AMATEUR FOOTBALL

Saturday’s Premier League matches were ultra-competitive with the margins of victory for the winners negligible, writes our Amateur Correspondent.

The biggest surprise was Barnhill’s 3-1 win over Menzieshill AFC with Gary Middleton (2) and Daryl Small marking the Ferry sides card. Dom Blair notched the losing side’s goal. It was a relapse against Merpro last season which knocked the stuffing out of the scheme side’s ambitions to retain their Premier title and this is a reversal that they won’t want to repeat too soon.

Their main rivals for the crown, Fintry, were not having life all that easy against Invergowrie and needed two own goals to defeat the village side 4-2.

The first came midway through the first half with Gowrie equalising after a three-man move through Frankie Buchan. A long ball set up Alex Gibb to make it 2-1 to Fintry at half-time but the home side equalised when Jamie Irvine side-footed home from 15 yards. The second own goal put paid to the underdog’s challenge and Jimmy Henderson added another to give his side a deserved win. Fintry and Menzieshill now have the same number of points with the same games played but still lag Tayside Fire Brigade by a point if they both win their games in hand.

As for the Firies they drew 2-2 against Carnoustie Panmure YM. A Liam Smith double had given YM a 2-1 lead until they lost a late goal to Steve Hay when they were down to 10 men. Craig Nelson got their earlier effort.

Broughty United would have climbed to the top of the table had they defeated Montrose in their away match. But the locals earned the points, despite playing the entire second half with 10 men – and they had a bit of luck to boot. Steven Smith and Cammy Fraser got Montrose’s first two but had to rely on goalie Steven Mearns scoring from inside his own box windassisted to bag all three points. AHSFP gave Lochee United a test they did not expect after the Dundee side held a 3-0 lead with Elliott Tosh John Penman and Ryan Stewart their marksmen. Andrew Gunning’s brace counted for an unlucky Arbroath in a competitive game. In the two games played in Division 1 Newport beat Forfar West End 3-0 with Shotz beating Kirriemuir Thistle 3-1. The Fifers are a point behind Shotz at the top but with a game in hand.