PRIMARY 12-13
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
DFCSS ARAB TRUST SECTION A - ANCRUM ROAD
ARAB TRUST DFCSS SECTION C - CLEPINGTON
ARAB TRUST DFCSS SECTION D - BARNHILL
DFCSS ARAB TRUST SMALL SCHOOLS LEAGUE - ST.CLEMENT'S
League Results Games marked (a) are awarded.
Section A
Ancrum Road 8 Downfield 3 Ancrum Road 8 St.Andrew's 3 Ancrum Road 2 St.Joseph's 1
Birkhill 3 Ancrum Road 8 Birkhill 2 St.Andrew's 0 Birkhill 1 St.Joseph's 6 Birkhill 5 St.Mary's 0
Craigowl 3 Ancrum Road 2 Craigowl 3 Birkhill 6 Craigowl 1 St.Joseph's 6 Craigowl 7 St.Mary's 4
Downfield 1 Birkhill 6 Downfield 9 Craigowl 6 Downfield 1 St.Joseph's 2
Hillside 2 Ancrum Road 4 Hillside 2 Birkhill 6 Hillside 6 Craigowl 3 Hillside 5 Downfield 0
St.Andrew's 2 Downfield 2
St.Joseph's 2 Hillside 2 St.Joseph's 5 St.Mary's 0
St.Mary's 0 Ancrum Road 4 St.Mary's 1 Hillside 5
Section C
Ballumbie 5 Claypotts Castle 4 Ballumbie 2 Clepington 6 Ballumbie 8 Craigiebarns 5
Claypotts Castle 0 Clepington 1 Claypotts Castle 6 SS Peter & Paul 2
Clepington 7 Craigiebarns 2 Clepington 6 Dens Road 1 Clepington 6 Rowantree 3
Craigiebarns 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Craigiebarns 5 Glebelands 4 Craigiebarns 6 Rowantree 3
Dens Road 6 Craigiebarns 1
Glebelands 1 Ballumbie 6 Glebelands 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Glebelands 1 Clepington 6
Rowantree 1 Ballumbie 3 Rowantree 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Rowantree 2 SS Peter & Paul 2
SS Peter & Paul 7 Ballumbie 2 SS Peter & Paul 1 Clepington 2 SS Peter & Paul 6 Craigiebarns 2 SS Peter & Paul 1 Glebelands 2
Section D
Barnhill 6 Eastern 4 Barnhill 5 Fintry 0 Barnhill 8 Longhaugh 3 Barnhill 6 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2
Eastern 0 Forthill 1
Fintry 8 Longhaugh 5
Forthill 0 Barnhill 2 Forthill 5 Longhaugh 0 Forthill 3 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 4
Longhaugh 0 Eastern 5 Longhaugh 6 Mill of Mains 1
Mill of Mains 0 Barnhill 5
St.Vincent's 1 Barnhill 6
Small Schools League
Ardler 7 Gowriehill 2 Ardler 2 St.Fergus 3
Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 7 Rosebank 2
Gowriehill 0 St.Clement's 5 Gowriehill 0 St.Ninian's 5
Our Lady's 0 Gowriehill 5 Our Lady's 1 St.Ninian's 6 Our Lady's 1 St.Pius 4
Rosebank 4 Ardler 9 Rosebank 5 Our Lady's 2 Rosebank 4 St.Clement's 9 Rosebank 5 St.Ninian's 10
Sidlaw View 3 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3 Sidlaw View 7 Rosebank 8
St.Clement's 2 Ardler 2 St.Clement's 8 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3 St.Clement's 4 Our Lady's 1 St.Clement's 7 Sidlaw View 2
St.Fergus 5 Our Lady's 0 St.Fergus 8 Rosebank 3 St.Fergus 3 St.Clement's 5
St.Ninian's 3 Ardler 3 St.Ninian's 1 St.Clement's 1 St.Ninian's 6 St.Fergus 1
St.Pius 6 Rosebank 1 St.Pius 3 St.Clement's 6 St.Pius 1 St.Fergus 5 St.Pius 4 St.Ninian's 4
League Tables 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a defeat, 0 for an awarded defeat. Champions highlighted in blue.
DFCSS ARAB TRUST PRIMARY LEAGUES
Section A P W D L Pts
Ancrum Road 7 6 0 1 19
Birkhill 7 5 0 2 17
St.Joseph's 6 4 1 1 15
Hillside 6 3 1 2 13
Craigowl 6 2 0 4 10
Downfield 6 1 1 4 9
St.Mary's 5 0 0 5 5
St.Andrew's 3 0 1 2 4
ARAB TRUST DFCSS PRIMARY LEAGUES
Section C P W D L Pts
Clepington 7 7 0 0 21
Claypotts Castle 6 4 0 2 14
Ballumbie 6 4 0 2 14
SS Peter & Paul 6 2 1 3 11
Craigiebarns 7 2 0 5 11
Glebelands 5 1 0 4 7
Rowantree 5 0 1 4 6
Dens Road 2 1 0 1 4
Section D P W D L Pts
Barnhill 7 7 0 0 21
Forthill 4 2 0 2 8
Longhaugh 5 1 0 4 7
Eastern 3 1 0 2 5
Fintry 2 1 0 1 4
St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2 1 0 1 4
Mill of Mains 2 0 0 2 2
St.Vincent's 1 0 0 1 1
DFCSS ARAB TRUST PRIMARY LEAGUES
Small Schools League P W D L Pts
St.Clement's 9 7 2 0 25
St.Ninian's 7 4 3 0 18
St.Fergus 6 4 0 2 14
Rosebank 8 2 0 6 12
Ardler 5 2 2 1 11
St.Pius 5 2 1 2 10
Camperdown 3 1 1 1 6
Gowriehill 4 1 0 3 6
Our Lady's 6 0 0 6 6
Sidlaw View 3 0 1 2 4
Cup Results Games marked (a) are awarded.
Junior Sports Cup
1st Round
Rowantree 0 St.Mary's 5 St.Andrew's 6 Glebelands 2 Camperdown 3 Downfield 8 Ardler 2 Dens Road 3
Claypotts Castle 5 Longhaugh 0 St.Fergus 1 Eastern 6 St.Pius 0 Craigowl 3 Sidlaw View 3 SS Peter & Paul 8
St.Vincent's 1 Ancrum Road 6 St.Clement's 2 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 4 St.Ninian's 4 Barnhill 9 Gowriehill 0 Birkhill 5
Clepington 3 Forthill 4 Craigiebarns 0 St.Joseph's 5 Fintry 0 Ballumbie 3 (a) Hillside bye
2nd Round
St.Mary's 2 St.Andrew's 3 aet Downfield 3 Dens Road 5 Claypotts Castle 3 Eastern 0 Craigowl 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
Ancrum Road 5 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 0 Barnhill 5 Birkhill 4 aet Forthill 3 St.Joseph's 2 Ballumbie 3 Hillside 5
3rd Round
St.Andrew's 5 Dens Road 1 Claypotts Castle 7 Craigowl 2 Ancrum Road 1 Barnhill 6 Forthill 2 Hillside 1
Semifinals
St.Andrew's 1 Claypotts Castle 2 aet Barnhill 2 Forthill 2 aet (3-2 pens)
Final
Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5 (Thur 13 June, 7.30)
Linton Cup (for teams in Section A)
Semifinals
Ancrum Road 4 St.Mary's 1 Hillside 3 St.Joseph's 2
Final
Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2 (Tues 11 June, 6.00)
Cameron Cup (for teams previously in Section B)
1st Round
St.Andrew's 3 Fintry 0 (a)
Semifinals
Craigowl 2 Downfield 7 St.Andrew's 1 Birkhill 3
Final
Downfield 1 Birkhill 6 (Mon 10 June, 6.00)
Thomson Cup (for teams in Section C)
1st Round
SS Peter & Paul 5 Glebelands 0 Craigiebarns 1 Ballumbie 6 Rowantree 3 Dens Road 0 Claypotts Castle 2 Clepington 2 aet (3-0 pens)
Semifinals
SS Peter & Paul 3 Ballumbie 1 Rowantree 2 Claypotts Castle 7
Final
SS Peter & Paul 2 Claypotts Castle 3 (Mon 10 June, 7.00)
Burgess Cup (for teams in Section D)
1st Round
St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2 Eastern 7 St.Vincent's 6 Longhaugh 4
Semifinals
Eastern 1 Forthill 6 St.Vincent's 0 Barnhill 5
Final
Forthill 6 Barnhill 4 (Tues 11 June, 7.00)
Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup (for teams in the Small Schools League)
Preliminary Round
Our Lady's 5 Rosebank 8 St.Ninian's 6 Sidlaw View 3
1st Round
Rosebank 8 St.Fergus 4 St.Pius 2 St.Clement's 4 Camperdown 2 Ardler 4 Gowriehill 2 St.Ninian's 2 aet (0-2 pens)
Semifinals
Rosebank 3 St.Clement's 7 Ardler 1 St.Ninian's 2
Final
St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 extra-time golden goal (Thur 13 June, 5.30)
Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Courtesy of DCSFA
1st Round
Our Lady's 0 St.Pius 5 SS Peter & Paul 6 St.Vincent's 1 St.Fergus 2 St.Joseph's 7
2nd Round
St.Pius 0 St.Mary's 5 SS Peter & Paul 7 St.Ninian's 2 St.Joseph's 1 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 0 St.Andrew's 6 St.Clement's 1
Semifinals
St.Mary's 0 St.Joseph's 3 St.Andrew's 0 SS Peter & Paul 3
Final
St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3 (Thur 13 June, 6.30)
Banks Trophy 5-a-sides : Winners - Clepington Runners-up - St.Clement's
Group A
Dens Road 1 St.Pius 3 Rowantree 1 Longhaugh 2 Dens Road 0 Rowantree 1 Longhaugh 0 St.Pius 3 Dens Road 4 Longhaugh 0 Rowantree 1 St.Pius 2
Group B
Clepington 2 St.Clement's 0 Craigiebarns 1 St.Vincent's 4 Clepington 4 Craigiebarns 0 St.Clement's 2 St.Vincent's 0 Clepington 3 St.Vincent's 2 St.Clement's 3 Craigiebarns 0
4th v. 4th Longhaugh 2 Craigiebarns 3 3rd v. 3rd Rowantree 1 St.Vincent's 2
Semifinals St.Pius 0 St.Clement's 0 (3-4 pens) Clepington 6 Dens Road 0
Final Clepington 1 St.Clement's 0
Section A
Ancrum Road 8 Downfield 3 Ancrum Road 8 St.Andrew's 3 Ancrum Road 2 St.Joseph's 1
Birkhill 3 Ancrum Road 8 Birkhill 2 St.Andrew's 0 Birkhill 1 St.Joseph's 6 Birkhill 5 St.Mary's 0
Craigowl 3 Ancrum Road 2 Craigowl 3 Birkhill 6 Craigowl 1 St.Joseph's 6 Craigowl 7 St.Mary's 4
Downfield 1 Birkhill 6 Downfield 9 Craigowl 6 Downfield 1 St.Joseph's 2
Hillside 2 Ancrum Road 4 Hillside 2 Birkhill 6 Hillside 6 Craigowl 3 Hillside 5 Downfield 0
St.Andrew's 2 Downfield 2
St.Joseph's 2 Hillside 2 St.Joseph's 5 St.Mary's 0
St.Mary's 0 Ancrum Road 4 St.Mary's 1 Hillside 5
Section C
Ballumbie 5 Claypotts Castle 4 Ballumbie 2 Clepington 6 Ballumbie 8 Craigiebarns 5
Claypotts Castle 0 Clepington 1 Claypotts Castle 6 SS Peter & Paul 2
Clepington 7 Craigiebarns 2 Clepington 6 Dens Road 1 Clepington 6 Rowantree 3
Craigiebarns 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Craigiebarns 5 Glebelands 4 Craigiebarns 6 Rowantree 3
