Category: Glasgow

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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Willie Fleming now looks favourite for the runner-up spot after he drew level on points with Tom Burns tonight. Both lie seven points behind Malcolm Lees. Fleming still has his sights set on the title but even if he defeats Lees in their remaining league match he would still be four points adrift. He must rely on others taking points from Lees. Unfortunately for Fleming those most likely to do this, Dave Butler, Barry Corr and Colin Day look as if they will withdraw from the league. It might be argued that Fleming is returning to the form which saw him become Glasgow’s number one many years ago. Fleming’s game is built on a sound defence which is the best in the league. After 16 games his goals against column is still in single figures. Tonight he demonstrated that solid defence again, with no goals conceded in victories over Burns and Ronnie McKenzie. He was able to severely limit his opponents’ chances and also to score at critical times. Against McKenzie few chances were created by either player but Fleming cruelly exploited a poor block flick to score the only goal of the game. Against Burns, after a goal-less first half, Fleming showed winning mentality to come out on top.

Ronnie McKenzie had few chances against Fleming and it had been the same story when he played Dave Houston earlier, in their first encounter of the season. If Fleming has single figures in his goals against column, Houston is still in single figures in his goals for column and so it remained after tonight. It is interesting that half of Houston’s league goals have been against Dave Gladman.

What a night it was for Fraser McKenzie! He hasn’t been able to get many points on the board but his games have certainly been much more competitive than last season. First tonight, he managed a 1-1 draw with Dave Gladman. McKenzie’s formation was reminiscent of those of Craig Levein but it proved to be effective. Gladman did dominate this match and had more than enough opportunities to win comfortably but it was McKenzie who took his chance to lead 1-0 at half-time. An excellent pick up from distance created the opportunity and he made no mistake. Eventually Gladman found an equaliser, a difficult shot after missing much easier chances. Then came McKenzie’s shock victory over Tom Burns. The match was not without controversy as Burns thought he’d found the net with the ball passing right through the goal. The referee did not see it that way and could not give the goal. Burns, perhaps still despondent after losing to Willie Fleming, allowed this to distract him from focussing on winning the game. It was joy for McKenzie, however, as he recorded the best win of his career.

League

Fleming	2	0	Burns
Houston	0	0	R McKenzie
F McKenzie	1	1	Gladman
Fleming	1	0	R McKenzie
Burns	0	1	F McKenzie

 

 

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Malcolm Lees took a step closer to the league title with a 4-2 victory over John Halpin. Lees had a narrow 1-0 lead after a first half in which Halpin felt unlucky to be behind. The second half saw a glut of goals in a short period. Lees showed clinical finishing to go ahead 2 then 3 nil. Halpin pulled one back only to immediately lose a fourth. Halpin scored again and that was the end of the scoring. Lees has a very good scoring rate to shots at goal, an area which Halpin must seek to improve.

Dave Houston re-started his league campaign with three matches tonight but only emerged with one point. His first match was against Willie Fleming and in truth Fleming was never in trouble after he opened the scoring although he could only find the net once more. Next up for Houston was Dave Gladman and it was Houston who took a one goal lead into half-time after exploiting a large gap in the centre of the Gladman defence. It was a determined Gladman who dominated possession in the second half and who eventually found an equaliser. Houston’s third match ended in defeat to Colin Berry but it was a match he really shouldn’t have lost.

One match took place in the Woodend Handicap Cup. Colin Berry started one goal ahead of Willie Fleming but he was not able to retain that lead. Two goals from Fleming were enough to see him into the semi-finals.

League

Fleming	2	0	Houston
Lees	4	2	Halpin
Gladman	1	1	Houston
Berry	1	0	Houston

 

Woodend Handicap Cup

Berry

1

2

Fleming

 

 

 

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Only four players braved Storm Henry to attend the club tonight. One league and one cup match took place. In the league it was a big match, a title decider perhaps between Malcolm Lees and Tom Burns. Certainly it was a match which Tom Burns really had to win. Burns started with intent, he would take the game to Lees. It’s a style which we have come to expect from Burns. The purpose of the game according to Burns is to score goals and that means attack. Burns fully deserved his half-time 1-0 lead and perhaps he was unfortunate not to be further ahead. There was a lot of tension and the match was littered with simple errors with many moves unecessarily breaking down. The second half was more even but Burns attacking style will always give his opponents opportunities to score and Lees was able to take one of those opportunities. Burns poured forward trying to find that all important winner but it was not to be. Both matches between these two players have ended 1-1. It is their matches against others players which have decided the championship. Burns has dropped points to five other players, Lees only two.

The first action in this season’s Association Cup also took place tonight. But this match will have to be played again as neither Dave Gladman nor John Halpin were able to find the net. This was not an exciting 0-0 draw. A game of frequent errors it was fought out in midfield where neither player was able to find any fluency. With sixteen draws between them in the league so far it is surely not surprising that this game also ended in stalemate.

 

League

Burns

1

1

Lees

 

Association Cup

Gladman

0

0

Halpin

 

 

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The last time Tom Burns faced Colin Berry he swept to a 6-0 victory. Tonight, however, it was a completely different story. It was the Woodend Handicap Cup (Holder, Baver Bari) and Berry had the benefit of a 2-0 start against the league champion. Burns started with aggression but it was Berry who had the best chance in the early stages, a chance which he failed to take. For the rest of the half Burns continued to press but most of his opportunities came from wide angles. But Berry was dangerous on the break and he scorned two further really good chances. The second half continued in the same vein but as the game wore on more errors began to creep into Burns’ game. As the tension mounted dubious decision making by Berry began putting him under more pressure and finally Burns found the net but with only just over a minute remaining. Berry kicked off and managed to hold possession until the final whistle blew. On Burns Night it wasn’t Burns’ night. It was a fine victory for Berry who now faces Willie Fleming in the next round.

Up until tonight John Halpin has had seven draws in the league. He was still searching for his first league win. One of those draws was against Willie Fleming who was Halpin’s opponent again this evening. Fleming dominated the first half but could not find the net. Halpin was much better in the second and mid-way through he took the lead. There was some controversy around the goal with Fleming not convinced that the ball had fully entered the shooting area. The referee, however, was adamant that the ball had indeed crossed the line. Time was running out as Fleming pressed for an equaliser. It looked as if Halpin would record his first league victory but with only FIVE SECONDS remaining Fleming scored! Seven draws had become eight for the dejected Halpin.

Before tonight Fleming had the belief that he was still in the title race but two points dropped to Halpin did not help his cause. His title aspirations were dealt a further blow when he dropped two more points, this time against Dave Gladman. This was a slow tactical game played in the middle of the park with few shots on goal. Fleming though, did take the lead but was pegged back only a couple of minutes later. Thereafter neither player was able to create any further chances.

Prior to Colin Berry’s epic match against Tom Burns, he played in the league against Dave Gladman. As Gladman struggled to find any rhythm to his game, it was Berry who dominated the first half and it was he who took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Gladman started the second period with much more purpose and soon drew level. It looked as if it would be a share of the spoils but Berry missed an easy ball just outside his own shooting area. Gladman was quick to capitalise and the three points were his.

League

Halpin	1	1	Fleming
Berry	1	2	Gladman
Gladman	1	1	Fleming

 

Woodend Handicap Cup

Berry

2

1

Burns

 

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