WHAT’S NEW

Tom Burns returned to the top of the league tonight, two points ahead of Malcolm Lees but having played a game more. Burns’ game against Baver Bari has a convincing scoreline of 7-2. But Bari twice led in this match. He was ahead 2-1 with only a couple of minutes remaining of the first half but two quick goals by Burns turned this game. If Bari had held his lead until the break the outcome might have been different. As it was Burns started the second half in confident mood, Bari lost focus and fell apart. With Lees not playing tonight the win was enough for Burns to go top.

Baver Bari had earlier lost out to John Halpin by 3-0. Bari gifted two of the goals to his opponent by twice losing possession with his kicking goalkeeper. He too often loses his way through lack of concentration. Halpin, on the other hand, looks as if he may be a contender at the top of the table. He moves up to third and victory in his games in hand over Lees and Burns would see him go top.

Barry Corr had his first league victories, grabbing six points. His first match was a tough contest against Colin Berry. It took until two minutes from the end for the deadlock to be broken by Corr. Corr had had a number of chances but was not able to take them. For Berry it was the final ball which let him down. Several opportunities were squandered as he couldn’t quite set up clear chances. Corr had no such difficulties against John Mathieson. Mathieson has had some good results and performances since he began in the league but he had no answer to Corr tonight.

Berry did add another point to his total with a 0-0 draw with Dave Gladman. Gladman dominated possession and created numerous chances but poor shooting, the woodwork and the Berry goalkeeper prevented him finding the net. Berry was therefore always in the match but as in the Corr match couldn’t quite fashion the chance which might have snatched victory.

League Results

Bari	0	3	Halpin
Berry	0	1	Corr
Corr	5	0	Mathieson
Burns	7	2	Bari
Berry	0	0	Gladman

 

The draw was made for the Glasgow Cup and full details can be found by clicking here.

 

On Glasgow’s September weekend Monday only five players attended and only five games were played. Malcolm Lees picked up six points after scoring eleven goals. John Mathieson played Lees in the Scottish Circuit and went down 6-0. His target tonight was to improve on that scoreline. This didn’t look likely at half-time when he trailed 4-0. A better second half performance limited Lees to only 2 more goals so no better, but no worse than their previous encounter.

Baver Bari began his league campaign tonight and got off to an excellent start. His first match was against Dave Houston and although Houston had most possession and matched Bari for chances it was Bari who was more deadly in front of goal. Indeed the Houston goal was a result of Bari’s kicking goalkeeper losing the ball. That brought Houston back into the game at 2-1 but only a couple of minutes later Bari sealed the win with a third goal. There then followed another great victory for Bari, this time over Dave Gladman. Bari was really focussed in this match, making excellent distance pick-ups and diplaying fine shooting. Gladman dominated the game and should have had better return for the chances he created. Twice, however, Bari took the lead only to be pegged back. At 2-2 Gladman was determined to take all three points and he committed men forward. But the resulting defensive gaps were exploited by Bari and he fired home the winner with only a minute remaining.

If Bari had been properly focussed in his first two matches he lost concentration in his third in a surprising defeat to John Mathieson. But this was a deserved victory for Mathieson, his first in the league. It is a measure of how far he has come in a short period of time. Mathieson did the damage in the first half when he led 2-0. Bari was better in the second period but he couldn’t quite pull it back.

Malcolm Lees had two draws in his first three matches but tonight he was well and truly back on the winning trail. Dave Houston fared little better than John Mathieson as he lost five goals without reply. Lees gave his opponents punishing lessons on how to create and score goals. As well as improving his goal difference Lees’ wins take him to the top of the table with Burns one point behind.

League Results

Lees	6	0	Mathieson
Bari	3	1	Houston
Gladman	2	3	Bari
Houston	0	5	Lees
Bari	1	2	Mathieson

 

 

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Seven players attended the second night of the season with Dave Houston beginning his league campaign. Five of the seven players had played in the first Scottish Circuit the previous day in Monifieth, when Tom Burns and John Halpin had finished second and fourth respectively.

John Mathieson also had done well in Monifeith, recording a 5-0 win against fellow newcomer, Dave Minty and a 1-1 draw with Dave Gladman. Tonight he was again pitched against Gladman and once again performed well. It took Gladman until the beginning of the second half to take the lead and that was to be the end of the scoring. Mathieson had to absorb a lot of pressure but he block flicked well, had good possession and created a couple of good opportunities. But Mathieson didn’t have to wait long to get his first point on the board. Dave Houston often switches his team and tonight he elected to play with flats. He had only scored 8 goals in his league campaign last season and after his first three games tonight he is yet to find the net. After the goal-less draw with Mathieson they each had a point to their credit.

Houston is a difficult opponent and playing against flats makes the opponent think differently about positional play. Houston was level with John Halpin at half-time but conceded three second half goals after Halpin had finally got the measure of the flats. In Houston’s third match against Tom Burns he successfully limited his opponent’s opportunities whilst creating a couple of chances himself. In the end it was a narrow but deserved win for Burns.

The evening proved a bit of a hangover for Burns after the previous day’s exploits as he dropped five points from his three matches. The first crucial encounter was against Malcolm Lees. Earlier in the evening Lees had defeated Barry Corr 4-2. Corr had competed well but at 2-2 had lost his way a bit and allowed Lees to get the victory. Against Burns Lees broke the deadlock early in the first half. It was a determined Burns who then made all the running but he could not find the net. When Lees made it 2-0 after the break things were looking bleak for Burns. Burns, however, did not change tactics as he powered forward even more and was rewarded with two goals which brought him level. It was a strategy full of risk but Lees was not able to exploit the sometimes large gaps in the Burns’ defence. Even at 2-2 Burns was still fully committed to attack but there were no more goals. Burns second match was against Dave Gladman. Gladman employed his usual tactics against Burns – keep the ball and frustrate the opponent and tonight it proved effective. Most of his play was careful and measured but it was a lightning thrust through the centre of the Burns defence that brought Gladman his goal in the first half. After that it was a case of keep possession. But in fact Burns probably had more possession and more opportunities than he usually has against Gladman. He could have scored, he would say should have scored but finally, he was left frustrated.

Is Gladman a contender for the title? After four games in which he has played Lees, Burns and Corr he has emerged with 8 points and no goals conceded. There’s no doubt that he can take points from the top players. But perhaps more indicative was his 1-0 victory over John Mathieson. Mathieson is a rapidly improving player but Gladman should really be winning such a match comfortably. Last season he could average scoring only one goal per game and half his games were drawn. He has lots of possession in a match but can’t translate that possession into goals.

Burns still leads the league (click here) on 10 points with Gladman second on 8.

Results

Lees	4	2	Corr
Gladman	1	0	Mathieson
Houston	0	3	Halpin
Burns	2	2	Lees
Houston	0	0	Mathieson
Gladman	1	0	Burns
Burns	1	0	Houston

 

 

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The start of the season was welcomed in by eight players at Woodend. It is hoped, however, that at least 14 players will compete in the league this season. Seven players got their league campaign underway whilst Willie Fleming, not yet match fit, didn’t play.

Tom Burns who lost the title to Malcolm Lees last season got off to a good start with two convincing wins. Scoring goals has rarely been a problem for Burns. Last season in the league he scored 3 or more goals in 9 of his matches. This season he can count 2 already. First a 4-2 victory over Colin Berry and then a 3-0 margin against John Halpin. Most were second half goals, Halpin keeping the scoreline blank until the interval and Berry conceding only one in the first period. Burns therefore takes an early lead in the league with 6 points to his name.

After this first night Malcolm Lees trails Tom Burns by 5 points but the league champion played only one match. Dave Gladman and Malcolm Lees played on the opening night last season. They drew that match 1-1 and they drew again tonight. Once again Gladman had most of the possession but Lees the better chances. This time, however, neither player could score. This also meant that Gladman had played an hour of subbuteo without scoring or indeed without conceding. Earlier he had played out a 0-0 draw with Barry Corr where a report on the match would be a carbon copy of the Lees game.

