Thorniewood still have chance of League Cup qualification after beating Bellshill 4-3

Saturday's 4-3 derby success for Thorniewood  United over Bellshill Athletic means that the Viewpark team can still reach the Sectional League Cup last eight.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Aug 2017, 16:39 BST
Updated 12th Sep 2017, 11:54 BST
The ball nestles in the Bellshill net last Saturday (Pic by Alan Watson)The ball nestles in the Bellshill net last Saturday (Pic by Alan Watson)
The ball nestles in the Bellshill net last Saturday (Pic by Alan Watson)

But winning Section 3 is out of third-placed Thorniewood’s hands as their goal difference is seven goals inferior to rivals St Roch’s.Although rivals Petershill currently top the group with seven points from their four matches, they will be overhauled if either St Roch’s or Thorniewood win their final group games tomorrow (Wednesday), kick-offs 6.45pm. St Roch’s are at home to Bellshill Athletic and Thorniewood will visit bottom dogs Shettleston.Thorniewood began the quicker against Bellshill and took a seventh minute lead when good interplay on the right between Lee Pettigrew and Craig Grierson ended with Aaron Neill slotting home from close range.The hosts doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when a Graeme Watson free-kick to the back post was knocked back across goal by Jonathan Boal to Daryl Meikle whose strike was then turned into the net by Gary Livingstone.Athletic pulled one back in the 39th minute when a cross from the right was knocked into his own net by the outstretched boot of Darren Ferguson.Buoyed by this, Bellshill made it two in two minutes with the unmarked Scott Simon heading home at the near post from a corner on the left.The Viewpark team went ahead in wonderful style after 52 minutes when a 25-yard Damon Welsh free-kick flashed into the postage stamp corner.Bellshill’s Darren Simpson was then shown a straight red for an over the ball challenge on Welsh.‘Hill then almost levelled in the 62nd minute when a ball was cut back from the byline only to be struck off the outside of the Thorniewood upright.However they corrected this in the 71st minute when a ball threaded through the heart of the United defence found Richard Kane who duly slotted into the bottom corner.Bellshill were dealt a blow in the 86th minute when Euan Conroy was shown red for a second yellow, the player looking unlucky in the extreme when deemed to have fouled Livingstone.Now with a two man advantage ’Wood pushed for the winner with Pettigrew flashing over a shot in the 87th minute before Livingstone got on the end of an Ali Morgan cross to lash high into the top corner.The new league campaign starts this Saturday, with Thorniewood at home to Blantyre in Central Division 1 and Bellshill at Dunipace in Central Division 2, kick-offs 2pm.