Dens Road 6 Craigiebarns 1
Glebelands 1 Ballumbie 6 Glebelands 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Glebelands 1 Clepington 6
Rowantree 1 Ballumbie 3 Rowantree 1 Claypotts Castle 6 Rowantree 2 SS Peter & Paul 2
SS Peter & Paul 7 Ballumbie 2 SS Peter & Paul 1 Clepington 2 SS Peter & Paul 6 Craigiebarns 2 SS Peter & Paul 1 Glebelands 2
Section D
Barnhill 6 Eastern 4 Barnhill 5 Fintry 0 Barnhill 8 Longhaugh 3 Barnhill 6 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2
Eastern 0 Forthill 1
Fintry 8 Longhaugh 5
Forthill 0 Barnhill 2 Forthill 5 Longhaugh 0 Forthill 3 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 4
Longhaugh 0 Eastern 5 Longhaugh 6 Mill of Mains 1
Mill of Mains 0 Barnhill 5
St.Vincent's 1 Barnhill 6
Small Schools League
Ardler 7 Gowriehill 2 Ardler 2 St.Fergus 3
Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 7 Rosebank 2
Gowriehill 0 St.Clement's 5 Gowriehill 0 St.Ninian's 5
Our Lady's 0 Gowriehill 5 Our Lady's 1 St.Ninian's 6 Our Lady's 1 St.Pius 4
Rosebank 4 Ardler 9 Rosebank 5 Our Lady's 2 Rosebank 4 St.Clement's 9 Rosebank 5 St.Ninian's 10
Sidlaw View 3 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3 Sidlaw View 7 Rosebank 8
St.Clement's 2 Ardler 2 St.Clement's 8 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3 St.Clement's 4 Our Lady's 1 St.Clement's 7 Sidlaw View 2
St.Fergus 5 Our Lady's 0 St.Fergus 8 Rosebank 3 St.Fergus 3 St.Clement's 5
St.Ninian's 3 Ardler 3 St.Ninian's 1 St.Clement's 1 St.Ninian's 6 St.Fergus 1
St.Pius 6 Rosebank 1 St.Pius 3 St.Clement's 6 St.Pius 1 St.Fergus 5 St.Pius 4 St.Ninian's 4
League Tables 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a defeat, 0 for an awarded defeat. Champions highlighted in blue.
DFCSS ARAB TRUST PRIMARY LEAGUES
Section A P W D L Pts
Ancrum Road 7 6 0 1 19
Birkhill 7 5 0 2 17
St.Joseph's 6 4 1 1 15
Hillside 6 3 1 2 13
Craigowl 6 2 0 4 10
Downfield 6 1 1 4 9
St.Mary's 5 0 0 5 5
St.Andrew's 3 0 1 2 4
ARAB TRUST DFCSS PRIMARY LEAGUES
Section C P W D L Pts
Clepington 7 7 0 0 21
Claypotts Castle 6 4 0 2 14
Ballumbie 6 4 0 2 14
SS Peter & Paul 6 2 1 3 11
Craigiebarns 7 2 0 5 11
Glebelands 5 1 0 4 7
Rowantree 5 0 1 4 6
Dens Road 2 1 0 1 4
Section D P W D L Pts
Barnhill 7 7 0 0 21
Forthill 4 2 0 2 8
Longhaugh 5 1 0 4 7
Eastern 3 1 0 2 5
Fintry 2 1 0 1 4
St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2 1 0 1 4
Mill of Mains 2 0 0 2 2
St.Vincent's 1 0 0 1 1
DFCSS ARAB TRUST PRIMARY LEAGUES
Small Schools League P W D L Pts
St.Clement's 9 7 2 0 25
St.Ninian's 7 4 3 0 18
St.Fergus 6 4 0 2 14
Rosebank 8 2 0 6 12
Ardler 5 2 2 1 11
St.Pius 5 2 1 2 10
Camperdown 3 1 1 1 6
Gowriehill 4 1 0 3 6
Our Lady's 6 0 0 6 6
Sidlaw View 3 0 1 2 4
Cup Results Games marked (a) are awarded.
Junior Sports Cup
1st Round
Rowantree 0 St.Mary's 5 St.Andrew's 6 Glebelands 2 Camperdown 3 Downfield 8 Ardler 2 Dens Road 3
Claypotts Castle 5 Longhaugh 0 St.Fergus 1 Eastern 6 St.Pius 0 Craigowl 3 Sidlaw View 3 SS Peter & Paul 8
St.Vincent's 1 Ancrum Road 6 St.Clement's 2 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 4 St.Ninian's 4 Barnhill 9 Gowriehill 0 Birkhill 5
Clepington 3 Forthill 4 Craigiebarns 0 St.Joseph's 5 Fintry 0 Ballumbie 3 (a) Hillside bye
2nd Round
St.Mary's 2 St.Andrew's 3 aet Downfield 3 Dens Road 5 Claypotts Castle 3 Eastern 0 Craigowl 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
Ancrum Road 5 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 0 Barnhill 5 Birkhill 4 aet Forthill 3 St.Joseph's 2 Ballumbie 3 Hillside 5
3rd Round
St.Andrew's 5 Dens Road 1 Claypotts Castle 7 Craigowl 2 Ancrum Road 1 Barnhill 6 Forthill 2 Hillside 1
Semifinals
St.Andrew's 1 Claypotts Castle 2 aet Barnhill 2 Forthill 2 aet (3-2 pens)
Final
Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5 (Thur 13 June, 7.30)
Linton Cup (for teams in Section A)
Semifinals
Ancrum Road 4 St.Mary's 1 Hillside 3 St.Joseph's 2
Final
Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2 (Tues 11 June, 6.00)
Cameron Cup (for teams previously in Section B)
1st Round
St.Andrew's 3 Fintry 0 (a)
Semifinals
Craigowl 2 Downfield 7 St.Andrew's 1 Birkhill 3
Final
Downfield 1 Birkhill 6 (Mon 10 June, 6.00)
Thomson Cup (for teams in Section C)
1st Round
SS Peter & Paul 5 Glebelands 0 Craigiebarns 1 Ballumbie 6 Rowantree 3 Dens Road 0 Claypotts Castle 2 Clepington 2 aet (3-0 pens)
Semifinals
SS Peter & Paul 3 Ballumbie 1 Rowantree 2 Claypotts Castle 7
Final
SS Peter & Paul 2 Claypotts Castle 3 (Mon 10 June, 7.00)
Burgess Cup (for teams in Section D)
1st Round
St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 2 Eastern 7 St.Vincent's 6 Longhaugh 4
Semifinals
Eastern 1 Forthill 6 St.Vincent's 0 Barnhill 5
Final
Forthill 6 Barnhill 4 (Tues 11 June, 7.00)
Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup (for teams in the Small Schools League)
Preliminary Round
Our Lady's 5 Rosebank 8 St.Ninian's 6 Sidlaw View 3
1st Round
Rosebank 8 St.Fergus 4 St.Pius 2 St.Clement's 4 Camperdown 2 Ardler 4 Gowriehill 2 St.Ninian's 2 aet (0-2 pens)
Semifinals
Rosebank 3 St.Clement's 7 Ardler 1 St.Ninian's 2
Final
St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 extra-time golden goal (Thur 13 June, 5.30)
Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Courtesy of DCSFA
1st Round
Our Lady's 0 St.Pius 5 SS Peter & Paul 6 St.Vincent's 1 St.Fergus 2 St.Joseph's 7
2nd Round
St.Pius 0 St.Mary's 5 SS Peter & Paul 7 St.Ninian's 2 St.Joseph's 1 St.Luke's & St.Matthew's 0 St.Andrew's 6 St.Clement's 1
Semifinals
St.Mary's 0 St.Joseph's 3 St.Andrew's 0 SS Peter & Paul 3
Final
St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3 (Thur 13 June, 6.30)
Banks Trophy 5-a-sides : Winners - Clepington Runners-up - St.Clement's
Group A
Dens Road 1 St.Pius 3 Rowantree 1 Longhaugh 2 Dens Road 0 Rowantree 1 Longhaugh 0 St.Pius 3 Dens Road 4 Longhaugh 0 Rowantree 1 St.Pius 2
Group B
Clepington 2 St.Clement's 0 Craigiebarns 1 St.Vincent's 4 Clepington 4 Craigiebarns 0 St.Clement's 2 St.Vincent's 0 Clepington 3 St.Vincent's 2 St.Clement's 3 Craigiebarns 0
4th v. 4th Longhaugh 2 Craigiebarns 3 3rd v. 3rd Rowantree 1 St.Vincent's 2
Semifinals St.Pius 0 St.Clement's 0 (3-4 pens) Clepington 6 Dens Road 0
Final Clepington 1 St.Clement's 0
CLEPINGTON WIN THE BANKS TROPHY
PRIMARY CUP FINALS 12-13
Cameron Cup Final : Downfield 1 Birkhill 6 (Elliot Road, Mon 10 June, 6.00)
Thomson Cup Final : SS Peter & Paul 2 Claypotts Castle 3 (Elliot Road, Mon 10 June, 7.00)
Linton Cup Final : Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2 (Elliot Road, Tues 11 June, 6.00)
Burgess Cup Final : Forthill 6 Barnhill 4 (Elliot Road, Tues 11 June, 7.00)
Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup Final : St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 et golden goal (Elliot Road, Thur 13 June, 5.30)
Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Final : St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3 (Elliot Road, Thur 13 June, 6.30)
Junior Sports Cup Final : Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5 (Elliot Road, Thur 13 June, 7.30)
BIRKHILL AND CLAYPOTTS CASTLE ARE NEW NAMES ON THE CUPS, ANCRUM ROAD AND FORTHILL TURN ON THE SECOND-HALF HEAT, ST.CLEMENT'S HEAD GOLDEN GOAL WINNER, ST.JOSEPH'S AND BARNHILL BOTH WIN 5-3
Mon 10 June - The Primary Cup Finals week got underway at Elliot Road with victories for Birkhill and Claypotts Castle. In the opening game Birkhill took an early lead against Downfield. Birkhill scored twice in a minute in the second half but Downfield replied to make it 3-1. Even the man of the match, Downfield keeper Matthew McDonald who won the Stephen Gowans Trophy, could not stop Birkhill's late surge as they notched three goals in the final minutes to win 6-1 and lift the Cameron Cup for the first time in their history. The second game saw Claypotts Castle and SS Peter & Paul in the Thomson Cup Final, in the first of two finals for both teams this week. Claypotts Castle started well and moved into a 2-goal lead before a free kick gave SSPP some hope. In the second half SSPP equalised with a header and with the game looking like it was heading for extra time Claypotts Castle grabbed a late winner to take the cup 3-2. SSPP have another chance for glory in the Rock Final on Thursday against St.Joseph's, while Claypotts Castle who won their first ever Thomson Cup will be looking to add the Junior Sports Cup to their tally when they play Barnhill on Thursday. Tues 11 June - Ancrum Road turned on the heat in the second half of the Linton Cup Final to beat Hillside 7-2. Hillside had taken the lead but Ancrum Road equalised within a minute and went 2-1 up on the halftime whistle. Five goals put them 7-1 ahead before Hillside grabbed the final goal. George Johnston of Ancrum Road won the Ross Kirk Man of the Match Trophy.
