Balgonie Scotia

vs.

Lochgelly

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After last weeks impresive 2-2 draw with Aberdour, Balgonie hoped to continue in their good run of form. Playing up-hill and against the wind in the first half did not seem to bother the Scotia with each team evenly matched. Scotia had a few good chances with Ando and hitting the cross bar Sparky coming close on a couple of occasions. But luckily were not under much pressure to start off with. Then Lochgelly started piling on some pressure and luckily scored there first goal after the referee failed to spot the handball by the Lochgelly player who set up the goal. After being 1-0 down after 30 minutes Scotia went on the attack  with Sparky coming close, but then Lochgelly went on the attack again and struck again with an unstoppable shot.

 

At half time Davie Brown put on Mullen for Chris which turned out to be decisive. From the kick-off Scotia went on the attack and eventually broke through when a shot rebounded back off the keeper and Sparky put the ball in the back of the net. After that the game took a turn for the worse with the lochgelly no. 7 headbutting Gourley for no reason which sparked retalliation from Gourley who was then sent-off after the Lochgelly player was only given a yellow card by the ref who was begining to loose control of the game. Substitions were made by Davie Brown 1st Cookie comin on for Martin at Right-Mid and Davie Crichton going on at Left-Mid for Sean. Cookie made the bigger impact of the two by missing from 6 yards out blazing over the bar and winning the decisive free-kick that leveled the game. With only 10 men on the park Scotia had no option but to attack with Ozzy pushing up front. Cookie then won a free kick 25 yards out too which Swordie stepped up to take. With only a few more minutes left on the clock He unleashed a powerful strike which struck off the bar but luckily rebounde onto the back of the keeper and into the net.

 

2 - 2

 

Shume

 

Ozzy(c)

Gourley (S/O)

 Ando

Kev Grewar

 

Martin Brown (Cookie)

 Chris (Mullen)

 Swordie (1)

 Sean (Davie Crichton)

 

Stevie

 Sparky (1)

 

Unused Substitutes: Craig Balfour and Craig Stewart

 

match report written by bear

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Balgonie Scotia

vs.

Thornton YFC

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Thornton were coming into this game on the back of a 4-0 defeat by Glenrothes Strollers midweek, Balgonie however didnt have a midweek game and were fresh and ready for the game.

 

Balgonie started brightly and quickly pinned the opposition down in their own half for the first 10 minutes. Although shooting up the hill the wind was behind the team and caused thornton many problems. Balgonie must have won around 6 corners in the first half which all came to nothing, this was brought up at half time. Thornton had one decent effort in the first half with a long shot from outside the box which Ando clearly had control of.

 

Half time arrived and Davey was clearly annoyed that we werent leading. We had so much possesion and corners which were not being attacked when crossed over. The team stayed the same for the second half.

 

Swordy and Ozzy controlled the centre of the park for the first half but lost it a little bit in the second half. Things started well for the opposition and they should have scored in the 65th minute when martin brown never tracked back with his man and left him spare at the back post. A cross was floated over and the thornton player missed from 4 yards out. Balgonie took this as a warning! Then a moment of madness from Stuart Padley of Thornton. Ozzy put in a hard 50-50 on the thornton captain and he got up and attempted to headbutt the player. The referee missed the incident which was luck for Thornton. The full time whistle went which forced the game into extra time.

 

The first half of extra time began and within 7 minutes the Thornton players scored a controversial goal. The ball was played into the box and there were clearly 2 players offside which the referee failed to notice. Then just 2 minutes later Balgonie won a corner on the left hand side. Davey was determined for the players to attack the ball. Cullen flighted the ball over into the path of Ozzy. As he flew through the air like an eagle after its prey he connected sweetly with the ball on the forehead and pounded it into the net to make it 1-1. All the players went crazy and crowded Ozzy like he was their god. The game was then forced into penalties.

 

The penalties were taken by Cullen, Sparky, Stevie, Swordy, Sticky.

 

it all camee down to last the penalty after cullen had missed and so had stevie.

 

Sticky easily and calmly stroked the ball into the bottom corner to win the game for Scotia. Who now progress into Semi Final against Greig Park

 

1-1

(AET)

3-2 on Pens

 

Ando

 

Cullen

Sticky

Gourley

Chris Tracey

 

Martin Brown

Ozzy(c) (1)

Swordie
Sparky

 

Martin Payne
Stevie

 

Unused Substitutes: Craig Balfour, Craig Stewart and Davey Crichton

 

match report written by ozzy (as u can tell) and bear

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Lochgelly

vs.

Balgonie Scotia

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With Balgonie going into the game after the penalty win, there was an air of expectancy to take something from this game. Shooting into the wind the first half the game was quite quiet. The first real major incident of the came came when a lofted pass was played into the box which the keeper missed to see Gary Pearson play the ball into the net with his head. The goal never stood as the referee seen an infraction on the Lochgelly keeper and the free kick was awarded. The game took the same turn as it did at the start of the game with each team cancelling each other out, then disaster struck. A lochgelly midfielder had picked up the ball and crossed it in. With the wind behind it and not one player attacking the ball it sneaked into the bottom corner to give Lochgelly the lead.

 

Half time had arrived and Davey decided to stick with the 4-4-2, picking up on major factors such as having the wind behind us in the second half. The game kicked of only to see Swordie have a poor touch and posession was lost. A half hearted tackle was put in which was not enough as Lochgelly had went 2 up within 20 seconds of the second half starting. This put the Fire under the scotia who went on the attack. The Referee, who was struggling to keep up with the play, disallowed another Scotia goal as Stevies shot had clearly crossed the line.

 

Balgonie started attack after attack showing what they are capable of. Then the breakthrough came that scotia needed. Stevie who had made a run into the box, was clearly being fouled by the Lochgelly defender, but instead of giving a clear penalty, the referee awarde the free kick on the edge of the box. Swordie, who swung the ball in, delivered a perfect ball for Gary Pearson, who headed the ball of the post and into the back of the net. The same thing nearly happened again a few minutes later when Stuart Gourley hit the bar. Davie's decision to move to a  3-5-2 formation shortly after the Lochgelly goal was playing dividends. Both teams came close on numerous occasions after this. Davey then made his only  substitutions of the game, Craig Balfour came on for Martin Brown and Neil Hume for Stevie.

 

Both players made impacts in the game. Craig had an all round good performance doing what he was told to do. While Shume took his place up front since last season. With about ten minutes left in th egame shume pelted foward only to be brought down clearly in the box only for the referee to award another free kick. Another cross ball saw the chance squanderd but all was not lost the ball was swung over again to see Chris Tracy score his first of the game with a header of the post and to make it 2-2 which is how the game ended.

 

 

FINAL SCORE

2-2

 

Ando

 

Chris Tracey (1)

Gourley

Gary P (1)

Cullen

 

Sparky

Ozzy(c)

Swordie(MoM)

Martin Brown (Craig Balfour)

 

Payne

Stevie (Shume)

 

Unused Substitutes: Iain Cook, Craig Stewart and Davie Crighton