sean Borland grabbed two in reply for Colts. 

Things didn’t slow down much after half time. Gala hit the woodwork twice in the 90 but it was John Binnie and Aiden Malcolm that sent Colts home happy, if slightly tachycardic. 

A stunning 4-4 draw. All in a day’s work. 

Tranent 3-1 Civil Service Strollers

Tranent continued their excellent form of late by dispatching Civil Service Strollers 3-1 at Foresters Park. 

Adam McGowan, Euan Bauld and Ben Stirling got the goals for the Big T as they tightened their grip on sixth place. Civil might be disappointed not to have taken the lead Alieu Faye set up their first goalscorer, Mackie Scott, with his strike taking a deflection and skewing wide. 

On another note, I particularly enjoyed Tranent’s ‘Fan Cam’ feature on socials this week!

University of Stirling 2-1 Broxburn Athletic

Broxburn went into this one as slight favourites thanks to their strong performances and goalscoring form so far this season, but it was Chris Geddes’ side who took all three points with goals from Jack Hodge, and Thomas Vonk. 

Broxburn never stopped pushing for an equaliser and Errol Douglas came close with a sublime volley in the dying moments, but a fantastic save from Adam Buttigieg denied them a point.  

Photos: George Vekic & Thomas Brown

East Stirlingshire vs Berwick Rangers

East Stirlingshire can count themselves slightly unlucky over the last couple of matches, with a loss away from home against Linlithgow Rose in midweek and a 2-2 draw with University of Stirling last Saturday leaving them level on points with Broomhill at the bottom of the table.

They’ll be hoping that Berwick Rangers’ recent slump in form, punctuated by a 3-0 loss at home to Caledonian Braves last Saturday, can be the catalyst for their first three points of the season. Berwick were in cup action in midweek where they ran out 5-0 winners over Fauldhouse. They’ll be keen to improve on their -15 goal difference and start making positive moves back up the table.

Shire’s Jamie Penker is hitting goalscoring form at the right time, the former University of Stirling striker has promised great things over the last few seasons and it will be his goals that will make the difference as they look to move away from the other teams at the bottom of the league. As for the visitors, it’s hard to look past Arran Laidlaw and Liam Buchanan as their danger men.

Broomhill vs Linlithgow Rose

I feel like I go into every match at the moment suggesting that ‘this could be a tough one for Broomhill’, but Linlithgow Rose are a goalscoring force to be reckoned with at the moment. Broomhill are fresh from an encouraging comeback against Albion Rovers on Tuesday night, having missed a couple of gilt-edged chances to equalise. 

They left with a 3-2 defeat, but will go into this one feeling a little more confident thanks to two goals from open play from Alex Fairlie and Finlay Corrigan will give them hope as they welcome free-scoring Rose to The Rock.

Laurie Devine and Dylan Paterson have ten of Rose’s nineteen goals between them this season and they will be looking to kick on further and push their side ahead of Broxburn Athletic.

Caledonian Braves vs Gretna 2008

Caledonian Braves four wins from their last five games is one of the best records in the league and they will be keen to press their home advantage against Gretna 2008. After a bright start for the Raydale Park men, things have slumped a little with four defeats in their last five matches.

Vinnie Parker will be looking to new signing Robbie Hogg, while Ross McNeil continues to threaten at the front for Braves as he has done over so many seasons in the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland League. He’s on nine league goals for the season, the same number that their opponents have scored all season…

Gala Fairydean Rovers vs Cumbernauld Colts

Gala Fairydean Rovers are sitting in 16th place in the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland League but have by far and away the worst goal difference after shipping seven goals against a rampant Tranent in midweek. They’ll be looking to make amends for that with a strong performance against Cumbernauld Colts at Netherdale.

For Colts’ part, they have endured a harder start to the season than manager David Proctor might have hoped for. They sit in 13th on eight points and are struggling a little for goals. Danny Hatfield, Aiden Malcolm and Ashton Pellow all have two for the season so far, and they will be acutely aware that Gala Fairydean Rovers are not to be underestimated. After all, this is the same side that drew 3-3 with Albion Rovers last Saturday and 4-4 with East Kilbride the week before!

