The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
SCOTTISH NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
ATHLETICS
CROWE WINS SENIOR TITLE Dundee athlete Jamie Crowe slogged his way to victory taking the Senior Men’s title at the Lindsay’s Scottish National Cross-Country Championships at Callendar Park, Falkirk. Battling his way over the 10km mudbath of a course, Crowe made light of the horizontal sleet and chilling wind to open up a second lap 10-seconds advantage ahead of the chasing Jonny Glen (Inverclyde AC). Crowe improved his lead to 14 seconds over the third and final lap, taking the finish in 35 minutes 29 seconds with Glen following home in 35.43.
Kevin Wood (Fife AC), second in 2019, made his bid for a podium place 1km out from the finish, overhauling World Hill champion Andrew Douglas (Inverclyde) to claim individual bronze in 36.06.
Crowe spearheaded another remarkable team effort from Stirling club Central AC as they made it 10-in-arow to win the team race underlining their continued domination at the Lindsays National Cross-Country. Crowe said: ‘I felt nervous all week because people were saying I was probably the favourite.
“Those nerves worsened when the snow started in the first lap and at that stage you just want to get over the mud and get around.
“But I managed to get away from Jonny, although not as early as I had hoped.
“And winning it to help Central take 10-in-a-row means a lot to me.’ Women’s winner, GB internationalist Mhairi Maclennan (Inverness) had a comfortable 30 seconds winning margin over silver medallist Annabel Simpson (Fife AC) and bronze medallist, Czech Republic internationalist Moira Stewart (Cambuslang). Leeds-based Stephie Pennycook returned home to place fourth for Fife AC while an inspired run by Jenny Spence laid the foundation for Fife to retain their team title. Former Scottish marathon champions Megan Crawford was 11th while Strathkinness over-40 veteran Heather Anderson excelled in 15th before 21st-placed Jennifer Cruickshanks rounded up Fife’s scoring, totalling 60 points ahead of Shettleston’s 145.
The women’s 10km race had a record entry of 433.
The U20 6.7km races saw 2019 winners, Megan Keith (Inverness) and Freddie Carcas Edinburgh AC) repeated their successes of 12 months ago. Since the crack Dundee University men’s team of the 1980s their male athletes have seldom managed to make the start line of championship races. Here a Lasswade AC, Dundee Hawkhill and Garscube combination celebrated team silver. Christian Graham in fourth supported by Thomas Berry 11th, Cameron Sale 16th and Cody Stevenson 32nd totalled 63 points behind winners Central with 30 points.
St Andrews University claimed team bronze in the U20 Women’s race courtesy of Jessica Macleod in 11th, Esme Callander in 15th and Heather
Mack, who was 22nd.
Anna Hedley followed up her Great Stirling Cross win last January as she ran away from the field over the second of two laps in the U17 Women’s 6.1km race to add to the U15 girls title she won at Callendar Park last year. Hedley clocked 24 minutes and 12 seconds at the finish, nine seconds clear of Hannah Anderson (East Kilbride) who had challenged the Fife athlete over the first lap.
With Anna Dalglish 15th and Jayden Lenny 16th, Fife took team silver behind Edinburgh AC.
There was team silver for Fife in the U15 girls 4.1km race where Isla Thoms led home the team in fifth supported by Isla Hedley seventh, Ruby Russell 18th and Esme Thoms 30th.
Giffnock North dominated the younger age groups taking team gold in the U13 girls and boys races followed by U15 girls and boys team gold.
One of the bravest runs of the day came from Fife ACs Struan Bennet in the U15 boy’s 4.1km race, pushing the pace in the harshest of conditions only to lose out on the podium placings when Giffnock’s Rueben Macdonald took off over the final 800m to win in 14.54, with Bennett in fourth timed at 15.09.
Dundee Hawkhill’s best result of the day came in the U20 mens race, finishing fifth team led home by Kristof Hornyik in 10th.
The Hawks’ U17 men’s team was seventh in the U17 men’s race followed by Dunfermline club PH Racing in eighth.
