FIT FOR WHAT PURPOSE ?

TIFF IS NOW ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WINNING WAYS

One can never read too much into pre-season friendly matches as they tend to be typically tame stuff mainly because the competitive element borders on the risible as exemplified by Saturday’s 2-0 victory for St Cadocs over Kilwinning Rangers.

Saints boss Martin Fellowes locking dugout horns with his former East Kilbride F.C. mentor Chris “Tiff” Aitken had raised the prospect of this New Tinto Park encounter having a bit of added spice to it but none of the players taking part seemed to have got the memo.

The Referee ‘s role was minimal seeing as not a single tackle worthy of the name took place so for those watching on the 90 minutes was reduced to little more than a means to the teams getting fitter through tidily rotating the ball and keeping possession….after all both managers did stress the importance of getting minutes in the legs in their summations?

But it remains to be seen whether this sanitized match-up can be truly regarded as preparation for what are undoubtedly going to be better and fiercer tests to come with Premier Division newcomers St Cadocs about to discover what no less than nine trips into various Ayrshire heartlands entails.

And are the Buffs in a state of readiness for reclaiming what their supporting legions believe is their rightful place among the top flight elite given the hype surrounding the dog-eat-dog First Division stakes where there is smart money being laid on Johnstone Burgh, Drumchapel United, Petershill and Shotts Bon Accord among others, figuring in the promotion running?

The more wizened Aitken hinted at his heightened concern when saying afterwards,

“ A very good work-out for the guys as far as getting minutes in the legs but if you ask me if I’m happy to lose 2-0 then the answer is an emphatic No.

“I’m never satisfied with a defeat even if we specifically intended to challenge ourselves by our programme of fixtures (Kilwinning lost 4-1in midweek against Stranraer) and we simply cannot continue saying it’s just pre-season because the start to the new campaign is only a couple of weeks away so we really have to be doing the basics a whole lot better and winning games before then .”

Tiff turned his attention to the Ayrshire side’s showing to add ,

” We had several Under 20’s players out there who have learned that you will be punished for switching off against the better teams but they will be better for the exercise and will be helped by a number of regulars coming back who were posted missing today.

“On the plus side, young Mark McLuckie whom we signed on loan from St Cadocs did very well against his former team mates and we’ve high hopes for him in the months ahead.”

Elsewhere their pre-season misery continued for ambitious Johnstone Burgh r

As to the action itself, an uninspiring first ten minutes containing not a single shot on target was indicative of both sides feeling their way into the game however the deadlock should have been broken just afterwards when St Cadocs front man Alan McKenzie delivered over a delightful cross from out left only for team mate Reece McGuire to sclaff a close range header wide when it looked easier to score.

Low netbound efforts by McKenzie and Gary Muir were both foiled by diving saves from visiting keeper Ewan Henderson as the Kilwinning goal came under pressure but half time was reached with the scoreline reading 0-0.

The near one-way traffic increased after the break and St Cadocs finally got their noses in front after a right wing cross carried to Danny McManus at the back post and his lay off into the path of Gary Millar saw the midfielder look up and curl a shot high into the far corner of the net for 1-0 .

Both teams introduced a number of substitutes and one of the St Cadocs bench replacements almost doubled his side’s advantage with a powerful swerving shot that looked destined for the postage stamp until Henderson again came to Kilwinning’s rescue with an outstanding stop.

He should have been picking the ball out of his net again when left in no-man’s land after being rounded by McKenzie but the ex-Darvel striker was dispossessed after turning back on himself instead of sliding the ball home from an admittedly tight angle.

The Ayrshiremen were looking under-cooked in comparison to their opponents whose greater energy and willingness to press all over the pitch had them calling the shots, particularly after the introduction of veteran front man Craig Malcolm’s penalty box threat.

He hit the side-net with one attempt, had another saved by that man Henderson and was unlucky again after sublimely setting up an opening for Aidan Fellowes whose sclaffed shot across the goalmouth deserved better .

The second goal that was always coming , arrived in 85 minutes when a mesmerizing solo run by Dom Slattery saw him cleverly slip the ball in front of another St Cadocs substitute Anton Brady and he cooly slotted the ball beyond the helpless Henderson .

Winning gaffer Fellowes said later, “ A good pre-season game and decent run-out given we are still tinkering with our line-up because of players still away on holiday and others needing minutes in their legs.

