Fired up Balfron knock Kippen for six
Balfron Rovers .... 6 Kippen ................ 1
Saturday’s solitary Forth and Endrick League match saw champions and league leaders Balfron Rovers face the muchimproved Kippen at Donaldson Park.
Pre-match reports indicated that Kippen had a number of promising young players in their line-up plus a capable keeper in former Rovers player Steven Skinner – and so it proved.
The home defence coped well with the occasional early threat posed by Kippen’s eager youngsters and although Balfron did most of the attacking it took almost 20 minutes to beat Skinner through Scott Ross who added two more in the space of seven minutes to demoralise the visitors.
Mark Hailstones, Callie McLaren and a Gordon Reid penalty made it 6-0 within the first 15 minutes to compete their scoring for the evening.
Kippen’s star man Callum Buchanan scored a welldeserved consolation goal.
The league edged back to something like normality on Tuesday, with all five scheduled matches played.
The big two at the top each had what on paper looked like a convincing win but in both the losers made their more fancied opponents work for the points.
At Balfron the home side led Buchlyvie 2-0 at the interval courtesy of goals at either end of the half from Richard Hailstones.
In between the goals the sides had been well matched with Balfron a shade ahead on pressure and chances.
Buchlyvie made a determined start to the second half and Balfron were given some anxious moments before Gordon Reid scored their third goal.
They were well on the winning track after that and in the last quarter goals from Ross MacKenzie and Martin Ross confirmed their superiority.
Drymen travelled to face the new-look Kippen side who put up a spirited display but in the end could not match the finishing power of their visitors.
Sean Smith, Sam Degg, Craig Cowan, Callum Dewar and Scott Cowan had a goal apiece for Drymen against only two for Kippen.
In the local derby at Thornhill, Gargunnock held on to third spot in the table, the only goal of the match winning them the points.
The remaining two games supplied a number of firsts, some more welcome than others.
At Aberfoyle the Rob Roy had their first win, inflicting a first defeat of the season on Blanefield Thistle, while Killearn moved off the bottom rung with their first points in a big win over Deanston.
Prior to the start of the game a minute’s silence was held for Killearn chairman Donald Beaton, who died recently.
And his old team did him proud with three first half goals from Scott Cameron (2) and Alan More.
Deanston’s cause wasn’t helped with a dismissal in 30 minutes after two yellows.
The pace dropped a bit in the second half but Killearn struck again after 70 minutes when Cameron grabbed his hat-trick after a flowing move.
Deanston made it 4-1 shortly afterwards but with five minutes to go, Stuart McDonald completed the scoring.
On Saturday, football makes way for Drymen Show. Normal business resumes on Tuesday.
Results Saturday, May 20 League - Balfron Rovers 6-1 Kippen. Aberfoyle Rob Roy v Killearn, Deanston v Gartocharn, Drymen Utd v Thornhill and Blanefield Thistle v Gargunnock were all postponed. Tuesday, May 23 League - Aberfoyle Rob Roy 5-2 Blanefield Thistle; Balfron Rovers 5-0 Buchlyvie Utd; Killearn 6-1 Deanston; Kippen 2-5 Drymen Utd; Thornhill 0-1 Gargunnock.
Fixtures Tuesday, May 30 League - Buchlyvie Utd v Blanefield Thistle; Deanston v Balfron Rovers; Drymen Utd v Aberfoyle Rob Roy; Gargunnock v Kippen; Gartocharn v Thornhill.