Injuries hit Thistle in Balfron clashes
Two matches are abandoned in four days
Pupils from Tillicoultry and Coalsnaughton Primary School are now national champions following their performances at the second annual National Primary Schools Soft Archery Championships, held last week at Renfrew Leisure Centre.
Nine Clackmannanshire schools took part - Abercromby (Tullibody), Coalsnaughton, Strathdevon (Dollar), Muckhart, Banchory (Tullibody), Fishcross, Tillicoultry, Redwell (Alloa) and St Serf ’s (Tullibody).
Children were chosen from the extra curricular club sessions to represent their schools at the national event at either P4/5 or P6/7 category in teams of three.
In the group games, the teams shot six arrows each and their combined arrows gave the team their scores. The top four teams in each age group went forward to the medal matches while the other continued to play off for the minor places.
Clackmannanshire schools claimed both age group titles for the second year running with Tillicoultry winning the P6/7 category and Coalsnaughton taking the the P4/5 category. Banchory were runners-up in the P6/7 event.
Since January 2017, Clackmannanshire Active Schools have been working in partnership with Scottish Archery to develop the sport as part of both curricular and extra curricular sessions and hundreds of pupils have taken part.
More than 30 schools took part in the event. For more information on how to get involved in Soft Archery contact the council on 01259 450000.
It may be a quiz question in the future: Which two teams met each other in two different competitions in four days and neither game lasted 90 minutes?
Forth and Endrick League fans will know the answer to be Balfron Rovers and Blanefield Thistle who wre in the double header.
Last Friday, Thistle were leading Rovers 2-1 in their James D Bilsland Ltd-sponsored league match when Blanefield’s Kris Dempsey sustained an apparently bad injury. Fortunately Kris was well enough to be sent home after hospital treatment but the game was abandoned after 50 minutes.
Then on Tuesday, the duo met in a Macgregor Ferguson Cup semi-final - and again neither side heard the final whistle. This time Rovers were leading 1-0 when two Blanefield players collided. One was knocked out and sustained a bad cut above the eye and after a long delay the match was abandoned.
The other news this week was that league leaders Thornhill saw their unbeaten run end dramatically when Drymen United hit them for six.
Full strength Drymen kept their recent good form going and were on top for most of the game. Their all round scoring machine functioned well and five players found the net - Andy McNally (2), Scott Cowan, Stuart McNally, Jack Bain and David Cowan.
The result lifts them into second place, three points behind Thornhill but with a game in hand.
In Friday’s other league match, Buchlyvie earned a point from Aberfoyle with another gutsy performance resulting in a 2-2 draw.
The league went on hold on Tuesday while this season’s MacGregor Ferguson semi-final ties were played. While Balfron and Blanefield will have to replay their abandoned match, Drymen are already in the final waiting on them.
The match at Aberfoyle against Rob Roy was a tense affair but United came through 3-2 with goals from David Connolly, Scott Cowan and Andy McNally while Craig McCallum and Grant Richardson counted for the home side.
Tonight, Friday, Thornhill hope to get back to winning ways when they meet their struggling neighbours from Gargunnock. Drymen will expect to keep the pressure on with a successful visit to Blanefield. With Balfron not playing, Killearn will hope to overtake them with a win against Aberfoyle and in the other match it’s Gartocharn v Buchlyvie .
On Sunday inter-club rivalries are set aside as the players unite in a Forth and Endrick XI to play Greenock and District Welfare FA in the first leg of the final of Scottish Welfare’s Rolls Royce Cup. The match is at Greenock.
Then in Tuesday’s league fixtures, Buchlyvie play host to Thornhill. Drymen United are at home to Balfron Rovers, Gargunnock take on Blanefield Thistle and Gartocharn meet Killearn.