MOORE THE MERRIER

MOORE PUNISHED MEDDA

Darvel supporters’ pulses will doubtless have been racing on Saturday after their team tore Irvine Meadow asunder with a truly scintillating performance at Recreation Park.

The wonderful interchanging of passes added to the sublime and constant movements of players on and off the ball was Mick Kennedy’s men at their `Aberdeen` best but on this occasion they went on to underline their superiority by inflicting a crushing 5-0 defeat on their hapless opponents.

And supplying this cutting edge was striking ace Craig Moore who helped himself to a well taken hat trick and made the most of the absence of regular front pair Alan McKenzie (suspension) and Jordan Kirkpatrick (injury) to post a claim for a starting jersey in next Monday night’s Scottish Cup 5^th Round showdown against Falkirk.

During the build-up to Saturday’s contest, Medda front man Callum Graham had stated “Darvel are a side that keep the ball for fun” however there’s no denying he and his team mates played their part in the broad smiles creasing the faces of the home team at the final whistle .

“Didn’t lay a glove on them and too many of our guys looked as if they were scared to get on the ball.” said Medda gaffer George Grierson in his frank summing up afterwards.

“We got our shape wrong going into the match and were being torn to pieces early doors in the wide areas so we changed things at 2-0 down but the reality is the game was gone at that point.

“For a 15-20 minute spell , our guys settled and were more competitive but conceding a third Darvel goal on the stroke of half time was a killer.

“ Look, it’s a sore one to lose in this manner but we cannot allow one game to derail our season , not when we still have half our league fixtures to play, and the key now is to bounce straight back against Cambuslang Rangers next weekend.”

Darvel used their possession keeping abilities to good effect at the start ,with playmaker Ian McShane again showing why he is rated the Premier Division’s top midfielder, and he it was who opened the scoring just 8 minutes in with a terrific curling effort from 20 yards after the ball was cleverly laid back into his path by Ross Caldwell.

The one way pressure not only continued but was made to count again shortly afterwards when goalscorer McShane turned goalmaker to release Moore through on goal and he expertly slotted the ball past visiting keeper Marc Waters for 2-0.

In a rare attacking response, the Irvine club’s leading scorer Graham scorned a wonderful chance to reduce his team’s deficit when similarly clean through with only Darvel No 1 Chris Truesdale to beat however the striker’s parting shot was deflected wide by the goalkeeper’s legs .

That scare resulted in another passage of Darvel dominance that was duly rewarded in 43 minutes when an interchanging of passes culminated in Craig Truesdale netting with a rasping 18 yard shot.

Darvel boss Kennedy could afford the luxury of removing McShane(best player afield) from the fray and replacing him with latest signing Robbie McNab (ex-Kelty Hearts) as his side continued to hold onto the ball with near consummate ease and create several near things in and around the visiting penalty box.

3-0 became 4-0 when Thomas Reilly accelerated forward into space and fed Moore whose first time shot was a goal from the moment it left his foot yet the ex-Ayr United hitman’s appetite was not yet sated because 12 minutes from the end, he let rip with a 25 yard effort that Waters may think he should have prevented finding the corner of the net for 5-0.

Darvel’s delight was clearly evident when Kennedy spoke,” Today has to go down as an overall very good team performance as well as evidence of the progress being made at the club.

“It’s up to others to say if our blend of players with different attributes has made us better however on today’s form I don’t think we need fear going up against anyone…not even Falkirk.”

MICK KENNEDY DELIGHTED FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

Darvel’s win was needed to maintain their two points lead atop the Premier Division pile over nearest challengers Beith who stretched their winning run to eight league games with a 3-1 triumph away to Rob Roy.

Visiting trio Carlo Monti, Nikky Docherty and Paul Frize were all on the mark before Adan Martin’s late counter made the scoreline look more respectable for the well-beaten Rabs.

Up into third top place are Pollok for whom Adam Forde, Sean Burns, Stuart McCann and Jay Nelson scored in a 4-0 hammering of Hurlford United whose cause was not helped by having to see out the Blair Park encounter with only nine men following the dismissals of Paul McKenzie and Liam Miller.

At the other end of the table , bottom pair Cambuslang Rangers and Petershill showed they won’t be going down without a fight after posting 3-2 wins over Arthurlie and Largs Thistle respectively.