“Changing thing s at the interval to press higher up the pitch and play wider to move their back three around helped the guys to dominate the ball and be significantly better in the second half and we now need to maximize these aspects before the real stuff starts in earnest.”

FELLOWES FEELING CONTENT WITH 2-0 SUCCESS

Meanwhile ,their pre-season misery continued apace for ambitious Johnstone Burgh after they suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat at home to Hurlford United hard on the heels of losing 5-0 to Largs Thistle last weekend.

Callum Watt, Lewis Morrison, Trialist, Ross Love and Jack Whittaker were on target for United before Burgh’s Kieran Brophy weighed in with a late consolation score.

A bloody nose was also the fate of Auchinleck Talbot, (beaten 3-1 by Tranent), Pollok (2-0 losers to Huntly) and Clydebank for whom Liam McGonigle and Trialist goals could not prevent Gordon Moffatt’s men suffering a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Ashfield whose marksmen were Bobby Barr(2) ,Lewis Warnock and Dean Farmer.

Cammy McNair bagged the only goal of the game for Irvine Meadow against Arthurlie and centreback Scott Rough did likewise for Beith in facing Broomhill while Largs maintained their 100% pre-season record thanks to Sean McLeod, Will Sewell and Simon McBryde goals earning a 3-1 victory over Irvine Vics for whom Kevin Adam was on the mark.

Paul Donaghy, Nikky Fraser and Kevin Turner did the scoring damage in Vale of Clyde’s 3-1 triumph over Junior Cup runners-up Rutherglen Glencairn whose counter came from Ryan McManus whereas trophy winners Cumnock ran out 8-0 winners over a hapless Cambuslang Rangers with scoring braces from Trialist(2), Andy McLaughlin and Jamie Conn along with Findlay Frye and Robbie Buchanan strikes.

FRIENDLY FIRE FROM CRAIG MOORE FOR DARVEL

On the road , Declan McDonald with a hat trick and a Jordan Bow hit helped Benburb to a 4-1 success down at Creetown , Graham Wilson and Craig Moore saw Darvel triumph through at Preston , Adam Moffat with a double and Alex McWatters were the name on the scoreshhet as Glenafton beat Threave Rovers while Shotts Bon Accord came away 3—0 to the good from relatively near neighbours Fauldhouse United thanks to Ben Richford, Ally Martin and Taylor Evans contributions.

In other games taking place , Petershill came back from 1-0 down to earn a creditable 1-1 draw at home to Linlithgow Rose, Blantyre Vics beat Newmains Utd 4-1 with Aaron O’Hare, Trialist(2) and Scott Jarvie scores and Vale of leven played out a highly entertaining 3-3 draw with Glasgow Perthshire whose goals came from Desmond Kasetra(2) and Matty McLevy with the Vale’s responses from Lewis King, Ross Cameron and Greg Thackey.

WEEKEND FRIENDLY RESULTS: Petershill 1 Linlithgow Rose 1, Dalry Thistle 3 Muirkirk 0, Neilston 1 St Peters 1, Johnstone Burgh 1 Hurlford Utd 5, Vale of Clyde 3 Rutherglen Glencairn 1, Newmains Utd 1 Blantyre Vics 4, Tranent 3 Auchinleck Talbot 1, Huntly 2 Pollok 0, Arthurlie 0 Irvine Meadow1,Cumbernauld Colts 3 Cumbernauld Utd 4, Renfrew 0 Kilsyth Athletic 1, Cumnock 8 Cambuslang Rangers 0, Rossvale 3 Glasgow Utd 3, Yoker Athletic 1 Thorniewood Utd 1, Broxburn Athletic 4 Gartcairn 2, Threave Rovers 0 Glenafton 3, Fauldhuse Utd 0 Shotts Bon Accord 3, Creetown 1 Benburb 4, Lugar Boswell 4 Craigmark 2.Glenrothes 0 Troon 2, Preston Athletic 0 Darvel 2, Broomhill 0 Beith 1, St Cadocs 2 Kilwinning Rangers 0, Thorn Athletic 4 Maryhill 4, Giffnock 1 Kilsyth Rangers 6, Forth Wanderers 3 Lesmahagow 3, Vale of Leven 3 Glasgow Perthshire 3, Largs Thistle 3 Irvine Vics 1, Clydebank 2 Ashfield 4, St Anthonys 0 St Rochs 5.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell