Amateurs: Harestanes win, defeats for Minerva and Black Watch

There were mixed fortunes for local amateur sides as they returned to action after the festive break.
Campsie Minerva and Harestanes were both in actionCampsie Minerva and Harestanes were both in action
Campsie Minerva and Harestanes were both in action

Harestanes hit form with a 5-2 win at St Patrick’s to maintain second place in the Foster’s Central Scottish Premier Division table.

But Campsie Minerva are still looking for their first points of the season after going down 2-1 at home to Drumchapel while in Division 1A Campsie Black Watch/Waterside were beaten 2-1 at Clydebank.

St Patrick’s 2 Harestanes 5

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Considering they were playing their first competitive match for three weeks, Harestanes put in a very good performance to capture all three league points and maintain their second place position.

They showed excellent determination, tackled with no quarter, passed the ball around effectively and with pace.

Harestanes created two early chances which came close enough to giving them the lead.

A cross from Thompson led to an Elliot header but the keeper read it well and collected. Burns then sent in a good cross for Proctor to take a dig but a defender managed to get a foot in to clear.

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He did better with his second attempt. A long kick-out by Travers was collected by Burns, he moved forward and sent a neat cross for Proctor to score with a glancing header.

Harestanes went further ahead at the start of the second half. Some confused play in the box saw the ball break out to Mackie outside the 18-yard line and he sent a daisy-cutter through everyone into the net, although Cawley did claim he got a flick on it.

Outstanding play by Black to cut through the St Pat’s ranks allowed him to pass on to Mackie who shot another low ball into the bottom left to make it 3-0.

With Harestanes looking as if they were cruising to victory, St Pat’s got themselves back into the game with a little help from the ref. A neat clip from the edge of the box sailed into the top left.

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A near carbon copy gave them their second after the official awarded them a throw in with Harestanes claiming the ball was nowhere near out.

With things beginning to look a bit dodgy, Harestanes powered on to victory.

Proctor collected a second goal when a Black cross allowed him to knee in from around the penalty spot.

Mackie then completed his hat-trick with a header from a Burns cross.

Harestanes Tote: no winners, rollover £100.

Campsie Minerva 1 Drumchapel 2

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Minerva kicked off 2017 with a home tie against old adversaries Drumchapel which, with High Park in Lennoxtown unavailable, had to reluctantly be taken to Kilsyth.

Manager Grant McKie decided that a different year should welcome a different set-up and to say he went all out to win would be an understatement.

The very positive young manager started with all three of his strikers up front. After four minutes though it seemed this would not pay off as the Drumchapel striker waltzed through the Minerva defence to score a very good individual goal, although the home side defence may think they could have done better.

Minerva continued to throw caution to the wind and Losjay Frame was unlucky to see a good individual run be halted by Soave in the away goal.

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After 15 minutes it was clear that it was one way traffic as Minerva dominated for the remainder of the first half, Frame, Christian McKenna and Steven McGregor all being denied by an inspired Soave.

Three up front was clearly paying off for the manager as Minerva were creating chance after chance, but on the 40 minute mark though the home side had their own keeper to thank for keeping them in the game; Hutton was through on goal and only a magnificent stop from Owen McCallum kept the score line at 1-0.

The second half again all Minerva and this continued pressure seemed set to pay off in the 55th minute when they were awarded a penalty after good work inside the box by Frame and Mickey Boyle.

It fell then to McKenna to step up and level for the Minerva but once again the away keeper made a great save. Minerva claimed he advanced considerably off his line before the penalty was struck, but the referee disagreed and once again Minerva had to go looking for an equaliser.

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It eventually came five minutes later, a wonderful goal from Johnny Howatt who beat two men on the right before firing low from 15 yards past the keeper’s left-hand side.

Minerva continued to press for a winner; however Drumchapel showed a steely determination and defended for most of the game resolutely.

Ultimately though the missed chances were always in danger of coming back to haunt Minerva and with three minutes left, and as Minerva pushed forward and were left short at the back, Drumchapel delivered the sucker punch when their striker nipped in to net and give the away side all three points.

