Central’s athletes are stars in the East
GREIG PARK RANGERS ............... 1 BANNOCKBURN .......................... 2
Bannockburn players, officials and fans suffered horrendous weatrher conditions in Fife on Saturday but returned home with a place in the fifrth round of the Scottish Amateur Cup.
From kick off it was clear this was going to be a typical cup classic and on a soft park, cutting up with every tackle, Burn struggled to get their passing game flowing.
The first real chance came after 15 minutes when Harry Bruce picked out a great run from David O’Brien whose partially saved shot found David Donaldson to head into the net only for the referee to deem him offside.
This sprung Greig Park Rangers into action with two efforts which didn’t trouble keepr Adam Young in goal. Burn, however, never reacted to the warning signs and the home side went ahead on 40 minutes.
In the second half, with the management’s words ringing in their ears, half chances fell to Scott Taylor and Declan Wood and the latter levelled the game on the hour mark. A diagonal ball from O’Brien found the energetic Taylor whose goal-bound volley struck a defender’s arm and into the path of the on-rushing Wood who calmly slotted past the keeper.
With their tails up, Burn pushed forward and notched the second with what everyone thought was 15 minutes to go. A Burn attack was cleared to the halfway line where Kenny Feaks controlled it and drove forward.
With a wall of Rangers players in front of him, he unleashed a 30 yard pile-driver that the keeper could only push into the top corner off his post.
Burn had to rely on their strong bench of Ryan Weir, Darren Walker, Chris Ogilvie, Gary Currie and Dom McGrandles to add legs and quality in order to see the game out because the referee’s timing issues ensured some nerves as the game went on uintil the 102nd minute.
But Bannockburn held out to ensure they are still in the cup after Christmas.
The club would like to thank all the fans who travelled through to Windygates and endured the weather conditions.
Burn are at home to Wishaw on Saturday with a 2pm kick off.
Central AC’s honours list at the annual East District Cross Country Championships continues to grow with four individual wins and a fine set of team championship medals collected on Saturday.
A new course at the Piperdam leisure resort near Dundee proved a testing environment for athletes but with three golds, one silver and one bronze in the team stakes, Central topped the unofficial medal table for the event.
For individuals, the event doubled as trials for the East teams for the annual inter-district championships taking place at Stirling’s King’s Park as part of the Run Stirling event on January 11.
The Senior Men’s race saw Jamie Crowe surging to the front from the gun to establish an early lead which he extended on each of the three laps making up the 8.6 kilometres course to lift a well-deserved goldl in emphatic fashion in 27 minutes 10 seconds, winning by more than 30 seconds.
Ross Houston, making his debut as a Masters athlete (Over 40), came home in 13th place overall (29.09) to take the Masters gold some 26 years after he first featured in the Under 15 medals.
Scott Brember’s solid run in 19th (29.35) was rewarded with Masters silver medal and with back-up from Matthew Sutherland (21st; 29.37), Dale Colley (23rd; 29.43) and Chris Smithard (26th; 29.50), Central took the team silver medals behind Corstorphine AAC.
A rejuvenated Luca Fanettoli came home in 28th with 30.13 leading in a large number of Central runners including Will Hensman (67th; 32.24), David Eckersley (124th; 35.00), Andrew Irvine (127th; 35.02), Donald Shaw (135th; 35.22), Charles Graham-Marr (162nd; 36.55), Iain Dunsmore (165th; 37.12), Ben Noad (181st; 38.06), Neil Cobb (198th; 39.02), Colin Alexander (208th; 39.33), Colin Sinclair (242nd; 44.42) and Cameron Campbell (249th; 45.46).
Central’s Masters’ team of Ross Houston, Scott Brember and Will
Hensman lifted the title for the first time in Central history and Jamie Crowe’s win was his third consecutive win in this event.
The Under 20 men’s race over 6.4km, saw Central’s Hamish Hickey improve on last year’s bronze medal with a resounding victory in 20.51. Tom GrahamMarr underlined his talent to take bronze in 21.30 and with superb back-up by Aidan Shea (7th; 22.09), Central came home with team gold medals.
Central’s senior ladies were running the same course as the senior men and a team of four took fifth place in another packed and competitive field. Morag Millar led Central’s runners in with 10th in 34.37 followed by Claire Houston (30th; 37.22), Kirsten McStay (41st; 39.36) and Hazel Dean (45th; 39.46).
In the Under 20 ladies race, Lauren McCulloch ran her best race of the season with a great performance against top opposition to take the bronze medal with a 25.05 timing over the 6.4km.
Sam Grivell was Central’s sole competitor in the Under 17 nen’s race over a 5.7km course and continued to show improvement finishing a highly commendable 19th in 21.16. Grace Tindall continues to produce ever more mature performances and she gained automatic selection for the East District team with a top class 6th place in the under 17 ladies race with 23.02.
The Under 15 Boys tackled a 4.2km challenge and Connor Bell proved to be the top runner in the field with a fine win in 14.02, a superb run as a first year Under 15, having won Under 13 gold in 2018. Back-up came from Cameron Kerr (4th; 14.47) and Cameron MacMillan (7th; 14.55) which saw the Central runners lift team gold medals. Euan Docherty again looked strong in finishing 36th (16.30) as did the remaining Central boys Ruaridh Burns (44th; 16.49) and Ross Lawrie (59th; 18.09).
A strong squad of Under 15 girls claimed bronze team medals. Summer McLean led the team in with a fine ninth place (16.47) Amy Cully (15th; 17.14), Mirren Henry (18th; 17.36), Catriona Kane (30th; 19.06), Anna McKinnon (31st; 19.26) Zosia Padden (40th; 20.21) showed the club has fine prospects in this age group.
The Under 13 boys faced a 3.2km course and Joshua Kennedy caught the eye in eighth (12.01) leading in Aaron Middleton (20th; 12.28), Alex Dunlop (42nd; 13.22) and Henry Crossley (44th; 13.25). The girls under 13s saw Carys Gibb lead her team to fifth team place but also just missed automatic selection with her ninth race position in 13.22 and she was closely followed in by sister Leya (16th; 13.40) and Niamh KcKinlay (30th; 14.30).