Match Reports
PRIMARY CUP FINALS
Thur 13 June - The last night of Finals week featured three games, so the evening kicked off early at 5.30.
Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup Final : St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 (extra time golden goal)
The first game was the Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup Final between St.Clement's and St.Ninian's which was a very close contest. St.Ninian's played up the slope in the first half and dominated the opening phase of the game, with an initial attack forcing a good save out of the St.Clement's keeper. However with 5 minutes on the clock St.Ninian's opened up the St.Clement's defence and the shot from the left across the keeper ended in the bottom corner to give the greens the lead, 0-1 (5m). St.Clement's started to get into the game after this and play went from end to end but chances on goal were at a premium. The first half ended with both sides having a short spell of pressure, first St.Ninian's and then St.Clement's pressing hard but there was still only one goal in it.
Halftime : St.Clement's 0 St.Ninian's 1
The St.Clement's urgency to score continued after the interval and paid off immediately with an equalising goal, 1-1 (26m). St.Ninian's made a determined effort to retake the lead with three good attacks but St.Clement's defended well. Midway through the half St.Clement's had a good chance but the score stayed 1-1. Then St.Ninian's surged down the slope on several occasions before St.Clement's countered. There were now only five minutes left before the possibility of extra-time which this season was going to be golden-goal.St.Ninian's wanted to avoid that and win it in normal time and three minutes from the end hit a dangerous free kick which ended up in a melee in front of the St.Clement's goal, which only survived because a fierce St.Ninian's shot from close range crashed off the bar. St.Ninian's piled on the pressure for a couple of minutes, and St.Clement's were finally able to escape up the field in an attempt to win the game. The last opportunity in normal time fell to St.Ninian's who aimed at the goal but the St.Clement's keeper tipped it over.
End of normal time : St.Clement's 1 St.Ninian's 1
With the score after 50 minutes just the same as in the league draw, it was now on to extra-time. In order to avoid the agony of penalty kicks, it had been decided to have extra-time but the golden goal rule would apply, so the first team to score would win the cup and the game would then finish. If there were no goals after two periods of 5 minutes each way extra-time then the teams would share the trophy.
St.Clement's went on the attack in the first minute but then St.Ninian's countered. St.Clement's came back down the park and won a corner on the left. The corner to the near side of the penalty area was headed in beautifully over the St.Ninian's keeper's outstretched left hand, falling into the net by the far post for the decisive moment, 2-1 (52m). With only two minutes gone in extra-time the game was over and St.Clement's raced away to celebrate their dramatic win. Both teams received their medals from President Neil Lowden before St.Clement's were presented with the Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup.
Final score : St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 (extra-time golden goal)
Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Final : St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
The DCSFA Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Final featured St.Joseph's and SS Peter & Paul who had both suffered disappointment in the last week, with St.Joseph's being knocked out of the league race by a last-minute Ancrum Road winner and SS Peter & Paul going down to Claypotts Castle in the Thomson Cup Final. So both sides were keen to make amends. St.Joseph's played up the slope in the first half and took the initiative early on with a shot from the left, 1-0 (5m). SSPP fought back but were forced back by the St.Joseph's defence. St.Joseph's looked good in midfield and attack and just after the midway point doubled the lead, carving the defence open through the middle, slipping the ball left and beating the keeper at the post, 2-0 (15m). Despite the occasional SSPP foray down the park, St.Joseph's dominated the first half and it seemed only a matter of time before they extended their lead further and four minutes short of the break added another, 3-0 (21m).
With the score after 50 minutes just the same as in the league draw, it was now on to extra-time. In order to avoid the agony of penalty kicks, it had been decided to have extra-time but the golden goal rule would apply, so the first team to score would win the cup and the game would then finish. If there were no goals after two periods of 5 minutes each way extra-time then the teams would share the trophy.
St.Clement's went on the attack in the first minute but then St.Ninian's countered. St.Clement's came back down the park and won a corner on the left. The corner to the near side of the penalty area was headed in beautifully over the St.Ninian's keeper's outstretched left hand, falling into the net by the far post for the decisive moment, 2-1 (52m). With only two minutes gone in extra-time the game was over and St.Clement's raced away to celebrate their dramatic win. Both teams received their medals from President Neil Lowden before St.Clement's were presented with the Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup.
Final score : St.Clement's 2 St.Ninian's 1 (extra-time golden goal)
Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Final : St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
The DCSFA Fairtrade Football Rock Cup Final featured St.Joseph's and SS Peter & Paul who had both suffered disappointment in the last week, with St.Joseph's being knocked out of the league race by a last-minute Ancrum Road winner and SS Peter & Paul going down to Claypotts Castle in the Thomson Cup Final. So both sides were keen to make amends. St.Joseph's played up the slope in the first half and took the initiative early on with a shot from the left, 1-0 (5m). SSPP fought back but were forced back by the St.Joseph's defence. St.Joseph's looked good in midfield and attack and just after the midway point doubled the lead, carving the defence open through the middle, slipping the ball left and beating the keeper at the post, 2-0 (15m). Despite the occasional SSPP foray down the park, St.Joseph's dominated the first half and it seemed only a matter of time before they extended their lead further and four minutes short of the break added another, 3-0 (21m).
Halftime : St.Joseph's 3 SS Peter & Paul 0
To their credit SS Peter & Paul fought back well in the second half and made it a very interesting game, getting off to the best start with a goal in the first minute, brushing off a determined tackle before rounding the keeper and scoring with a left-foot finish, 3-1 (26m). After thwarting the next SSPP attack St.Joseph's recovered to put their opponent's defence under pressure for a spell, eventually resulting in restoring their 3-goal lead with a fierce right-foot shot from distance, 4-1 (33m). As the game entered the last quarter St.Joseph's looked to wrap the game up with another strike, 5-1 (39m) but a minute later SSPP had pulled one back, 5-2 (40m), and with 6 minutes to go fired a shot from the left past the diving keeper into the bottom corner, 5-3 (44m). There was still time to make for SSPP to produce a dramatic finale to the game but the nearest anybody came to a goal was a St.Joseph's effort in the 46th minute where the goal seemed to be a good one but it was mysteriously chalked off.
Dylan Harkin of St.Joseph's won the Nick Marra Man of the Match Trophy for an excellent display, including the long-range 4th goal. Then the players of SS Peter & Paul and St.Joseph's collected their medals from Monsignor McCaffrey before St.Joseph's were presented with the Rock Cup.
