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.
