WHAT’S NEW

In the league Dave Butler moved closer to Tom Burns and Colin Day with two wins tonight. An expected convincing win over Kenny Jones was preceded by a narrow 1-0 victory over Craig Lynch. Butler is now only 4 points behind Burns but with 5 games in hand. This was the only goal Lynch conceded in his four games and the 7 points gained moved him five places up the league.

 

 

Lynch	2	0	Jones
Gladman	3	0	Halpin
Butler	1	0	Lynch
Phee	0	5	Burns
Lynch	0	0	Berry
Jones	0	6	Butler
Halpin	0	3	Day
Lynch	1	0	Halpin

 

In the Glasgow Cup, Colin Berry edged out Martin Phee in a close encounter. All 4 players now have 3 points with Phee leading on goal difference. Having played all his games, however, Phee now has to rely on Berry beating both Dave Houston and Kenny Jones if he is to qualify.

 

Berry

1

0

Phee

 

 

Kenny Jones achieved his best result to date with a 1-0 win over Dave Houston in the Glasgow Cup. In truth Houston had sufficient chances to win comfortably but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept the Jones goal intact. With only a minute remaining on the clock Jones broke swiftly down the left and shot powerfully into the Houston net. This result opened up the group and after Martin Phee defeated Jones 4-1 all three players were on three points. Colin Berry is yet to play. Also in the Glasgow Cup Tom Burns beat John Halpin but not by enough to prevent Willie Fleming winning the group on goal difference. Needing 7 goals Burns led 3-0 at half-time but could only manage two further goals after the break.

 

Glasgow Cup

 

Jones	1	0	Houston
Phee	4	1	Jones
Burns	5	0	Halpin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Houston fared much better in his league match against Colin Day. Houston went ahead in the first minute of the game. Day’s undefeated record in all competitions looked in serious doubt but he was able to equalise with five minutes remaining. Day had earlier defeated Tom Burns to establish himself as firm favourite to finish runner-up to Dave Butler. Dave Gladman moved into third place in the league after defeating Martin Phee 2-1. Gladman dominated the first half to lead 2-0 but Phee came back strongly in the second half to keep the outcome in doubt.

 

It was a somewhat disappointing turn-out of only 7 players when more had been expected. Willie Fleming and Craig Lynch had both indicated they would be coming. In the run-up to Christmas let us hope for improved attendance, particularly of those with league games to catch up.

 

League

 

Day	2	1	Burns
Houston	1	1	Day
Gladman	2	1	Phee

Only five players attended but it was an opportunity for Andrea Andreoni to catch up on some league matches. He started against Martin Phee who proved a difficult opponent. Andreoni had most of the attack but could only win by a solitary goal.

 

 

 

 

Next up was league leader Tom Burns who spent most of the first half camped in the Andreoni shooting area. Incredibly, however, it was Andreoni who led 1-0 at half time, scoring with the second of his two shots. Delight turned to despair in the second half as Burns at last converted pressure into goals. It was, perhaps, a tired Andreoni who then faced Dave Gladman. Gladman scored early and Andreoni found himself chasing the game. Gladman, exploiting the space as his opponent came forward, added two more goals before Andreoni scored a consolation with the last kick of the ball.

 

 

 

 

 

Andreoni	1	0	Phee
Burns	3	1	Andreoni
Andreoni	1	3	Gladman

 

In the Glasgow Cup, Colin Day ran out 3-1 winner against Dave Gladman. All the goals came in the second half. The first goal was always going to be crucial. Right at the start of the second period Gladman missed an open goal with a snatched shot but two minutes later Day was ahead after creating space on the left of the Gladman defence. It looked all over when Day added a second but Gladman got back into the game at 2-1. Hope was short-lived, however, with Day taking advantage of defensive gaps to score his third. Gladman must now defeat Dave Butler if he is to qualify.