Tranent vs Civil Service Strollers

Tranent blew Gala away on Tuesday night, smashing seven goals past them with no reply. Good preparation for a side that have won three of their last five, to take on the team sitting in fourteenth, right? 

Mm, maybe not. Civil Service Strollers are fresh from their own herculean effort in midweek, turning over a 3-1 deficit at Christie Gillies Park to beat Cumbernauld Colts 4-3. Alieu Faye and Josh Laing are Strollers’ top scorers this season, and Tranent are spreading their goals around with Dean Brett, Euan Bauld, Danny Handling and Adam McGowan all on three goals each.

University of Stirling vs Broxburn Athletic

Who are University of Stirling this season? Chris Geddes’ side have experienced a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde start to their campaign but have one of the league’s top scorers in Finn Moffett (six). They’ve had two losses, two draws and a win in their last five games, finding themselves in 11th with nine points. 

Broxburn on the other hand have been a revelation so far, sitting in 4th position with sixteen points. Errol Douglas has smashed home eight goals so far, while Alassan Jones has netted four. They’ve three wins from their last five, but have suffered a loss and a draw (against East Kilbride and Bo’ness United respectively) in their last two matches.

Many thanks to East Stirlingshire’s historian Drummond Calder for sharing his incredible statistics and knowledge with us for this season.

Civil Service Strollers 1-1 Celtic B

No messing about for Civil Service Strollers as they fought hard to take something from their home match against Celtic B. They managed it with a late strike from their Captain, Matty Shaw, who popped up with a goal five minutes from time to give Gary Jardine and his boys something to take into next week’s match against fellow strugglers Broomhill. 

For those seeking to topple Celtic B, this match could be viewed as something of a blueprint, with Strollers hard work and defensive organisation eventually leading to a chance which they were able to convert. With the B team currently top of the league, many around them will be looking to see what kind of setups work best against the youthful full-timers. 

Cowdenbeath 1-1 Caledonian Braves

Cowdenbeath are the kings of the late penalty in this season’s Park’s Motor Group Lowland League so far. Braves took the lead through another well-timed Ross McNeil header (feed his heid and he will score as they famously don’t say down at Alliance Park). 

In dying moments, the ball broke to a Cowdenbeath attacker who was wiped out just inside the penalty box for his trouble. Jamie Docherty stepped up and dispatched the penalty to equalise and send Braves back down the road with a solitary point. 

Cumbernauld Colts 3-0 Berwick Rangers

This one was the Neutral’s Pick for this weekend but suffice it to say this isn’t how we saw this one going. A comfortable winning margin for David Proctor’s men added more woe to a Berwick side who suffered a 7-0 humiliation to University of Stirling in midweek. 

Berwick, who started the season strongly, have now conceded 10 goals in two matches. They will (and do) point to a run of nine matches in twenty-nine days as the reason for their tough run, but they’ll need to pick themselves up and go again after a week’s break. They welcome Caledonian Braves to Shielfield Park on Saturday, while Colts – whose youngsters impressed where higher profile signings have disappointed this season – welcome Hearts B to Broadwood. 

Gala Fairydean Rovers 4-4 East Kilbride 

Not much to say about this one really…

Kidding!

Nine-man East Kilbride will count themselves lucky to have left Netherdale with a point following Tiwi Daramola’s 88th minute equaliser. A red card either side of half time will give Kilby an out, but Gala Fairydean Rovers assistant Steven Craig praised his players’ commitment and drive to progress and claimed that EK’s second red ‘ruined the game a bit’.  

A match that saw the lead change hands multiple times and a number of scintillating goals can only be described as ‘one for the neutral’. Hearts were undoubtedly in mouths as the ball crossed the line for the equaliser and it is unlikely that anyone will underestimate Gala Fairydean Rovers for the rest of the season, after a tough opening run.

That being said though, one point is one point and it lifts them above East Stirlingshire and Broomhill who are both still on one point.

Gretna 2008 0-2 Broxburn Athletic

Gretna’s bright start to the season was halted at home when high-flying promoted side Broxburn came to Raydale Park. This one was an option for Neutral’s Pick, with both sides having impressed so far this season. 

It was a close-run thing for the opening 70 minutes with both sides failing to break the deadlock. However, when Kyle Bell was fouled in the penalty box, the referee pointed to the spot and suddenly the game changed when the Brox midfielder converted the resulting penalty himself. Alassan Jones popped up ten minutes later, converting the second after his initial attempt was blocked.

Broxburn find themselves sitting pretty in third place, but face a challenging weekend when they welcome East Kilbride to Albyn Park. Gretna on the other hand, are facing a trip to Bo’ness to take on 11th place Bo’ness United.

Linlithgow Rose 2-1 Albion Rovers

Albion Rovers were looking to this one as a chance to kick on, but it was Linlithgow Rose that took the spoils at Prestonfield on Saturday. The opening goal went Rovers’ way and honestly you’ll never see a more ‘Scottish fitba’ goal as a ball destined for Dom McMahon was intercepted by Rose’s Jamie Allan, put out of reach of on-rushing keeper Cammy Binnie, and into the path of Peter Mendy who turned the ball into an open goal.

In the second half, Rose’s Louis Maguire found his way into the box and squared the ball through the CORRIDOR OF UNCERTAINTY to PJ McGiff who smashed it home. Linlithgow wrapped up the points when Ross Connelly over-committed in the Rovers goal, allowing McGiff to get a second.

Tranent 3-1 East Stirlingshire

East Stirlingshire’s early season woes continued as they went down 3-1 to Tranent at Foresters Park. In truth, things looked fairly simple for Tranent as they went into a two goal advantage, but Shire were able to pull one back through Jamie Penker to set up an exciting finish. Unfortunately for them, they were punished as they pushed for an equaliser and Harry Girdwood bagged all three points for Tranent with a composed finish.

Tranent are off to Airdrie to take on Celtic B this coming weekend, with more points the aim as they look to press home their position in the top six. East Stirlingshire, on the other hand, welcome University of Stirling to The Falkirk Stadium, still looking for their first win of the season.

University of Stirling 2-2 Hearts B

A fun Sunday afternoon in the beautiful city of Stirling for both sides as the young teams left Forthbank with a point each. Uni went in at half time 2-0 down and it looked as though their weekend might go the way of many teams who come up against the wee Jambos this season, but whatever Chris Geddes said to them at half time, lit a fire.

Nathan Tallen was the catalyst when he came on at half time, capitalising on a mistake by rookie keeper Jamie MacDonald in the Hearts goal to put Uni back in contention. Uni did their best to put B on the back foot and almost got their reward when Ben Heal reached the end of a mazy run only to find MacDonald waiting for him. 

Their patience and hard work paid off though, when Carter Jenkins levelled things up with a bullet header in the dying moments of the game.

The Scottish Lowland Football League is delighted to announce a landmark sponsorship deal with Park’s Motor Group.

Under the record-breaking, two-year deal, Park’s Motor Group will become the title sponsor of the SLFL League, League Cup and the Lowland Development League.

The deal represents a five-figure injection into the game at this level. Park’s have demonstrated their support for the Scottish game by continuing with their sponsorship with the SLFL, which will be referred to as The Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland Football League.

The Scottish Lowland Football League chairperson, Thomas Brown, said: “We are delighted to have reached agreement with Park’s Motor Group on this record-breaking agreement for the next two years.

“This is excellent news for our clubs and for the profile of the League and the Development League.

“Park’s have shown their commitment to Scottish football and we look forward to working together with Park’s to help develop the Lowland League.”

A Park’s Motor Group spokesperson said, “Park’s are proud of our association with Scottish Football over the last fifty years and are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the Scottish Lowland Football League.

“We look forward to the season and wish all players and management success in their games.”