Final score : St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
Junior Sports Cup Final : Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5
The last final of the week was the Junior Sports Cup Final between Claypotts Castle, who had won the Thomson Cup on Monday, and Barnhill who had gone down dramatically in the Burgess Cup on Tuesday.
Claypotts Castle opened strongly and in their second attack in the 2nd minute hit the post. Barnhill replied down the slope but were soon picking the ball out of their net as Claypotts Castle took an early lead, 1-0 (5m). Both sides then traded attacks before Barnhill hit the equaliser, 1-1 (11m.)
Final score : St.Joseph's 5 SS Peter & Paul 3
Junior Sports Cup Final : Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5
The last final of the week was the Junior Sports Cup Final between Claypotts Castle, who had won the Thomson Cup on Monday, and Barnhill who had gone down dramatically in the Burgess Cup on Tuesday.
Claypotts Castle opened strongly and in their second attack in the 2nd minute hit the post. Barnhill replied down the slope but were soon picking the ball out of their net as Claypotts Castle took an early lead, 1-0 (5m). Both sides then traded attacks before Barnhill hit the equaliser, 1-1 (11m.)
Barnhill fell behind again when Claypotts Castle moved up through inside left and unleashed a left-foot shot across the keeper into the far corner, 2-1 (14m). The lead lasted a full minute before Barnhill fired in a shot from the right to the far post which caught out the Claypotts defence and as the ball rolled along in front of the line Barnhill were first to it and prodded the ball over the line, 2-2 (15m). Claypotts countered with a high ball which had the Barnhill defence under pressure, but Barnhill then fired in a long-range shot which had the Claypotts keeper in difficulties at the near post and the ball squirmed over the line for Barnhill to take the lead for the first time, 2-3 (17m). Play raged from end to end in the final stages of the first half, but after the earlier flurry of goals both defences settled down to cope with their opponents' attacks.
Halftime : Claypotts Castle 2 Barnhill 3
Barnhill piled on the pressure after the restart and raced away looking certain to score in the 1st minute but Claypotts Castle recovered to clear. After surviving the opening Barnhill onslaught Claypotts Castle were able to create some attacks of their own but neither defence was breached till the 10th minute when Barnhill broke quickly up the centre of the park, outpacing the chasing defenders and firing a right-foot shot past the keeper's right hand, 2-4 (35m). A similar run and shot a couple of minutes later could have put the result beyond doubt but the Claypotts keeper was relieved to see the ball fly wide of the far post.
Instead the excitement increased when Claypotts Castle scored a cracker - gathering the ball deep, turning an opponent well outside the penalty area and letting fly with a right-foot shot which arrowed into the top left corner, unstoppable for the keeper and a great solo goal, 3-4 (40m). With only one goal in it now and ten minutes left, it was all to play for. Barnhill seemed to have overcome their nightmare second-half performance of two days earlier and defended well in an end-to-end last period. With the final whistle looming Barnhill secured the win, taking the ball into the box, losing the defenders and slamming a right-foot shot high into the net, 3-5 (50m). Seconds later it was all over and the green and yellow celebrations started.
Barnhill piled on the pressure after the restart and raced away looking certain to score in the 1st minute but Claypotts Castle recovered to clear. After surviving the opening Barnhill onslaught Claypotts Castle were able to create some attacks of their own but neither defence was breached till the 10th minute when Barnhill broke quickly up the centre of the park, outpacing the chasing defenders and firing a right-foot shot past the keeper's right hand, 2-4 (35m). A similar run and shot a couple of minutes later could have put the result beyond doubt but the Claypotts keeper was relieved to see the ball fly wide of the far post.
Instead the excitement increased when Claypotts Castle scored a cracker - gathering the ball deep, turning an opponent well outside the penalty area and letting fly with a right-foot shot which arrowed into the top left corner, unstoppable for the keeper and a great solo goal, 3-4 (40m). With only one goal in it now and ten minutes left, it was all to play for. Barnhill seemed to have overcome their nightmare second-half performance of two days earlier and defended well in an end-to-end last period. With the final whistle looming Barnhill secured the win, taking the ball into the box, losing the defenders and slamming a right-foot shot high into the net, 3-5 (50m). Seconds later it was all over and the green and yellow celebrations started.
Barnhill's Grady McGrath won the Bill Ferrier Man of the Match Trophy and the players received their medals before Barnhill captain Scott Galloway was presented with the Junior Sports Cup.
Barnhill became the first team in the 7-a-side age to lift the Junior Sports Cup two years in a row. They overcame some tough teams in their run this year, starting with a 9-4 win at St.Ninian's (Small Schools Cup finalist), then a 5-4 extra-time win over Birkhill (Cameron Cup winners), a 6-1 away win over Ancrum Road (Linton Cup winners), then a 3-2 penalty win after a 2-2 extra-time draw against Forthill (Burgess Cup winners) before the final win 5-3 against Claypotts Castle (Thomson Cup winners), so they could hardly have picked a more difficult path to emerge victorious if they had chosen it themselves.
Final score : Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5
Tues 11 June - Tuesday was a damp and dreich evening but the two finals produced a barrowload of goals to entertain the spectators.
Linton Cup Final : Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2
Ancrum Road and Hillside started the ball rolling in the Linton Cup Final. As the teams sounded one another out in the initial stages there was little to say who would come out on top. Hillside had some good attacks coming down the slope and Ancrum Road looked dangerous when they ventured upfield but there were no goals for a quarter of an hour. The first goal fell to Hillside who netted from close range at the left-hand post, 0-1 (15m), but the lead lasted all of 34 seconds as Ancrum Road marched up the left wing from the kick-off and drilled the ball home for an instant equaliser, 1-1 (15m). It was still even till near the halftime whistle with Hillside hitting the angle of bar and post but an Ancrum Road break in the last minute showed a foretaste of what was to come, with a well struck shot to give the blues the lead, 2-1 (24m).
Barnhill became the first team in the 7-a-side age to lift the Junior Sports Cup two years in a row. They overcame some tough teams in their run this year, starting with a 9-4 win at St.Ninian's (Small Schools Cup finalist), then a 5-4 extra-time win over Birkhill (Cameron Cup winners), a 6-1 away win over Ancrum Road (Linton Cup winners), then a 3-2 penalty win after a 2-2 extra-time draw against Forthill (Burgess Cup winners) before the final win 5-3 against Claypotts Castle (Thomson Cup winners), so they could hardly have picked a more difficult path to emerge victorious if they had chosen it themselves.
Final score : Claypotts Castle 3 Barnhill 5
Tues 11 June - Tuesday was a damp and dreich evening but the two finals produced a barrowload of goals to entertain the spectators.
Linton Cup Final : Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2
Ancrum Road and Hillside started the ball rolling in the Linton Cup Final. As the teams sounded one another out in the initial stages there was little to say who would come out on top. Hillside had some good attacks coming down the slope and Ancrum Road looked dangerous when they ventured upfield but there were no goals for a quarter of an hour. The first goal fell to Hillside who netted from close range at the left-hand post, 0-1 (15m), but the lead lasted all of 34 seconds as Ancrum Road marched up the left wing from the kick-off and drilled the ball home for an instant equaliser, 1-1 (15m). It was still even till near the halftime whistle with Hillside hitting the angle of bar and post but an Ancrum Road break in the last minute showed a foretaste of what was to come, with a well struck shot to give the blues the lead, 2-1 (24m).
Halftime : Ancrum Road 2 Hillside 1
In the second half Ancrum Road moved into top gear and with only two minutes gone a right-foot shot from just outside the box opened up a 2-goal lead, 3-1 (27m). Hillside replied with a dangerous attack but Ancrum Road cleared their lines to start an attack of their own. Hillside closed in on goal once more but the Ancrum keeper saved and a matter of seconds later Ancrum Road broke down the park, beat the keeper who had raced out to the edge of his box and slotted the ball in calmly, 4-1 (30m).
After this blistering start to the half there was a comparative lull for 5 minutes as Ancrum pressed but could not convert. Then the pressure started to tell with two goals in two minutes, first a break down the middle which the Hillside keeper again hoped to stop at the edge of the box but again Ancrum hit the net, 5-1 (36m), and a repeat dose followed just over a minute later, 6-1 (37m).
Hillside rallied and tried to get back into the game and there was a long spell without a goal, but it was Ancrum Road who found the net next to wrap up the win, 7-1 (47m). However just as the Hillside concentration lapsed after they had opened the scoring in the first half and conceded within a minute, so Ancrum Road took their foot off the pedal and had to pick the ball out of the net as Hillside grabbed the last goal of the game around 40 seconds later, 7-2 (48m).
After this blistering start to the half there was a comparative lull for 5 minutes as Ancrum pressed but could not convert. Then the pressure started to tell with two goals in two minutes, first a break down the middle which the Hillside keeper again hoped to stop at the edge of the box but again Ancrum hit the net, 5-1 (36m), and a repeat dose followed just over a minute later, 6-1 (37m).
Hillside rallied and tried to get back into the game and there was a long spell without a goal, but it was Ancrum Road who found the net next to wrap up the win, 7-1 (47m). However just as the Hillside concentration lapsed after they had opened the scoring in the first half and conceded within a minute, so Ancrum Road took their foot off the pedal and had to pick the ball out of the net as Hillside grabbed the last goal of the game around 40 seconds later, 7-2 (48m).
George Johnston who scored the 2nd for Ancrum Road and added the 4th, 5th and 6th in the second half won the Ross Kirk Man of the Match Trophy, then the players of Hillside and Ancrum Road received their medals before Ancrum Road were presented with the Linton Cup for the second year in a row.
Final score : Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2
Burgess Cup Final : Forthill 6 Barnhill 4
Forthill and Barnhill lined up for the Burgess Cup Final just days after they had met in a tremendous Junior Sports Cup Semifinal. On Friday Barnhill had taken a 2-goal lead only to be pegged back by Forthill and the game was decided on penalties, Barnhill going through to the final, so another close game was anticipated in the Burgess Cup Final.
Final score : Ancrum Road 7 Hillside 2
Burgess Cup Final : Forthill 6 Barnhill 4
Forthill and Barnhill lined up for the Burgess Cup Final just days after they had met in a tremendous Junior Sports Cup Semifinal. On Friday Barnhill had taken a 2-goal lead only to be pegged back by Forthill and the game was decided on penalties, Barnhill going through to the final, so another close game was anticipated in the Burgess Cup Final.
Playing down the slope Barnhill were quick off the mark and after a move down the left opened the scoring, 0-1 (3m). Similar to the Linton Cup Final the first goal was cancelled out immediately as Forthill went up the park and hit a right-foot shot into the back of the net for the equaliser 40 seconds after conceding, 1-1 (4m). The game then developed into an end-to-end contest with Forthill shooting wide and Barnhill being denied by a great performance by the Forthill keeper. Barnhill pressure late in the half finally beat the keeper to regain the lead, 1-2 (17m) and close to the break Barnhill looked to move out of sight, one shot being hacked away at the far post before the next attack ended with a shot into the bottom corner, 1-3 (21m).
Halftime : Forthill 1 Barnhill 3
The whistle to start the second half had only just blown and Barnhill raced up the park to increase their lead, 1-4 (26m). The green and yellows looked comfortable but had reckoned without the Forthill spirit. The 26th minute was to be the high point for Barnhill and their supporters as everything went downhill from then on, Forthill staging a remarkable recovery.
Halftime : Forthill 1 Barnhill 3
The whistle to start the second half had only just blown and Barnhill raced up the park to increase their lead, 1-4 (26m). The green and yellows looked comfortable but had reckoned without the Forthill spirit. The 26th minute was to be the high point for Barnhill and their supporters as everything went downhill from then on, Forthill staging a remarkable recovery.
With 7 minutes of the second half gone Forthill scored a left-footed shot from just inside the box following a cross from the right to give them hope, 2-4 (32m). Pulling one back might just have seemed a consolation at first but it was the spur to go for more and a minute later the ball hit the back of the net again and it was game on, 3-4 (33m). Suddenly Forthill had built up a head of steam and they rattled in another goal two minutes later to level the game, 4-4 (35m). There was plenty of time left to avoid the golden-goal extra-time and despite Barnhill changes Forthill now had the momentum and it was no surprise when they took the lead for the first time shortly after, 5-4 (37m). Four goals in five minutes for Forthill had changed the game totally and Barnhill were struggling to hit back. The comeback was complete five minutes later when Forthill fired in a 6th and effectively wrapped up the victory in one of the most dramatic finals seen at Elliot Road, 6-4 (42m). After the goalrush the last 8 minutes passed relatively quietly and it was Forthill who were able to celebrate when the final whistle blew.
Barnhill still have time to regain composure for the Junior Sports Cup Final against Claypotts Castle on Thursday but credit to Forthill for thrilling their fans with a memorable second-half performance and ending up with the silverware.
Both teams received their medals from Primary Secretary Gerry Dignan before Forthill were presented with the Burgess Cup.
Final score : Forthill 6 Barnhill 4
Mon 10 June - Cup Finals week at Elliot Road started with the Cameron Cup Final followed by the Thomson Cup Final.
Cameron Cup Final : Downfield 1 Birkhill 6
The first of seven finals to be played in the week was the Cameron Cup Final between Downfield and Birkhill.
Downfield had won the cup on the last two occasions but Birkhill had never lifted the trophy before.
Both teams received their medals from Primary Secretary Gerry Dignan before Forthill were presented with the Burgess Cup.
Final score : Forthill 6 Barnhill 4
Mon 10 June - Cup Finals week at Elliot Road started with the Cameron Cup Final followed by the Thomson Cup Final.
Cameron Cup Final : Downfield 1 Birkhill 6
The first of seven finals to be played in the week was the Cameron Cup Final between Downfield and Birkhill.
Downfield had won the cup on the last two occasions but Birkhill had never lifted the trophy before.
Downfield attacked down the slope but Birkhill defended well and countered up the hill. Despite the best efforts of the Downfield defence Birkhill fired home to take an early lead, 0-1 (2m). Birkhill attacked again and only a triple save by the Downfield keeper prevented a second goal. Downfield pressed for an equaliser but Birkhill cleared their lines, then a Birkhill break finished with a shot which was tipped over for a corner. Downfield's best chance came midway through the first half but a tremendous saving tackle pushed the ball away for a corner when a goal looked on the cards. A Downfield cross-shot from the right clipped the top of the bar, before Birkhill closed the half with a spell of sustained pressure, but were kept at bay by Matthew McDonald in the Downfield goal.
Halftime : Downfield 0 Birkhill 1
With the second half underway Birkhill soon took control with two goals in a minute. A shot from the edge of the box zipped inside the left-hand post, 0-2 (29m), and celebrations had hardly died down when a run down the right ended in a low shot through the keeper, 0-3 (30m). Downfield fought hard to get back into the game and the next ten minutes were even with both sides having chances in an end-to-end spell. Finally Downfield shot low into the far corner to put themselves on the scoresheet with 7 minutes left and set up an intriguing finale, 1-3 (43m).
Birkhill were determined not to let the chance slip and, three minutes after conceding, scored the goal of the night - a fierce right-foot shot from outside the area which flew into the postage stamp, 1-4 (46m). A minute later and any chance of a Downfield comeback was over as a Birkhill shot across the keeper hit the net, 1-5 (47m) and Birkhill rounded off the scoring with a third strike just before the final whistle, 1-6 (49m).
With the second half underway Birkhill soon took control with two goals in a minute. A shot from the edge of the box zipped inside the left-hand post, 0-2 (29m), and celebrations had hardly died down when a run down the right ended in a low shot through the keeper, 0-3 (30m). Downfield fought hard to get back into the game and the next ten minutes were even with both sides having chances in an end-to-end spell. Finally Downfield shot low into the far corner to put themselves on the scoresheet with 7 minutes left and set up an intriguing finale, 1-3 (43m).
Birkhill were determined not to let the chance slip and, three minutes after conceding, scored the goal of the night - a fierce right-foot shot from outside the area which flew into the postage stamp, 1-4 (46m). A minute later and any chance of a Downfield comeback was over as a Birkhill shot across the keeper hit the net, 1-5 (47m) and Birkhill rounded off the scoring with a third strike just before the final whistle, 1-6 (49m).
Downfield keeper Matthew McDonald received the Stephen Gowans Man of the Match Trophy before the teams were presented with their medals, and Birkhill lifted the Cameron Cup for the first time.
Final score : Downfield 1 Birkhill 6
Final score : Downfield 1 Birkhill 6
MATTHEW McDONALD OF DOWNFIELD RECEIVES THE STEPHEN GOWANS MAN OF THE MATCH TROPHY
BIRKHILL WITH THE CAMERON CUP
Thomson Cup Final : SS Peter & Paul 2 Claypotts Castle 3
The Thomson Cup Final was the first of two finals for SS Peter & Paul and Claypotts Castle who both play again on Thursday, SSPP in the Fairtrade Football Rock Cup against St.Joseph's, and Claypotts against Barnhill in the Junior Sports Cup. Claypotts Castle played up the hill in the first half and took advantage of defensive indecision to open the scoring, 0-1 (5m). SS Peter & Paul pressed down the slope in search of an equaliser but were thwarted by the keeper and his defence. Unable to make a breakthrough SSPP found themselves further behind as Claypotts shot into the left-hand side of the net, 0-2 (13m). However the comeback started soon after, when Claypotts Castle conceded a free kick on the edge of the box - SS Peter & Paul hit a left-foot shot into the bottom corner, 1-2 (16m), and there was now little between the teams.
Thomson Cup Final : SS Peter & Paul 2 Claypotts Castle 3
The Thomson Cup Final was the first of two finals for SS Peter & Paul and Claypotts Castle who both play again on Thursday, SSPP in the Fairtrade Football Rock Cup against St.Joseph's, and Claypotts against Barnhill in the Junior Sports Cup. Claypotts Castle played up the hill in the first half and took advantage of defensive indecision to open the scoring, 0-1 (5m). SS Peter & Paul pressed down the slope in search of an equaliser but were thwarted by the keeper and his defence. Unable to make a breakthrough SSPP found themselves further behind as Claypotts shot into the left-hand side of the net, 0-2 (13m). However the comeback started soon after, when Claypotts Castle conceded a free kick on the edge of the box - SS Peter & Paul hit a left-foot shot into the bottom corner, 1-2 (16m), and there was now little between the teams.
Halftime : SS Peter & Paul 1 Claypotts Castle 2
After the break play raged from end to end before SS Peter & Paul headed in an equaliser to set up a fascinating climax to the game, 2-2 (32m). Claypotts had to start again after surrendering their two-goal lead and had SSPP under real pressure after the equaliser. The yellows just managed to survive in a real stramash in the goalmouth then the blues had another good chance before the striker lost his footing and it ended with a fresh-air shot. Another blues chance saw a header fly over the bar. With 6 minutes left SSPP broke quickly up the slope but the shot ended in the keeper's arms. The thoughts of golden-goal extra-time spurred both teams on to seek a winner. Another quick break up the right from SSPP was blocked at the expense of a corner which came to nothing. In the last couple of frantic minutes Claypotts attacked, SSPP countered, then Claypotts surged forward again and buried a right-foot shot from around the penalty spot past the keeper and into the net for a last-minute winner, 2-3 (49m). There was too little time for SSPP to mount another comeback as Claypotts kept possession of the ball and the final whistle sounded to spark off Claypotts celebrations.