 

Day

3

1

Gladman

 

Only four games were played this evening and three involved Willie Fleming. First up was a match against Colin Day. Fleming led at half-time courtesy of a penalty after the ball had struck Day’s hand as Fleming shot for goal. It was probably a lead that Fleming deserved. It looked as if Fleming would take all three points but Day found an equaliser with only two minutes remaining. Fleming next played Dave Butler and once again Fleming was deserving of his first half lead after finding the net from a difficult angle. Only a minute into the second half, however,  Butler was level. Thereafter Fleming could not get back to the level of his first half play. Although the rest of the match was fairly even, it was Butler who was able to find the winner. Butler also defeated Dave Gladman. Gladman was deflated when Butler took the lead in the final minute of the first half. After this the outcome of the match was not in doubt and Butler added a second before the end.

 

Fleming	1	1	Day
Gladman	0	2	Butler
Butler	2	1	Fleming

 

 

 

In the Glasgow Cup Willie Fleming ensured qualification with a 6-0 win over John Halpin. Tom Burns will have to better this score against Halpin if he is to win the group.

 

Fleming

6

0

Halpin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nine players attended on a very wet night in Glasgow. Tom Burns got back on the winning trail with a convincing victory over Dave Houston. Colin Day, still with three games in hand reduced Burns’ lead to six points. Day lost his first goal of the season but managed to defeat Barry Corr 2-1. Day scored two first half goals with two incisive moves through the centre of the Corr defence. Corr pulled one back in the second half but Day’s measured approach ensured all three points. Day, however, was held to a goal-less draw by Dave Gladman. Both players had chances and although Day had a little more of the play, a draw was probably a fair result. Earlier, Gladman had defeated Colin Berry. An excellent first half performance put Gladman two goals to the good but in a more even second half, Berry was unlucky not to pull a goal back. Willie Fleming returned to action and two victories against John Halpin and Martin Phee moved him six places up the league.

 

 

Day	2	1	Corr
Fleming	3	0	Halpin
Phee	0	2	Fleming
Houston	0	4	Burns
Berry	0	2	Gladman
Houston	0	0	Berry
Gladman	0	0	Day

 

 

The evening also saw the start of Glasgow Cup action. In Group 1 Houston, using flats, got the better of Martin Phee whilst in Group 2 Burns and Fleming played out an ill-tempered goal-less draw.

 

Group 1

 

Phee

0

1

Houston

 

Group 2

 

Burns

0

0

Fleming

 

 

 

Tom Burns’ title hopes received a severe blow tonight when he went down 2-1 to Barry Corr. But it was a game which Burns should never have lost. In the first half he peppered the Corr goal with numerous shots. Even with an open goal gaping, Burns contrived to hit Corr’s goalkeeping rod, the ball spinning for a corner. Burns continued to dominate in the second half but Corr scored with his first shot of the game. It was an acute angled shot from the attacker’s right hand touch-line. Burns’ keeper should have done better and it was reminiscent of a goal Burns conceded to Willie Fleming a couple of weeks ago.  Burns equalised only to concede the winner a short time later. Corr had three shots in total but two goals scored! Corr didn’t have the same fortune against Dave Gladman. Corr dominated but had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Gladman did, however, gift Corr his goal, letting a trundling effort into the net. This was one of several defensive errors made by Gladman but Corr was unable to capitalise on the others.

 

 

 

Dave Houston moved eight places up the league after three wins against Kenny Jones, John Halpin and Martin Phee against whom he had to come from behind to win 2-1. Phee led 1-0 at half-time after scoring with a spectacular long-range effort.

 

 

 

The pressure is now on Burns to defeat Dave Butler in both their matches and still hope that Butler drops points elsewhere. Perhaps Colin Day is now the player with the best chance of taking the crown from the reigning champion.

Craig Lynch made his second visit from Edinburgh and gained his first points to lift himself off the bottom of the table. A draw with Martin Phee and an impressive 1-0 win over Ronnie McKenzie moved Lynch five places up the league. A derby match between McKenzie and Colin Berry ended, as this match so often does, in stalemate. Colin Day, returning from his US tour, continued his excellent start to the season. He has now played seven, has yet to concede a goal and lies nicely in second place. Tom Burns continues to make the pace and is now seven points clear, although  Day has three games in hand. Tonight’s attendance was eight. Hopefully, as winter approaches we will see a sustained improvement in this figure.

 

 

 

 

Bari	0	4	Day
Lynch	0	4	Burns
Phee	1	1	Lynch
Berry	1	1	McKenzie
Lynch	1	0	McKenzie
Burns	6	0	Berry