Someone’s lit the touch-paper and the Lowland League is already blowing up! Let’s take a look back at the weekend that was with Ronan and Craig…
BSC Glasgow 0 – 3 East Kilbride
By Craig Edwards
A Craig Malcom hat-trick kept up East Kilbride’s 100% record in the Scottish Lowland League this season as they beat BSC Glasgow in Alloa.
It was the first league home game for BSC Glasgow after their Irn-Bru Cup tie last Sunday but then fell behind early as Malcom scored his fifth goal of the season after being played through by Anton Brady.
Both sides threatened but it was the visitors who scored again just before the hour mark as Jamie Longworth squared the ball to Malcolm who tapped home to double the lead. Malcolm completed his hat-trick ten minutes later as he finished past the BSC goalkeeper.
East Kilbride continue to sit pretty at the top of the table, three points clear of Cumbernauld Colts and Gretna 2008 while BSC Glasgow are still searching for their first win of the season, albeit having played one less game.
Edinburgh University 1 – 3 Civil Service Strollers
By Craig Edwards
Civil Service Strollers won their first game of the season as they subjected their hosts to their first league defeat of the season. The visitors started brightly and opened the scoring in the first half through a Ross Guthrie header. Strollers doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Cammy Muirhead converted.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the visitors after the break. James Hainey was shown a red card to reduce Strollers to ten men and the University took full advantage as Abdul Yusuf pulled one back for the hosts.
Edinburgh University tried to use their numerical advantage to get back level but were caught out and Johnny Devers took the game out of the home side’s reach when he made it 3-1 for Civil Service and make the sure the three points were heading home with them.
Dalbeattie Star 4 – 2 Gala Fairydean Rovers
By Ronan Alexander
The home side took the lead after 10 minutes through Lewis Sloan with a swerving strike from outside the box. Dalbeattie had the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot when Billy Miller was shown a red card for a foul on Dean Brotherston but Gala’s trialist keeper saved to keep the score 1-0.
Josh Morris equalised for Gala just after the half hour mark, but Star took the lead again through a Scott Milligan lob. Morris was again on hand to level the scores a minute into the second half with a glancing header.
However, a Brotherston brace including a 25 yard drive secured the three points for Darren Kerr’s men leaving Dean Shanks Gala without a point after their first three games.
Vale of Leithen 1 – 4 The Spartans
American striker Stephen MacDonald, a summer signing from Musselburgh Athletic, opened his account for Spartans before half time and then it was former Vale forward Jason Stevens who put the Lowland League champions out of sight, smashing in two goals in the closing stages.
University of Stirling 0 – 6 East Stirlingshire
At one point during this match at Forthbank, the East Stirlingshire account said that the game was not one-sided despite the scoreline before half time being 4-0. It was 5 before the whistle went but the overwhelming feeling from many at the game was that the game could have been very different had University of Stirling’s Aidan Ferris converted a penalty at 0-1.
This may apprear to be a onesided game, but it is certainly not.
— East Stirlingshire FC (@TheShireFC) August 4, 2018
Unfortunately that wasn’t to be and the Shire ran away with it, adding a sixth in the second half to complete the rout. The pick of the goals was undoubtedly an audacious over-the-shoulder lob from Del Ure which drifted behind Uni goalkeeper John Allan.
Cumbernauld Colts 3 – 2 Kelty Hearts
By Ronan Alexander
An injury time winner from Sean Brown gave Cumbernauld Colts the three points in a thrilling contest at Broadwood on Friday night.
Fraser Team netted for the second consecutive game to give the home side the lead after 14 minutes, but Ciaran Chalmers, recently signed from Selkirk, equalised for Kelty on the stroke of half time.
The visitors turned the game on its head after 59 minutes when Ian Nimmo fired home to give Thomas Courts men the lead.
However, the influential Stephen O’Neil who has been at the heart of Cumbernauld’s success over recent years levelled the game with 13 minutes remaining before Brown completed the come back in stoppage time to maintain Colts 100% record.
Whitehill Welfare 2 – 4 Gretna 2008
By Ronan Alexander
Gretna 2008 came from 2-1 down to defeat 10 man managerless Whitehill Welfare at Rosewell on Saturday. Welfare took the lead after 26 minutes when a Mark Smith cut back found Fabio Neto who thundered the ball into the back of the net. However, the hosts lead lasted only four minutes as Kevin Connelly ghosted through the Whitehill defence before firing low into the net.
The Rosewell men regained the lead when Jack Wright found the bottom right hand corner shortly after the hour mark. Gretna came back again within five minutes when Daniel Smales pounced on a rare mistake from Whitehill goalkeeper Ross Jardine to level the game. Smales grabbed his second of the game to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the game after scoring from a swift counter attack.
Substitute Stephen Manson was given his marching orders for dissent before Gretna completed the win in added time when an Ashley Kelly shot creeped over the line following a long ball on the counter attack.
