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.
