With most of the Lowland League in Football Nation Qualifying Cup action this weekend, there’s an opportunity for some of the teams to make up their match deficits! BSC Glasgow, Civil Service Strollers, Cumbernauld Colts, Dalbeattie Star, East Stirlingshire, and Edusport Academy are all in action.
Ronan, Craig, and Martin are here to check them out…
Cumbernauld Colts vs East Stirlingshire
It’s sixth versus fourth at Broadwood Stadium on Saturday as Cumbernauld Colts and East Stirlingshire look to close the gap on early pacesetters East Kilbride.
Colts are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing 1-0 loss to Civil Service Strollers, which was just their first defeat of the season. It was a bad day at the office for Craig McKinlay and James Orr’s men as a late red card for Stephen O’Neill means the dangerous winger will miss Saturday’s clash. The home side will be looking to get back to winning ways after defeating Gala Fairydean Rovers 2-1 and Kelty Hearts 3-2 in their opening fixtures.
The visitors come into Saturday’s game having only conceded one goal in the campaign so far in a 1-1 draw with BSC Glasgow. Since then they have thrashed University of Stirling 6-0 and Whitehill Welfare 4-0. New signing Ross Allum has netted five times already whilst Derek Ure has provided an assist in each league game so far. However, Shire did taste defeat midweek after they crashed out the Irn Bru Challenge Cup with a 0-3 loss against Motherwell Colts but were handed a boost when Paul Sludden, last season’s danger man and son of manager John, decided to re-sign after taking the summer off to get married.
Shire won on both occasions when the two sides met last season, winning 3-1 at Broadwood and 3-0 at Ochilview.
Civil Service Strollers vs Dalbeattie Star
Strollers will have a fourth consecutive win on their radar as they take on Dalbeattie Star at the Christie Gillies Park. Gary Jardine’s men come into this one on the back of a confident 1-0 win over Cumbernauld Colts last weekend following two victories over Edinburgh University and Selkirk which has placed them second in the Lowland League table, just behind East Kilbride.
It was former Selkirk man, Jordan Hopkinson who put Strollers ahead in the second half of their Cumbernauld fixture to secure the three points at home. Strollers look to have found a new talisman too, that goal marking Hopkinson’s second in as many games for the North Edinburgh side.
Dalbeattie Star will be desperate to escape the bottom five of the table following a hammering from Spartans last weekend. That 4-0 loss meant the Star had only taken four points in as many fixtures, their only win coming against Gala Fairydean Rovers despite an encouraging start to the season.
A victory for Civil Service Strollers could see them temporarily land first place in the league, while a win for Dalbeattie would be crucial to climbing up to mid table in the early season running.
BSC Glasgow vs Edusport Academy
Both sides have the chance to regain some ground in the Scottish Lowland League this weekend as they meet in a rearranged fixture at the Indodrill Stadium in Alloa. BSC Glasgow have a win, a draw and a defeat from their first three games while Edusport have played a game less but are unbeaten so far this season after a win and a draw.
The Football Nation Qualifying Cup takes place this weekend meaning only six teams are in action and could mean that both Edusport and BSC could climb the table into the top five by the end of Saturday.
Both sides have ambitions of fighting it out for the title but BSC Glasgow have had a stuttering start. A draw in their opening game away at East Stirlingshire was followed up by an impotent defeat at home to East Kilbride. Last weekend was the first win of the season as they beat Gala Fairydean Rovers and they will hope to follow that up with a first home win of the season.
For the visitors on Saturday, they have only played twice this season after their trip to Selkirk was postponed. The opening day victory over Whitehill Welfare was followed, eventually, by a 2-2 draw against Edinburgh University.
BSC Glasgow won both games between the sides last year including a 4-1 win in the South Challenge Cup, but Edusport Academy will hope to turn it around this year and leave with all three points and the bragging rights.