New recruit John Mathieson made his league debut tonight. Mathieson joined GTSA towards the end of last season and has made good progress since then. In his first match he did well losing narrowly to Colin Berry 2-1. Next opponent was John Halpin. In the first half Mathieson moved the ball around well, made good pick-ups from distance and created two excellent opportunities one of which rebounded off a post. He did, however, show naivety in defence and Halpin took one of the several chances he was given. In the second half Mathieson lost a bit of concentration as Halpin took control and ran out a 4-0 winner.

So after one night Burns leads the league (click here) on 6 points with Halpin and Berry next on 3.

Results

Corr	0	0	Gladman
Berry	2	1	Mathieson
Gladman	0	0	Lees
Burns	3	0	Halpin
Berry	2	4	Burns
Mathieson	0	4	Halpin

 

 

 

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Baver Bari moved into the semi-finals of the Woodend Handicap Cup with a crushing victory over Dave Gladman in their quarter-final replay. Bari opened the scoring in the opening minute with a shot which took Gladman by surprise. Now two goals behind Gladman proceeded to attack but despite creating numerous chances he could not find the net. Bari went on to take advantage of the gaps left in the Gladman defence and scored three further goals. Gladman’s single goal was only a consolation. Bari fully deserved his semi-final place.

It was an opportunity, now that his exams were finished, for Fraser McKenzie to catch up on his league games. His first match was against Colin Berry. Berry played well in the first half but came to regret that he only had a one goal lead at the interval. McKenzie came back to level in the second period. McKenzie then faced Baver Bari, fresh from his victory over Dave Gladman. After a goal-less first half the two players shared six second half goals and a share of the points. McKenzie was leading 3-2 in the final minute when he carelessly lost possession and allowed Bari to nab a probably deserved equaliser. Finally Fraser McKenzie played father Ronnie. Fraser dominated possession in this match and created a stack of chances but he could not score. Meanwhile father Ronnie gave his son a lesson on finishing with four well taken goals. Fraser was left wondering how he had lost this match, never mind by four goals to nil!

Woodend Handicap Cup

Bari

5

1

Gladman

 

League

F McKenzie	1	1	Berry
Bari	3	3	F McKenzie
F McKenzie	0	4	R McKenzie

 

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Barry Corr will almost certainly finish the league in at least fourth position. If he could win all his games in hand he would go above Tom Burns. Tonight an opportunity to really stake a claim was lost when he went down narrowly to Willie Fleming. Corr drew first blood in the match but Fleming managed an equaliser before half-time. Fleming scored the all-important winner with a quick shot on the run mid-way through the second half. Corr had doubts as to whether the ball had entered the shooting area but the referee was well-placed to rule. Near the end of the match Corr had further cause to question the referee who judged that a ball hadn’t crossed the shooting line when Corr was attacking. Fleming, however, once again joins Burns in second place but with two games in hand.

Barry Corr did win his second match, this time against John Halpin and so moves up to fifth place. Corr opened the scoring with a superb shot from long range before consolidating his lead with a second goal. Halpin pulled one back before half-time but that is where the scoring ended. This was the first match at the club to be filmed using ‘Periscope’ and drew an audience of two, Mark Farrell and Colin Tarry tuning in from England.

Barry Corr scores from distance

League

Fleming	2	1	Corr
Corr	2	1	Halpin

 

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Only three matces were played this evening, two in the league and one in the Association Cup. It is still mathematically possible for Malcolm Lees to be caught in the League Championship but that possibility became even more remote tonight with Lees’ victory over Barry Corr. Corr led in this match and had Lees at 3-3 but on conceding a fourth he seemed to concede the match. Lees hasn’t scored as many goals as Tom Burns this season but his shots to goals ratio is surely better.

