Derby delight
Hat-trick in league win
Blairgowrie ...... 4 Coupar Angus .. 2
Blairgowrie took all three points in Saturday’s east Perthshire derby with a 4-2 win, but Coupar Angus made them fight all the way.
Allan Cruickshank gave the Davie Park hosts the lead after 12 minutes when he took advantage of a defensive error to score from six yards.
A minute later, Steven Findlay saw a header brilliantly cleared off the line as Blair threatened to run riot.
Billy Mackay’s men failed to press home their advantage and Coupar came into the match, playing some neat football in midfield.
The Blair defence had a few anxious moments before the visitors equalised from a Daniel Neith penalty after 34 minutes.
Blair rallied before the interval and took the lead after 44 minutes when Cruickshank fired home a header into the roof of the net following a Ryan Menzies cross.
Then, a brilliant save denied Gary Axworthy from a trademark long-range free-kick.
Blairgowrie were much more assertive in the second period.
From the restart, there was a higher level of intensity in their play and the best passage of play in the match saw Paul Maloney head down to Axworthy, whose 25-yard volley was acrobatically tipped over by the Coupar ‘keeper.
With 50 minutes played, Maloney made it 3-1 with a welltaken goal following a solo run, then Cruickshank was denied his hat-trick by a scrambled goal-line clearance.
Not to be denied, Cruickshank did grab his third goal after an exquisite lob with just 15 minutes remaining.
Maloney headed wide after a flowing move, but Coupar had the last word when slackness allowed Craig Mollison to score with a low shot in the last minute.
Blairgowrie: O’Brien, Menzies, McDonald, Millar, Brash, Axworthy, Findlay, Plenderleith, Maloney, Duncan, Cruickshank. Subs used: Mitchell, Brown, Nicoll.
This Saturday, Blairgowrie travel to Beechwood Park to play Lochee Harp in the North Division. Kick-off 2.30pm.
Coupar are up against Tayport at home in the GA Engineering Cup on Saturday.
Kick-off at Foxhall Park is 2.30pm.
● Meanwhile, this week’s Blairgowrie Juniors FC berrypickers’ weigh-in numbers were 1, 2, 14 and 15.
There were no winners. The jackpot next week is £900.
• Pics by Stephen Gibas/East Perthshire United.