Grace Cook was Hawkhill’s best placed girl, finishing 30th in the U13 girls race to help the Hawks to sixth team place.
BASKETBALL
Scottish League: men: div one:
City of Edinburgh Kings 75 Falkirk Fury 96; Dunfermline Reign 91 St Mirren 70; Glasgow Univ 60 Boroughmuir Blaze 58; Perth Phoenix 62 Ayrshire Tornadoes 47. Women:
Perth Phoenix 80 Edinburgh Kats 74; Glasgow Univ 31 Glasgow Fever 44 WBBL: Caledonia Pride 73 Oaklands Wolves 55.
BOWLS
ARBROATH AND DISTRICT INDOOR – Gents Club League – J Arthur 11 S Barron 20, G Martin 11 M Andrews 20, P Carnegie 28 I Dorricott 3, M McGreavey w/o B Stevenson scr. C W Senior Fours League – G M Ross 7 S Ludlam 19, D Harvey 10 W Smith 15, A Elrick 11 A H Cameron 12, R J Wilson 16 D Baillie 11, W Reid 10 W Stevenson 7, A Gall 9 J B McLeish 14.
CURLING
BRONZE FOR TEAM CRAIK
Forfar curler James Craik and his team went home with bronze medals after pipping Germany 6-5 in a third place play-off at the World Junior Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
Friday’s semi-final defeat to Switzerland dashed their title hopes, but Angus Bryce, Blair Haswell, Mark Watt and skip Craik shrugged off the disappointment and returned for their 11th game of the week.
The Scots beat Sixten Totzek’s German rink 5-4 last Monday, and the rematch proved equally tight.
A three at the seventh end put Team Craik 5-3 up and the lead then grew to three shots, but Totzek cut the deficit to 6-5 and forced Craik to blank the last end to clinch victory.
Craik said: “It might not be the colour we were dreaming of, but to walk away with a medal is unbelievable. The team has dug in and stuck with me. I couldn’t ask for a better unit to have around me.”
FOOTBALL
TALE OF TWO FINTRIES Saturday’s restricted fixture list was a tale of two Fintry sides – both with different scores to settle, writes our Amateur Correspondent.
The MAFA Fintry looking for their first Premier title transferred their Premier match with Morgan Academy FP to Baldragon Academy and despite an early setback ended up 6-1 winners.
With the wind and rain at their back the school side grabbed an early lead when Neil Bone chased down a pass back and Aaron Ogilvie converted the free ball from 16 yards.
But 20 minutes later Fintry equalised and with the support of the elements in the second period moved the score line to 6-1 with ease.
Braces from Lyall Murdoch, Ryan Rigden and Steve Archibald set up the winners in preparation for next weeks Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Drumchapel Amateurs the only remaining previous winners of the Scottish left in the competition. They played the other senior Drumchapel side in last season’s competition and had no luck then. They will know that this one is also is also a tough ask but they are looking good this season.
As for Saturday morning side Fintry Athletic, they demolished AHSFP 5-0 in the North of Tay thanks to goals from Lee Munro, Ryan Mitchell (2), Liam Peter and Ryan Hunter. Sufficient to say that after defeating eventual winners Kinrossie in last year’s competition at the last four stage they were subject to an appeal from the losers for playing an ineligible player and exited accordingly. This still hurts and a repeat will not happen.
Also on North of Tay duty were Broughty United, who entertained Finavon on the Whitton Park 3G. Although a close encounter had been predicted, the Ferry men adapted to the conditions far better with four from Paul Constable and singles from Nik Mann and Ryan Welsh giving them a 6-0 win.
The last of the North of Tay ties was an extra-time affair with Park Tool eventually going through 4-2 on penalties after they tied 2-2 with hosts Shotz in the 90 minutes. The semi-final of the SAFA inter district trophy was hosted by CCSH on Sunday with the Kingdom of Fife league select defeating their Midlands counterparts 3-1 on penalties after the game ended 2-2. Missed spot-kicks cost the Midlands men dearly, having missed one and a retake during regulation time and hitting the bar twice in the shoot-out.