Alan Reid and Scott Anson (2) were on target as the Wee Gers completed a league double over the Barrhead side for whom Lee Roulston bagged a brace of goals .

And on Friday night, Springburn followers were treated to a never less than enthralling contest which saw the Peasy somewhat fortuitously 2-0 up through John Tennant own goal and Jay Mackay scores going in at half time.

The Seasiders, whose skipper Stuart Faulds made a hash of a penalty kick award, were entitled to feel this scoreline was against the run of play however hopes of salvaging something from the game appeared to all but disappear over the horizon when Ben Cappie added a third goal for the home team.

But the red carding of Peasy defender Jordan Scott opened the door for a comeback which goals by Faulds and Jamie Martin reinforced however Ian Currie’s men got their act together to see out the closing stages and clinch only their third league win of the season.

Big upset in the South Challenge Cup games has to be Drumchapel United , thanks to goals from Ryan Deas, Daniel Finnigan and Josh Winton, knocking out top flight Glenafton by a 3-2 scoreline down at Loch Park.

As expected, reigning trophy holders Auchinleck Talbot breezed into the last 16 with a 7-0 rout of Broxburn Athletic with debutant Ross Smith on the scoresheet along with the more familiar names of Aaron Mason(2), Brian Boylan, Mark Shankland , Keir Samson and Ross Taylor.

A much tighter affair was played out at nearby Townhead Park where Cumnock needed extra time to eventually run out 4-2 winners over a dogged Troon side that had Sam Jamieson and Raymond Montgomerie on target in eking out a 2-2 regulation time stalemate.

Top scorer Jordan Moore bagged his third goal of the game to put Cumnock 3-2 ahead in added on time before youngster Cammy Ross sealed a hard fought victory for the home side.

Dylan Mackin bagged a couple of goals and Paul Hale the other as managerless Kilwinning Rangers beat Lothian Thistle 3-0 while veteran Kevin Green headed home the only goal of the game to help Clydebank win away to Maybole.

WEEKEND RESULTS: South Challenge Cup.Gartcairn 4 Bo’ness Athletic 3, Auchinleck Talbot 7 Broxburn Athletic 0,Tranent 3 Linlithgow Rose 1, Spartans 5 Dunipace 0, Newton Stewart 1 Stirling University 5, Lochar Thistle 1 Maryhill 4, Glenafton 2 Drumchapel Utd 3, Kilwinning Rangers 3 Lothian Thistle 0, Vale of Clyde 1 Thornton Hibs 0, Cumnock 4 Troon 2, Maybole 0 Clydebank 1, Threave Rovers 2 Whitletts Vics 1, Fauldhouse Utd 0 Sauchie 5, Dundonald Bluebell 4 Shotts Bon Accord 0, Caledonian Braves 4 Bo’ness Utd 3, Rossvale 1 East Kilbride F.C 5. P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Petershill 3 Largs Thistle 2,Cambuslang Rangers 3 Arthurlie 2, Rob Roy 1 Beith 3, Hurlford Utd 0 Pollok 4, Darvel 5 Irvine Meadow 0.PDM Buildbase First Division. Thorniewood Utd 2 Cumbernauld Utd 1, Benburb 1 Rutherglen Glencairn 0, Bonnyton Thistle 1 Kilbirnie Ladeside 5, Johnstone Burgh 5 St Rochs 3, Blantyre Vics 1 Neilston 2.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Craigmark 4 Muirkirk 0, Glasgow Utd 1 Kilsyth Rangers 1, Ashfield 5 Wishaw 0,Glasgow Perthshire 3 Ardeer Thistle 1,Forth Wanderers 2 Renfrew 2,Yoker Athletic 2 Glasgow University1. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Finnart 1 Irvine Vics 0, Royal Albert 1 Bellshill Athletic 4, Kello Rovers 0 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 4, East Kilbride Thistle 0 Lanark Utd7, Dalry Thistle 2 Vale of Leven 2, Girvan 4 Saltcoats Vics 0, Larkhall Thistle 0 Newmains Utd 0, Carluke Rovers 2 Lugar Boswell 1, Port Glasgow 2 Lesmahagow 3. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Glenvale 2 St Peters 3, Harmony Row 1 Campbeltown Pupils 1, Rossvale Academy 1 Thorn Athletic 3, Kilsyth Athletic 3 BSC Glasgow 1, Eglinton 2 Easterhouse F.A1.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell