BLAIR GIVE JAGS A STING
Home side claim the spoils in thrilling league derby
A spirited second-half display saw Blairgowrie take all three points in this Perthshire derby.
However, Billy Mackay’s men were slow to get going once again and Scone will rue not taking advantage of a bright start to the match.
Thistle dominated the opening stages. They were first to every loose ball, strung passes together and broke from defence swiftly.
This, unsurprisingly, resulted in them carving out a number of half-chances.
Blair gradually got into the game but there was little fluency about their play.
Cruickshank lobbed wide from a good position then, in a frenetic passage of play, three Blair shots were blocked in the Scone goalmouth.
Scone’s ‘keeper became the busier of the two as Blair improved, but the home team was hit by a breakaway goal just before the interval.
Appeals for a penalty were waved aside as a Blair attack broke down, only for a lightning Scone counter-attack down the left to provide Moffat with an opportunity to score from a tight angle.
It looked a long way back for Blairgowrie, but the second-half saw a transformation in their form and fortunes.
Manager Mackay engineered a number of positional changes which led to much more pace, intensity and direction in attack. The equaliser came after 58 minutes. Maloney was wrestled off the ball in the goalmouth and Cruickshank drilled home from the penalty spot. Blair continued to press, with two more penalty claims turned down, before they took the lead.
Neave powered home a header from a Menzies corner in 74 minutes, as Blair finally overcame a resolute Thistle defence.
Some good football followed with numerous near things, the highlight being a Cruickshank thunderbolt which rattled the Thistle crossbar.
The only downside for Blair was that the injury situation, which appeared to be easing, took a turn for the worse, as McDonald and Axworthy both had to be substituted.
Blairgowrie: O’Brien, Menzies, Nicoll, Brash, Pirie, McDonald, Axworthy, Reilly, Maloney, Plenderleith, Cruickshank. Subs used: Neave, Hood, Brown.
This Saturday, Blairgowrie travel to play the unpredictable Arbroath Vics in a North Division match. Kick-off 1.45pm.
Meanwhile, this week’s Blairgowrie Juniors berry-pickers’ weigh-in numbers were 1, 7, 15 and 18.
There were no winners. The prize money next week will be £350.