Mon 24 June - The season came to a close with a rush of games to decide the remaining trophies. In the DFCSS Arab Trust Small Schools League St.Clement's beat Camperdown 8-3 to take the title, while in Arab Trust DFCSS Section C Clepington beat SS Peter & Paul 2-1 to win the league with 7 wins out of 7. In DFCSS Arab Trust Section A Birkhill needed a win in their last match to equal the points total of Ancrum Road - however St.Joseph's were in top form and won 6-1, so Ancrum Road ended as outright champions.
ANCRUM ROAD WITH THE DFCSS ARAB TRUST SECTION A LEAGUE SHIELD AND LINTON CUP
JUNE NAILBITERS
Fri 7 June - With Cup Finals week approaching the first week of June was packed with semifinal excitement as well as last-minute league drama.
The Monday game was the first semifinal of the Junior Sports Cup between St.Andrew's and Claypotts Castle. St.Andrew's took the lead in the 10th minute with a lob from the edge of the box which caught the Claypotts keeper off guard but a minute or so later Claypotts Castle made it 1-1 with a brave finish, despite a despairing challenge from the St.Andrew's keeper. There was nothing to choose between the teams and it was no surprise that there were no more goals by the end of the regulation 50 minutes.
That soon changed as the first period of extra-time got underway and Claypotts Castle scored a superb solo goal in the first minute, leaving several St.Andrew's defenders trailing in the wake. The remaining 9 minutes of extra-time passed too quickly for St.Andrew's and Claypotts Castle held on for a 2-1 win.
On Wednesday one of the games was the Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup semifinal between Ardler and St.Ninian's. This followed the same pattern as Monday's game, only without the extra time. It was Ardler who made the breakthrough in the first half, rolling in the opener for 1-0. In the second half of a tense affair St.Ninian's equalised from a free kick then gave away a penalty but Ardler squandered the chance to make the final when the St.Ninian's keeper saved the penalty kick. This gave his team-mates the confidence to turn the game around and they did so, hitting the winner to seal a 2-1 victory and face St.Clement's in the final.
Thursday was the day for an important league match in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A. With Ancrum Road already in the final of the Linton Cup and St.Joseph's due to play their Fairtrade Football Rock Cup semifinal against St.Mary's the following day, it was time to go for league points. For Ancrum Road it was the last league game of the season, but with a couple of other teams including St.Joseph's having games in hand there was no room to slip up. St.Joseph's took the lead in the first quarter and Ancrum Road tried hard to equalise before the break but could not find a way through and trailed 0-1 at the interval.
In the second half Ancrum Road had several chances while St.Joseph's were always dangerous on the break. The best Ancrum chance was from a corner on the left which flew past everybody and just needed a touch, but eventually the equaliser came in similar fashion from the left, this time touched in past the keeper.
Ancrum Road kept attacking till the end and with half a minute left a quick move down the left ended in a low shot which beat the St.Joseph's keeper and defence. St.Joseph's barely had time to restart before the final whistle. Just like the two semifinals played earlier in the week, the team going one down fought back to earn a 2-1 win. The late victory for Ancrum Road put the title out of reach of St.Joseph's, leaving only Birkhill in the frame but they have some difficult games to play.
The week finished with an enthralling game on Friday in the second semifinal of the Junior Sports Cup to see who would take on Claypotts Castle, as Barnhill faced Forthill on a sunny afternoon in front of a good crowd at Gillies Park.
Barnhill and Forthill played one another in last year's Junior Sports Cup Final and the two local rivals will play in the Burgess Cup Final on Tuesday. The only form guide was that Barnhill had beaten Forthill 2-0 in Arab Trust DFCSS Section D but nobody knew how this one would turn out. Barnhill played up the slope in the first half and took an immediate lead, beating the keeper in the very dusty goalmouth in the 2nd minute, 1-0. Forthill struggled to get into the game and Barnhill could have increased their lead but hit the bar and had one kicked off the line in a real stramash. Two minutes from halftime Barnhill doubled their lead from a quick break through the middle and were 2-0 up at the interval.
Forthill came out firing on all cylinders after the break, and sent a good effort just over the bar. In the 2nd minute of the half a Forthill move up the right resulted in a shot which was blocked by Barnhill and the rebound was smacked in to make it 2-1. Forthill were inspired by this early success and in the 36th minute fired in an equaliser, 2-2 ... game on!
Barnhill recovered their composure to hit a post, and looked to have won it with a couple of minutes left when a ball from the right to the far post saw the Forthill keeper on the ground, unable to stop Barnhill knocking the ball in at the far post - however the goal was disallowed as the referee considered the ball had been kicked out of the keeper's hands. So with little time left, it was on to extra-time where both sides tried hard but could not get the better of the opposing defence. 2-2 final score and on to penalties.
Barnhill took the first penalty and scored, Forthill also scored.... 1-1. Barnhill's 2nd penalty was saved, but so was Forthill's 2nd ...still 1-1. Both sides scored their 3rd kick ... 2-2, and on to sudden death. Barnhill scored their 4th to go 3-2 up, and the Barnhill keeper produced his second save in four attempts to stop Forthill's 4th. Game over and Barnhill celebrated in a heap, but were quickly up to shake the hands of the Forthill team. An excellent game played in sporting fashion throughout - both schools should be proud of their players.
CLEPINGTON MOVE AHEAD IN SECTION C
Tues 14 May - With both teams on full points in Arab Trust DFCSS Section C something had to give when Claypotts Castle took on Clepington. The two teams had met quite recently in the Thomson Cup 1st Round and there was nothing between them that day as the 2-2 draw was only decided in Claypotts Castle's favour in a penalty shoot-out.
So Clepington were looking to make up for their cup exit with a win in the Section C top of the table clash. For most of the game there was nothing to separate the teams - even the colours were so close that Claypotts Castle had to put on bibs to distinguish themselves from their opponents. In the opening quarter the only difference in play was a coat of paint as Clepington hit both the right post and the left post within a couple of moments. Claypotts Castle's keeper also produced a good save to thwart a Clepington attack but it was a fairly even half and the Clepington keeper also had the pluck the ball out of the air to prevent the home team going in front. But at halftime it was 0-0.
After the break it was more of the same as Clepington hit the right post again. Clepington were looking dangerous and just when it seemed like there might not be any goals Clepington lobbed the ball delicately over the keeper and under the bar, 0-1. Play swung from end to end and Claypotts Castle had a late chance to snatch a draw when they were awarded a free kick out on the left - the free kick was well struck but it bounced off the top of the bar and out for a goal kick. The final whistle blew a couple of minutes later and Clepington's lobbed goal was enough to take full points and make up somewhat for the cup exit.
JUNIOR SPORTS CUP DOUBLE TO FINISH THE TERM
Thur 28 Mar - The frequent snow and low temperatures throughout March did their best to kill off football but the term ended with two excellent games in the Junior Sports Cup.
The last of the 1st Round games took place at Sidlaw View where the visitors SS Peter & Paul struck early to go two up but Sidlaw View replied with a goal of their own to trail 2-1. SS Peter & Paul were not flustered by conceding a goal and soon regained their two goal lead. The yellows took control of the game and three goals in the second quarter looked to have the game sewn up by halftime with a 6-1 lead.
JUNE NAILBITERS
Fri 7 June - With Cup Finals week approaching the first week of June was packed with semifinal excitement as well as last-minute league drama.
The Monday game was the first semifinal of the Junior Sports Cup between St.Andrew's and Claypotts Castle. St.Andrew's took the lead in the 10th minute with a lob from the edge of the box which caught the Claypotts keeper off guard but a minute or so later Claypotts Castle made it 1-1 with a brave finish, despite a despairing challenge from the St.Andrew's keeper. There was nothing to choose between the teams and it was no surprise that there were no more goals by the end of the regulation 50 minutes.
That soon changed as the first period of extra-time got underway and Claypotts Castle scored a superb solo goal in the first minute, leaving several St.Andrew's defenders trailing in the wake. The remaining 9 minutes of extra-time passed too quickly for St.Andrew's and Claypotts Castle held on for a 2-1 win.
On Wednesday one of the games was the Angus Trophy Centre Small Schools Cup semifinal between Ardler and St.Ninian's. This followed the same pattern as Monday's game, only without the extra time. It was Ardler who made the breakthrough in the first half, rolling in the opener for 1-0. In the second half of a tense affair St.Ninian's equalised from a free kick then gave away a penalty but Ardler squandered the chance to make the final when the St.Ninian's keeper saved the penalty kick. This gave his team-mates the confidence to turn the game around and they did so, hitting the winner to seal a 2-1 victory and face St.Clement's in the final.
Thursday was the day for an important league match in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A. With Ancrum Road already in the final of the Linton Cup and St.Joseph's due to play their Fairtrade Football Rock Cup semifinal against St.Mary's the following day, it was time to go for league points. For Ancrum Road it was the last league game of the season, but with a couple of other teams including St.Joseph's having games in hand there was no room to slip up. St.Joseph's took the lead in the first quarter and Ancrum Road tried hard to equalise before the break but could not find a way through and trailed 0-1 at the interval.
In the second half Ancrum Road had several chances while St.Joseph's were always dangerous on the break. The best Ancrum chance was from a corner on the left which flew past everybody and just needed a touch, but eventually the equaliser came in similar fashion from the left, this time touched in past the keeper.
Ancrum Road kept attacking till the end and with half a minute left a quick move down the left ended in a low shot which beat the St.Joseph's keeper and defence. St.Joseph's barely had time to restart before the final whistle. Just like the two semifinals played earlier in the week, the team going one down fought back to earn a 2-1 win. The late victory for Ancrum Road put the title out of reach of St.Joseph's, leaving only Birkhill in the frame but they have some difficult games to play.
The week finished with an enthralling game on Friday in the second semifinal of the Junior Sports Cup to see who would take on Claypotts Castle, as Barnhill faced Forthill on a sunny afternoon in front of a good crowd at Gillies Park.