FIFE SUNDAY AFL – East of Scotland Cup quarter-final–
Harvester 2 Yeoman 0. 2nd Division – Rosyth Sundays 10 Dynamo FB 3. All other games off.
RJM SPORT - KFAFA – Glendale Plastics Championship – Kelty 5 Markinch 3. Division 1 – Duloch 6 Kennoway Star Hearts 0. North Rod Garage Fife Cup third round
– Bowhill Rovers 3 Eastvale 1, Leven United 5 Fossoway 1.
GOLF
CARNOUSTIE WINTER LEAGUE
– G Kidd (res) and B Gunn (res) halved with D VanWyk (res) and A Brown J Gilbert and G Robson beat E Matthew and D Kydd 3&1, N Watson and A Boath lost to J Watson and P Gordon 4&3, S Cadden and S Fairweather beat D Taylor and E Kerr 2&1, C Saunders and T Convery lost to S Norrie and G Duncan 1 hole. Sweep – E Kerr (5) 66, G Robson (7) 68. CARNOUSTIE – Stableford 16 holes (Championship Course, CSS N/A) All One Class) – A Harrison (19) 33pts. Stableford (Buddon Course, CSS N/A) All One Class) – S Arthur (7) 32pts.
GRANGE AND BROUGHTY – Winter Stableford (Medal Course, CSS74 R/O) – Section 1 – C Baxter
(1) 34pts. Section 2 – B Reid (11) 29. Section 3 – B Sampson (19) 29.
GRANGE AND BROUGHTY LADIES – Winter League (13 hole Stableford) C Macdonald (14) 24pts, M Laing (20) 23, F Hay (6) 22bih, M Latto (16) 22bih.
MONIFIETH – Winter League – A McClymont/L Munro beat C Mitchell (res)/ D Smart 1 hole, I Hutcheon/K Scott beat I Newlove (res)/C Goodall (res) 3&2, S McDonald/G Reekie beat J Ferrie 7&5, D Mitchell/D Eastaugh beat S Hills 7&6, P Guilcher/R Garbett beat L McLean 5&4, P Gardiner/A Boyle beat M McBride 3&2. Scr – I Hutcheon 69 D Mitchell 73. Hcp – D Eastaugh (9) 65, I Newlove (10) 69, L Munro (8) 71.
ICE HOCKEY
Elite League: Coventry Blaze 3 Cardiff Devils 4 (OT), Fife Flyers 3 Manchester Storm 2, Guildford Flames 4 Nottingham Panthers 1, Sheffield Steelers 4 Belfast Giants 1.
SPORT ON TV
FOOTBALL: Premier League, Liverpool v West Ham – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 7pm; Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt v Union Berlin – BT Sport 1 7.15pm.
CRICKET: Women’s ICC World T20, Australia v Sri Lanka – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 6.30am; India v Bangladesh – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 10.30am; Test, New Zealand v India – Sky Sports Cricket 10.25pm, Sky Sports Main Event 11pm.
CYCLING: Tour of UAE – Eurosport 1 10.45am.
SNOOKER: Players Championship – ITV4 4.45pm.
SQUASH
STEWART’S CALGARY EXIT Perth squash player Rory Stewart became the latest victim of local giantkiller Graeme Schell in the quarter-finals of the Mount Royal University Open in Calgary. second-ranked Stewart looked set to end the unseeded player’s run when he led by two games to one. The Canadian rallied again to take the next two games and the match 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7
TENNIS
O’MARA BEATEN BY LEGENDS Arbroath tennis ace Jonny O’Mara and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo narrowly failed to pull off a shock result in the semi-finals of the Delray Beach Open in Florida.
The unseeded duo took the opening set against top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan, but the legendary US twins battled back to win 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 10-4 as they stayed on course for their 119th title together.
O’Mara and Arevalo also lost in the semis at last week’s New York Open.