Barry Corr certainly had no difficulty finding the net tonight, doing so a further six times against Colin Berry. Nine goals scored is a good return but seven goals conceded tells another story. The outcome of this match was never really in doubt. Each time Berry scored Corr immediately replied with another goal and so Berry was unable to get a proper foothold in the game and cause doubt to enter Corr’s mind. Corr’s loss to Lees probably means the best he can hope for is a fourth placed finish.

Next up for Colin Berry was another cup match against Tom Burns. This time he didn’t have the advantage of the two-goal lead which helped him to dump Burns out of the Woodend Handicap Cup. It was a determined Burns who started this match and it was a determination which Berry was not able to live with as he was crushed 4-0. Burns is the first player to reach the semi-finals of this competition.

League

Lees	4	3	Corr
Corr	6	3	Berry

Association Cup

Burns

4

0

Berry

 

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Only three matches went ahead this evening. Each match, however, was in a different competition. First up was an Association Cup replay between Dave Gladman and John Halpin. The first instalment ended in a goal-less draw but this time the fans enjoyed a six-goal thriller. Gladman took the lead but Halpin equalised with a fine shot on the run as he sliced through the centre of the Gladman defence. But Gladman was to better that goal when he took the lead seconds before half-time. Playing a corner from the right he smashed the moving ball into the far corner of the net from an acute angle. Spurred on by this he maintained good possession in the second period and scored twice from opportunities created. Halpin’s hopes were raised when he took advantage of Gladman’s spare ‘keeper losing the ball. But it was too little too late.

Next was a Woodend Handicap Cup encounter between Malcolm Lees and Ronnie McKenzie. McKenzie started with a two-goal advantage. Not long into the game Lees reduced the deficit to 2-1. Then Lees thought he had drawn level but the referee had spotted a free-kick, the attacking player just clipping one of his own players before shooting for goal. McKenzie’s hard work paid off as he equalised on the night to restore his two-goal cushion. But it was Lees who won out in the end as he scored three further goals without reply to win 4-3. There was a little controversy surrounding one of those goals when Lees, after an infringement by McKenzie, chose to play on and immediately fired home without McKenzie having time to react. Lees, however, was within his rights to do this. McKenzie has had good long periods of possession in many games this season. With the two-goal start it would have been ideal to employ this tactic but he never really did get command of the ball and Lees was able to score four goals.

Tom Burns finished fourth at the weekend’s Scottish Circuit 3 but he had lost his last two league matches at the club. He very nearly suffered a third defeat tonight but two goals in the last three minutes against Dave Gladman secured a win which he didn’t look like getting. Gladman played to his strengths in this match controlling the game with his short passing possession but it was a quick move on the stroke of half-time which put him ahead in this match. The second half continued in the same vein with Burns tending to rush his play when he did get possession. But Gladman in his quest to keep hold of the ball allowed his defence to get out of position. At last Burns was able to exploit a gap and score from a central position. With less than three minutes remaining the likelihood was that Gladman would not allow Burns another chance. But he gave away a careless free kick on the half-way line. As Burns played the ball forward Gladman still had the chance to snuff out a scoring chance but his block flick was poor and Burns pounced.

Tom Burns, therefore, has lost his league title to Malcolm Lees and in all probability he will be pushed into third place by Wille Fleming. Burns failed to defeat either of those players and that was a factor in his demise but of more significance was the unexpected loss of points to players further down the league. It is worth comparing Burns’ goals record this season with that of last year’s. There is little difference in the goals scored average but the goals conceded average has increased.

Once again Dave Gladman has failed to challenge at the top of the league. He was undefeated to both Malcolm Lees and Willie Fleming and only lost in the dying seconds this evening to Tom Burns. There have been ten draws in his league campaign. Gladman dominates possession in most of the games he plays but often he cannot convert that possession into goals. In part this is due to a poor shots to goals ratio but also because of a lack of opportunities created. Time for a change of tactics?

League

Burns

2

1

Gladman

Association Cup

Gladman

4

2

Halpin

Woodend Handicap Cup

Lees

4

3

R McKenzie

 

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