Barnhill and Forthill played one another in last year's Junior Sports Cup Final and the two local rivals will play in the Burgess Cup Final on Tuesday. The only form guide was that Barnhill had beaten Forthill 2-0 in Arab Trust DFCSS Section D but nobody knew how this one would turn out. Barnhill played up the slope in the first half and took an immediate lead, beating the keeper in the very dusty goalmouth in the 2nd minute, 1-0. Forthill struggled to get into the game and Barnhill could have increased their lead but hit the bar and had one kicked off the line in a real stramash. Two minutes from halftime Barnhill doubled their lead from a quick break through the middle and were 2-0 up at the interval.
Forthill came out firing on all cylinders after the break, and sent a good effort just over the bar. In the 2nd minute of the half a Forthill move up the right resulted in a shot which was blocked by Barnhill and the rebound was smacked in to make it 2-1. Forthill were inspired by this early success and in the 36th minute fired in an equaliser, 2-2 ... game on!
Barnhill recovered their composure to hit a post, and looked to have won it with a couple of minutes left when a ball from the right to the far post saw the Forthill keeper on the ground, unable to stop Barnhill knocking the ball in at the far post - however the goal was disallowed as the referee considered the ball had been kicked out of the keeper's hands. So with little time left, it was on to extra-time where both sides tried hard but could not get the better of the opposing defence. 2-2 final score and on to penalties.
Barnhill took the first penalty and scored, Forthill also scored.... 1-1. Barnhill's 2nd penalty was saved, but so was Forthill's 2nd ...still 1-1. Both sides scored their 3rd kick ... 2-2, and on to sudden death. Barnhill scored their 4th to go 3-2 up, and the Barnhill keeper produced his second save in four attempts to stop Forthill's 4th. Game over and Barnhill celebrated in a heap, but were quickly up to shake the hands of the Forthill team. An excellent game played in sporting fashion throughout - both schools should be proud of their players.
CLEPINGTON MOVE AHEAD IN SECTION C
Tues 14 May - With both teams on full points in Arab Trust DFCSS Section C something had to give when Claypotts Castle took on Clepington. The two teams had met quite recently in the Thomson Cup 1st Round and there was nothing between them that day as the 2-2 draw was only decided in Claypotts Castle's favour in a penalty shoot-out.
So Clepington were looking to make up for their cup exit with a win in the Section C top of the table clash. For most of the game there was nothing to separate the teams - even the colours were so close that Claypotts Castle had to put on bibs to distinguish themselves from their opponents. In the opening quarter the only difference in play was a coat of paint as Clepington hit both the right post and the left post within a couple of moments. Claypotts Castle's keeper also produced a good save to thwart a Clepington attack but it was a fairly even half and the Clepington keeper also had the pluck the ball out of the air to prevent the home team going in front. But at halftime it was 0-0.
After the break it was more of the same as Clepington hit the right post again. Clepington were looking dangerous and just when it seemed like there might not be any goals Clepington lobbed the ball delicately over the keeper and under the bar, 0-1. Play swung from end to end and Claypotts Castle had a late chance to snatch a draw when they were awarded a free kick out on the left - the free kick was well struck but it bounced off the top of the bar and out for a goal kick. The final whistle blew a couple of minutes later and Clepington's lobbed goal was enough to take full points and make up somewhat for the cup exit.
JUNIOR SPORTS CUP DOUBLE TO FINISH THE TERM
Thur 28 Mar - The frequent snow and low temperatures throughout March did their best to kill off football but the term ended with two excellent games in the Junior Sports Cup.
The last of the 1st Round games took place at Sidlaw View where the visitors SS Peter & Paul struck early to go two up but Sidlaw View replied with a goal of their own to trail 2-1. SS Peter & Paul were not flustered by conceding a goal and soon regained their two goal lead. The yellows took control of the game and three goals in the second quarter looked to have the game sewn up by halftime with a 6-1 lead.
Going up the slope after the break SS Peter & Paul struggled to make any headway and Sidlaw View matched their visitors in every department. After the free-scoring first half defences were on top for the first ten minutes of the second half. Then Sidlaw View started to make a game of it with a good finish which had the home support cheering. The fans were even more delighted when the home team scored another soon after to leave the visitors leading 6-3. SS Peter & Paul eventually found their second wind and created several attacks in an attempt to clinch the game and in so doing scored twice to put the result beyond doubt with an 8-3 win.
The second half ended equal with both teams scoring two goals, so it was thanks to the first half performance that SS Peter & Paul ran out winners and now take on Craigowl in the 2nd Round.
The late kick-off was at Gillies Park in a 2nd Round tie between Barnhill and Birkhill. What a game! Nobody was leaving early in this one. After the opening exchanges Barnhill looked to be in control and twice in a minute hit the bar and post. But instead of being two up Barnhill suddenly found themselves trailing as Birkhill went up the park right after their close shaves and scored, 0-1 (10m). A mix-up in the Barnhill defence five minutes later was punished by the alert Birkhill team who beat the keeper to double the lead, 0-2 (15m). Barnhill fought back well and fired a 20 yard shot which the visiting keeper tipped away for a corner.
The play was end to end, Birkhill good on the break, but Barnhill trying their best to get on the scoresheet by forcing a couple of corners. After yet another corner Barnhill hit the frame of the goal for the 3rd time as a shot clipped the top of the bar. Four minutes from halftime the home team finally got one on target, a fierce shot from the left beating the Birkhill keeper, 1-2 (21m).
The second half continued in the same vein with both sides going all out. Seven minutes after the restart Barnhill could have had a free kick just outside the box following a foul but the referee allowed advantage which then petered out. Birkhill then won a corner which the keeper saved. With no real goal threat in the 3rd quarter the game turned quickly with just over 10 minutes to go. Birkhill ran through the centre of the home defence and shot wide of the keeper to increase their lead and give themselves what seemed to be a good cushion, 1-3 (38m).
Barnhill had other ideas and within two minutes were level. As Birkhill looked to score a fourth, Barnhill blocked the attack, went straight up the park and scored, 2-3 (39m). The home team went back on the attack immediately and a good attempt was saved with difficulty by the keeper who had to concede a corner. A downward header near the far post converted the corner into the equaliser, the bounce off the ground fooling the keeper, 3-3 (40m). Birkhill tried to regain their advantage with a free kick which the keeper punched away and a corner which was headed away, but there were no more goals so the game went into extra time.
Barnhill had other ideas and within two minutes were level. As Birkhill looked to score a fourth, Barnhill blocked the attack, went straight up the park and scored, 2-3 (39m). The home team went back on the attack immediately and a good attempt was saved with difficulty by the keeper who had to concede a corner. A downward header near the far post converted the corner into the equaliser, the bounce off the ground fooling the keeper, 3-3 (40m). Birkhill tried to regain their advantage with a free kick which the keeper punched away and a corner which was headed away, but there were no more goals so the game went into extra time.
The first half of extra time was a whirlwind of action. Two minutes in, Birkhill struck a free kick which the keeper saved. A minute later the keeper was out of luck as Birkhill broke through the middle and the shot just managed to beat the keeper to give Birkhill the lead again, 3-4 (53m). Barnhill replied immediately with a shot from outside the box which deflected off a defender and looped over the keeper for the equaliser, 4-4 (54m). Now with their tails up, Barnhill went for goal again and a strong run through the defence was matched by a fierce shot which gave Birkhill's keeper no chance, 5-4 (55m).
Three goals in three minutes, tremendous entertainment, and Barnhill were now ahead for the first time in the match. The second half of extra time did not add any more to the scoresheet, and Barnhill held on to earn a 3rd Round game away to Ancrum Road. Handshakes all round at the end of the game, played in good spirit and a superb spectacle for the good crowd. After almost months out because of the long winter, football returned with a vengeance.
WINTER BREAK OVER - ST.FERGUS AND ST.CLEMENT'S SERVE UP AN EIGHT-GOAL THRILLER
Wed 20 Feb - After many postponements because of the weather over the winter St.Fergus and St.Clement's played the first Primary game of 2013 on a chilly day at St.Fergus.
The pitch was in reasonable condition though the goalmouths were a little muddy. The home team took a grip of the game right from the kick-off with a strong run down the inside left and a thunderous shot from outside the box which gave the St.Clement's keeper no chance, 1-0 (1m). St.Clement's steadied themselves and worked their way back into the game - it was no surprise when they drew level soon after, 1-1 (6m).
For the rest of the first half both sides probed their opponents' defence but without success and it looked like it would be all square at the break - but three minutes from halftime St.Clement's went into the lead with a right-foot shot from the edge of the box, 1-2 (22m) and a minute later another shot beat the St.Fergus keeper's right hand to give the visitors a good lead, 1-3 (23m).
ST.CLEMENT'S GO 2-1 UP (above) AND ADD A THIRD (below)
St.Fergus came back strongly in the second half and soon wiped out the deficit. Two minutes in and a clever lob over the keeper's head brought St.Fergus right back into it, 2-3 (27m), and they drew level with a shot from outside the box which caught the keeper rooted in the mud and bounced in low at his left-hand post, 3-3 (34m). St.Clement's were not overawed and regrouped to good effect.
Five minutes after conceding the equaliser St.Clement's regained the lead with a jinking run through the middle followed by a square pass which was knocked back across the keeper, 3-4 (39m).
Almost the same move five minutes later produced the same result, with the St.Fergus keeper outnumbered two-to-one and St.Clement's able to tap the ball over the line, 3-5 (44m).
St.Clement's looked for more in the final minutes but St.Fergus withstood the pressure. An excellent contest to liven up a chilly day.
Final score : St.Fergus 3 St.Clement's 5
Final score : St.Fergus 3 St.Clement's 5
ST.FERGUS (MAROON) v. ST.CLEMENT'S (NAVY) IN THE DFCSS ARAB TRUST SMALL SCHOOLS LEAGUE
MID-NOVEMBER ROUND-UP : DOWNFIELD v. ST.JOSEPH'S, CAMPERDOWN v. ROSEBANK, ST.JOSEPH'S v. ST.MARY'S
A number of games took place in the middle of November before the weather turned colder and forced games to be cancelled.
A chilly Friday afternoon at Charlotte Street saw Downfield take on St.Joseph's in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A. It was the first game of the season for St.Joseph's and they emerged with a win after a close game. The game started a bit late so the dark was already gathering at the kick-off. In a real end-to-end game played in front of a good crowd St.Joseph's took the lead but Downfield came back to equalise. Nobody was leaving early despite the cold (unless they were going to get night-vision goggles), and midway through an exciting second half St.Joseph's scored again. Downfield fought hard for an equaliser but it was not to be, and St.Joseph's held on to win 2-1. One of the best games of the season so far.
MID-NOVEMBER ROUND-UP : DOWNFIELD v. ST.JOSEPH'S, CAMPERDOWN v. ROSEBANK, ST.JOSEPH'S v. ST.MARY'S
A number of games took place in the middle of November before the weather turned colder and forced games to be cancelled.
A chilly Friday afternoon at Charlotte Street saw Downfield take on St.Joseph's in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A. It was the first game of the season for St.Joseph's and they emerged with a win after a close game. The game started a bit late so the dark was already gathering at the kick-off. In a real end-to-end game played in front of a good crowd St.Joseph's took the lead but Downfield came back to equalise. Nobody was leaving early despite the cold (unless they were going to get night-vision goggles), and midway through an exciting second half St.Joseph's scored again. Downfield fought hard for an equaliser but it was not to be, and St.Joseph's held on to win 2-1. One of the best games of the season so far.
DOWNFIELD (PURPLE) WITH A LATE FREE KICK AGAINST ST.JOSEPH'S (YELLOW) AS DARKNESS DESCENDS
The day before saw the return of Rosebank to league action after a few years out. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the players who took the field at Charleston to play Camperdown in the DFCSS Arab Trust Small Schools League. It did take them a while to adjust to the pace of Camperdown but Rosebank kept their heads up and finished with a couple of goals to make the final score Camperdown 7 Rosebank 2.
The day before saw the return of Rosebank to league action after a few years out. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the players who took the field at Charleston to play Camperdown in the DFCSS Arab Trust Small Schools League. It did take them a while to adjust to the pace of Camperdown but Rosebank kept their heads up and finished with a couple of goals to make the final score Camperdown 7 Rosebank 2.
ROSEBANK CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON
AN INTERESTED SPECTATOR
CAMPERDOWN (WHITE) v. ROSEBANK (BLACK / LIGHT BLUE) IN THE DFCSS ARAB TRUST SMALL SCHOOLS LEAGUE
The following week St.Joseph's played the local derby against St.Mary's in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A and won 5-0. St.Joseph's played with confidence and took their chances, but the game was a lot closer than the score suggests - St.Mary's played well and were unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. St.Joseph's have made a good start to their league campaign, but St.Mary's will look forward to their next outing, with hopefully less mud in the goalmouths.
The following week St.Joseph's played the local derby against St.Mary's in DFCSS Arab Trust Section A and won 5-0. St.Joseph's played with confidence and took their chances, but the game was a lot closer than the score suggests - St.Mary's played well and were unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. St.Joseph's have made a good start to their league campaign, but St.Mary's will look forward to their next outing, with hopefully less mud in the goalmouths.
ST.JOSEPH'S (YELLOW) JUST MISS A CHANCE AS THE BALL CROSSES THE ST.MARY'S GOALMOUTH
(The keeper balances delicately on the dry line just behind the mudpool)
FIRST HALF BLITZ SEALS HILLSIDE VICTORY
Tues 13 Nov - Hillside hit 5 goals in 9 minutes in the second quarter to take full points against St.Mary's.
(The keeper balances delicately on the dry line just behind the mudpool)
FIRST HALF BLITZ SEALS HILLSIDE VICTORY
Tues 13 Nov - Hillside hit 5 goals in 9 minutes in the second quarter to take full points against St.Mary's.
The game opened with both sides having an early chance but Hillside soon took control and St.Mary's struggled to make any headway.
St.Mary's defended well against the Hillside attacks for the first part of the match, but the pressure was relentless and it was only a matter of time.
St.Mary's defended well against the Hillside attacks for the first part of the match, but the pressure was relentless and it was only a matter of time.
Hillside took the lead in the 14th minute from an acute angle on the right which caught the keeper out at his near post, 0-1.
Two minutes later Hillside doubled their advantage with a shot which crept between the keeper's legs and just over the line, 0-2 (16m).
Another two minutes and another goal. Hillside attacked down the right and St.Mary's had to give away a free kick on the edge of the box near the bye-line. It was close to being a penalty, but Hillside cut the ball back from the bye-line and the shot beat the keeper anyway, 0-3 (18m).
There was a slight respite before Hillside grabbed two in a minute. A firm shot from the edge of the area seemed to be covered by the keeper but it hit a luckless defender and deflected into the goal, 0-4 (22m). Not helped by the muddy conditions in the goalmouth and their eagerness to pull something back, St.Mary's gave the ball away with a poor goal-kick which covered some distance but went to the wrong player and Hillside returned the gift into an empty net, 0-5 (23m).
There was a slight respite before Hillside grabbed two in a minute. A firm shot from the edge of the area seemed to be covered by the keeper but it hit a luckless defender and deflected into the goal, 0-4 (22m). Not helped by the muddy conditions in the goalmouth and their eagerness to pull something back, St.Mary's gave the ball away with a poor goal-kick which covered some distance but went to the wrong player and Hillside returned the gift into an empty net, 0-5 (23m).
If the St.Mary's keeper had lost his concentration for the moment with the fifth goal, he more than made up for it just before the halftime whistle. Hillside launched a high ball from far out which was dropping under the bar, seemingly for a certain sixth goal, before the keeper got back to make a fantastic save, tipping the ball over the bar.
Halftime : St.Mary's 0 Hillside 5
Halftime : St.Mary's 0 Hillside 5
Perhaps it was not quite the proverbial game of two halves, but St.Mary's matched Hillside throughout the second half and made a real game of it. The Hillside defence and keeper had had little to do in the first half but now it was time to get the shirts dirty. St.Mary's nearly pulled one back with a fierce strike which went narrowly past.
Hillside still had most of the pressure but their attacks were now being defended well by St.Mary's. With nine minutes left St.Mary's broke from defence and outpaced the Hillside cover through the middle to score from just inside the area, 1-5 (41m).
ST.MARY'S (SKY / NAVY) PULL A GOAL BACK
Hillside then broke down the left and forced a good save from the keeper, a defender clearing for a corner. St.Mary's won a corner at the other end which swung in dangerously but nobody could connect. With defences now coping well with the conditions Hillside were restricted to a long-range shot which the keeper dived to tip away for a corner.
Hillside then broke down the left and forced a good save from the keeper, a defender clearing for a corner. St.Mary's won a corner at the other end which swung in dangerously but nobody could connect. With defences now coping well with the conditions Hillside were restricted to a long-range shot which the keeper dived to tip away for a corner.
The final whistle brought an end to an entertaining second half, full marks to St.Mary's for not letting their heads go down after Hillside's first-half onslaught.
Final score : St.Mary's 1 Hillside 5
Final score : St.Mary's 1 Hillside 5
ST.MARY'S (SKY / NAVY) v. HILLSIDE (BLUE / YELLOW) IN DFCSS ARAB TRUST SECTION A
CRACKING OPENER IN THE DFCSS ARAB TRUST SMALL SCHOOLS LEAGUE
Fri 14 Sept - The opening league match of the season took place on a sunny afternoon at Sidlaw View where the home team took on Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) in the DFCSS Arab Trust Small Schools League.
CRACKING OPENER IN THE DFCSS ARAB TRUST SMALL SCHOOLS LEAGUE
Fri 14 Sept - The opening league match of the season took place on a sunny afternoon at Sidlaw View where the home team took on Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) in the DFCSS Arab Trust Small Schools League.
Both teams were glad to be kicking a ball again and Sidlaw View took an early lead with a fierce shot into the roof of the net in the 3rd minute. Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) replied a minute later with a low shot inside the near post to equalise for 1-1. The visitors looked to take the lead but the home keeper saved on the ground.
After this early flurry of goals the game settled down to a good end-to-end contest. With 18 minutes gone Sidlaw View went back in front with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box, 2-1. Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) rallied again and within two minutes were back level with a goal on the break, 2-2. The visitors could have gone ahead just before halftime when a shot bounced back off the bar, but the rebound was hit high over the bar.
Halftime : Sidlaw View 2 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 2
Halftime : Sidlaw View 2 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 2
The game continued in the same vein after the break, with both sides having chances but both keepers doing their best to keep the strikers at bay. Sidlaw View had a good chance which produced a good save from the keeper then Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) applied the pressure, forcing corners on both sides of the field which led to a good strike from the edge of the area to give the visitors the lead for the first time, 2-3 (36m).
Five minutes later Sidlaw View fired in a long-range shot which beat the keeper's right hand to even the score at 3-3, (41m). The best chance towards the end of the game fell to Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) who smacked the bar for the second time with two minutes left. Sidlaw View went on the attack in the last minute in an attempt to score a winner, but the visitors defended well before the final whistle sounded.
CAMPERDOWN (CHARLESTON-LOCHEE) IN WHITE GO 3-2 UP
Honours even, handshakes all round, a really exciting match with some great goals to open the Primary season.
Final score : Sidlaw View 3 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3
Honours even, handshakes all round, a really exciting match with some great goals to open the Primary season.
Final score : Sidlaw View 3 Camperdown (Charleston-Lochee) 3
SIDLAW VIEW (RED / BLACK) CELEBRATE THE EQUALISER FOR 3-3 v. CAMPERDOWN (CHARLESTON-LOCHEE)
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