Another wonderful weekend in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League done and dusted. Join me as we take a spin through the best of the action and look out for the Lowland League Cup draw on this very website tomorrow at 5pm.
Albion Rovers 5-0 University of Stirling
Albion Rovers were well worth the entry fee on Saturday as they demolished University of Stirling 5-0 at the Reigart Stadium. The goals came from Paul Kennedy, Bright Prince, former scholar Marcus Lavery and Peter Mendy hit a brace.
University of Stirling would tell you themselves that their side weren’t at the races in this one and they’ll be hoping for stronger performances after the Scottish Cup break to get their season back on track.
As for Rovers, their supporters will be pleased with the scoreline after a few weeks of less than convincing performances. Sandy Clark echoed the notion of football being a results-driven business, and they’ll be looking for more after the break.
Broomhill 3-0 Cumbernauld Colts
I said that Cumbernauld Colts needed to arrest their slide through the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League table with a solid result against Broomhill, so going to Dumbarton and losing 3-0 probably wasn’t on the bingo card.
This result cost David Proctor his job, the Colts manager resigning straight after the match. Goals from Alex Fairlie, Michael Aitken and Andrew Caffrey saw Broomhill take all three points and a clean sheet thanks to a series of excellent saves from stalwart goalkeeper Stephen Barr.
Broomhill have a huge match coming up November 1st against a resurgent East Stirlingshire, while Cumbernauld Colts face a tough away trip to Tranent on Saturday 2nd – both matches will be fascinating to watch for anyone planning a weekend groundhog.
Broxburn Athletic 1-2 Civil Service Strollers
Broxburn failed their bouncebackability test after their midweek draw with Bo’ness United, falling to a 2-1 defeat at home against Civil Service Strollers.
In truth, 2-1 makes it look like a more even game but the Brox’s consolation goal came in the dying moments with a spectacular finish from Errol Douglas. Alieu Faye and Tom Findlay scored for Strollers on either side of half time to secure all three points.
Both sides are in Scottish Cup action this coming weekend as Broxburn face a trip to Auchinleck Talbot while Civil Service Strollers are off to Ayrshire to take on Irvine Meadow XI in the ‘Interesting Scottish Fitba Names Derby’.
Caledonian Braves 5-1 Celtic B
Caledonian Braves needed a landmark performance against similarly unbeaten Celtic B to continue their run at the top of the Park’s Motor Group Scottish Lowland League. They achieved that and more as they smashed the full-time academy side 5-1.
Cammy Breadner’s opener was the pick of the goals as Braves dominated the game to leave them as the only undefeated team in the league this season and drop Celtic to fourth.
Cowdenbeath 1-2 Bo’ness United
Another side that are struggling in recent weeks are Cowdenbeath, whose luck didn’t improve much with a 2-1 loss at home to Bo’ness United.
Cowdenbeath took the lead through Matty McDonald who pounced on a deflection in the Bo’ness box to turn the ball home, but despite the heroics of Ruaridh Lynch in the Blue Brazil goal, they were powerless to stop the turnaround.
Ryan Porteous scored a wonderful flicked header from a corner to make it 1-1 before Louis Kennedy left Lynch planted as he deftly found the postage stamp from just outside the box to seal all three points for Bo’ness.
Scottish Cup action awaits both sides at the weekend as Bo’ness travel to Hill of Beath Hawthorn and former Lowland League champions The Sportans welcome Cowdenbeath to Ainslie Park.
East Kilbride 4-1 Heart of Midlothian B
Hearts B made it four defeats in five matches as East Kilbride ran out 4-1 winners at K Park. Hearts B took a 1-0 lead into half time but capitulated when it mattered as an own goal served as an equaliser for Kilby, before Cami Elliott, Jack Leitch and Jamie Hamilton sealed the victory for the K Park side to keep the pressure on Caledonian Braves at the top of the table.
East Kilbride are in Scottish Cup action this weekend, welcoming League 2 side Bonnyrigg Rose to K Park.
East Stirlingshire 2-0 Gala Fairydean Rovers
East Stirlingshire eased some of their relegation worries with another win at the weekend. Gala Fairydean Rovers were the visitors and, as a result, drop to the bottom of the table.
It took until nearly half time for the deadlock to be broken as Chris Inglis rose highest to nod home a corner. As for the second goal? Count me among the people who love it when a forward shifts his weight to allow him to finish on his stronger foot. Lewis Latona did just that as he was released through, shifted onto his right foot and put the ball just beyond the keeper.
Just a note on the absolutely ridiculous quality of East Stirlingshire’s highlights package. The number of statistics and detail on display in it is absolutely incredible. An amazing job from the team over at The Falkirk Stadium.
Gretna 2008 3-0 Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers’ trajectory in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League this season could best be described as ‘nosedive’. After a strong start that saw them sitting pretty at the top of the table in the early running, their form has been poor since (three defeats and a draw in their last five) and England’s only Scottish team find themselves in thirteenth.
Gretna 2008 went about their business cleanly and efficiently, not scoring the most beautiful of goals (their first could be described as the most wicked of deflections), but they did what they needed to do and supplanted Berwick in twelfth place.
Berwick will be hoping that the return of former Captain Jamie Pyper from East Stirlingshire can spark their season into life as they face a trip to Forfar Athletic in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup at the weekend.
Linlithgow Rose 2-2 Tranent
There’s a lot I could say about this game, it was a cracking example of end-to-end non-league fitba played between two evenly matched teams. It reminds me of something you’d have seen on Scotsport in the 1990s.
Just do yourself a favour, make a wee cup of tea and watch the highlights.
Linlithgow Rose will be hoping for more of this kind of performance as they head into a home Scottish Cup match against Clachnacuddin at the weekend.
And finally…
Here’s the Team of the Month from the lads at Official Catchup – what do you think?