Although all involved at Minerva were disappointed with the result, manager McKie can be happy with all the chances that his team created and with a little more luck in front of goal they should see themselves advance up the league table.

Clydebank 2 Campsie Black Watch/Waterside 1

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Campsie Black Watch/Waterside went down 2-1 at Clydebank in their return to action after the festive break on Saturday.

The visitors wasted no time getting back into the groove as they kicked off their second half of their Foster’s Central Scottish AFA Division 1A campaign, creating chance after chance, but they could not find the net.

Clydebank had their backs to the wall for most of the first half and did not create many chances and it looked as if the first half was going to end up goalless.

But in the 44th minute a shot from Pettigrew saw the Clydebank keeper having to make a diving save but he could not hold the ball which left the big striker Mackie with a tap in.

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The second half was much the same as the first with Campsie failing to convert their chances.

On 65 minutes Corr was subbed for Aitken, then five minutes later Fitzpatrick went off for Brace.

These changes seem to strengthen the team but five minutes later a free-kick from 20 yards beat the Campsie keeper to level the game.

Now the whole game changed as Clydebank began to look dangerous every time they went up the park and in the 77th minute they took the lead when a free kick floated into the box saw the number 7 convert the chance.

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Five minutes from time Aitken had a shot cleared off the line but Campsie could not come back from a defeat that never looked on the cards for most of the game.

Cambria 1 Southside 5

Cambria lost 5-1 at home to Southside in the fifth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup.

Campsie 2 Fallin 3

Campsie lost out by the odd goal in five in their first RJM Sports Stirling & District Division 1B match after the festive break.

Lenzie YC

Lenzie YC have regained the annual interclub trophy they play for against Greystone Rovers, from Dumfries.

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Each year Lenzie play Greystone, the team of Lenzie founder Ian Stevenson’s grandson, at under-14, 15 and 16 levels.

And after losing the trophy 2-1 in 2016 Lenzie made it a clean sweep this year, winning all three games played at the Toryglen indoor arena on January 3.

The 2003 side won 9-0, the 2002s were 4-1 winners and the 2001s triumphed 2-0.

Lenzie hope to meet up with Greystone again in June for the 32nd Lenzie festival.

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Lenzie 2002s also played Campsie for the Friendship Cup during the Christmas break.

Campsie won the first section game 1-0 with a well taken free kick, with Lenzie winning game two 1-0 and game three 2-0 to win the trophy.

Lenzie’s scorers were Jonni Loch. (2) and Ewan Stevenson, and the referee’s player was Matt Gunn.

Schools league

A four-goal salvo from striker Jack Banks earned Lenzie Academy U18s a 5-2 win against Kirkintilloch High and took them to the top of the East Dunbartonshire Schools League. Scott Gillies was the other Lenzie scorer.

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Lenzie also lead the U16s division with a 100 per cent record, having won three from three.

In the other age groups, St Ninian’s HS are in front at U15s, with Bearsden and Boclair top at U14s and U13s respectively.

The league programme continues in the New Year with the EDC Cup competition also kicking off in January.

Teams wanted

The Central Scotland Football Development Association is now open for team registration for 2017.

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Matches are played at Fun 4s, Super 5s & Soccer 7s for age groups 2011 to 2005. All 7s age groups have three divisions.

For more information visit www.leaguewebsite.co.uk/csfda or contact league secretary on 07818096752.

Fixtures

Fixtures for Saturday are -

Foster’s Central Scottish AFA: Premier Division - Cambusnethan Talbot v Campsie Minerva; East Kilbride v Harestanes.

Division 1A - Campsie Black Watch/Waterside v Mill United.

Caledonian League Division 1B - Cambria v Baillieston.

RJM Sport Stirling & District AFA: Division 1B - Syngenta v Campsie.

Division 2 - Harestanes United v Laurieston.

If you would like your club featured in our amateur round-up, email us on [email protected]