Big kick-off for Forth and Endrick League sides

Reigning champions Balfron Rovers started in style as the Forth and Endrick League season kicked off on Saturday.

All five scheduled games went ahead with some surprising scorelines, plenty of goals and unrecognisable sides, as many were still short of a number of regulars who are still fulfilling commitments to winter clubs.

Balfron had a number of last season’s players absent but they were better able to fill the gaps than their opponents Killearn, last year’s runners-up.

Both set a furious pace from the start but Balfron’s early efforts paid off when Cammy Rubython headed the opening goal after nine minutes.

That goal settled Balfron and they then had the better of the exchanges although Killearn should have equalised when a defensive slip left a Killearn forward with an open goal. The ball was driven against the post and rebounded to safety. After that few chances came Killearn’s way and before half-time Mark Hailstones had made it 2-0.

Balfron dominated the second half and Gordon Reid scored twice before Hailstones added his second to make the final score a convincing 5-0 win.

Drymen United returned the same score in their match, which had been switched from Gartocharn to Shandon Park. Scott Cowan gave Drymen an early lead before a Gartocharn player was sent off midway through the first half.

United made the extra man count and before the break Logan Park and Jack O’Donnell scored to make it 3-0. They stayed well on top in the second half and Scott Cowan and Callum Dewar took their tally to five before the end.

Kippen pleased their support by travelling to Buchlyvie and returning with an unexpected point. Buchlyvie took the lead when a shot was diverted past his own keeper by a Kippen defender but the visitors shook off this setback and Callum Buchanan scored to earn a draw.

The match at Thornhill, where Aberfoyle provided the opposition, was a scrappy affair but in the end it turned out to be the highest-scoring match of the day with six goals shared evenly.

Last year Gargunnock and Deanston clocked up an amazing total of 25 goals in their two league games. On Saturday they could not manage one and the game is added to the short list of Forth and Endrick no-score draws.

In the last 30 seasons more than 3000 league matches have been played and only 28 of these have ended as goalless draws. Gargunnock featured in two of these, at Buchlyvie in 1992 and at home to Kippen in 1988, while Deanston’s last goalless draw in a league match was at home to Killearn on April 21, 1962.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Balfron travel to Thornhill, knowing that their last defeat there was in 2008.

Killearn are at home to Blanefield and could hardly have asked for a more difficult fixture to help get over their opening day disappointment. Thistle were the odd team out last week but their pre-season preparation has been intense.

Aberfoyle have Buchlyvie as visitors while Gargunnock are at home to Gartocharn. Kippen are full of confidence after a good performance in their opening fixture and are at home to Deanston.