| LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 2007 Maryhill 3 Yoker Athletic 2 Scorers Maryhill - Slack ( 13, 72 ), Smith ( 59 ) Yoker - McKay ( 22 ), Cuthbert ( 67 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill opened season 2007 - 08 with a deserved victory on a playing surface which was perfect for good football. Opening exchanges were low key, with Hill newcomers Leyton Slack and Peter Fraser looking promising. It was from the latter's cross from the left that Maryhill opened the scoring after 13 minutes. Alan Russell met the cross at the far post and headed into the path of Slack whose well placed left foot shot gave Kenny Meechan in the visitors' goal no chance. Alan Russell, who has recently signed for Hill for a second time, was looking threatening, and his shot on the turn four minutes later brought out a good save from Meechan. Hill keeper Stephen Soave was also called upon to make a confident stop from a Chris Keaveney header, and the increased pressure from Yoker paid off after 22 minutes when ex Petershill player Scott McKay headed powerfully home from a Gary Bisland corner.The remainder of the first half was fairly even, with equality at the break being a fair reflection of the play. Maryhill stepped up the pace in the second half, and a strong run from Peter Fraser ended with his shot going narrowly over the bar. They deservedly went ahead again just before the hour, when a surging run from Slack set up Bryan Smith who placed the ball accurately past Meechan to make it 2 -1. Meechan made another good save from Chris Johnston, and the visitors replied with a Robert Cuthbert header which was just inches too high. Cuthbert had better luck a couple of minutes later, however, when poor defending allowed him a free header which went in off the post to level the score once again. Maryhill showed great resilience, and went ahead for the third time with 18 minutes remaining. Alan Russell held off a couple of strong challenges and passed to Slack, who turned well in a tight situation to send a low shot into the corner of the net. Stephen Soave made a good double stop from Watt and Cuthbert, but Maryhill finished the stronger side and should have increased their lead four minutes form the end. Substitute John Connelly was sent clear by Bryan Smith, but he delayed his final shot too long, allowing Scott Barrie to make a sliding tackle to avert the danger. MARYHILL-: Soave, Wilson, Robertson ( Crossey 73 ), Ritchie ( McCandie 73 ), Barr, Queen, Slack, Smith, Johnston ( Connelly 79 ), Russell, Fraser. SUBS ( not used )-: McGraw, Montgomery. BOOKED-: Queen ( 54 ), Crossey ( 78 ), Slack ( 83 ), Wilson ( 85 ) YOKER-: Meechan, McKay, Bisland, Jaap ( Clark 74 ), Barrie, Brady, Smith, Frew, Watt, Cuthbert, Keaveney. SUBS ( not used )-: Boal, Readie, Cairns, Howe. BOOKED-: Frew ( 63 ), Barrie ( 68 ). MAN OF THE MATCH -: Leyton Slack. |
| LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
WEDNESDAY 15th AUGUST 2007 Clydebank 2 Maryhill 2 SCORERS Clydebank-: Craig ( 39 ), Lappin ( 54 ) Maryhill-: Johnston ( 1 ), Cunningham ( o.g 90 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A disappointing performance from Maryhill saw them snatch a slightly fortunate share of the points with an own goal in the final minute. They got off to a great start with a goal straight from kick off. Alan McGraw's cross was fumbled by Bankies keeper Chris Prior, and Chris Johnston blasted the ball into the empty net. There was very little constructive play from either side for the remainder of the first period, with Clydebank's Alan Jack the only player on the field showing any real skill. Bankies equalised six minutes before half time when a long range effort from Paul Craig found its way through the proverbial forest of legs and ended up in the net. The same player was booked a couple of minutes later for his umpteenth foul, referee McIntosh deciding that Craig had had a sufficient number of warnings. Clydebank had chances to go ahead early in the second half when first Kevin Montgomery made a good save from a Jack free kick, then Mark Hailstones miskicked from a few yards out when he seemed certain to score. Hill were rarely seen in attack at this stage, but although Clydebank dominated in terms of possession, they lacked cohesion and their final ball and finishing at times was woeful. In the 54th minute, however, they took the lead when Hailstones passed to Gordon Lappin who scored from close range.Maryhill seemed out of it until the introduction of Alan Russell midway through the second half. They began to assert themselves more and Russell forced a good stop from Prior, and two minutes from the end he was very unfortuate not to score when his shot rattled the post with Prior well beaten .They did manage an equaliser in the last minute ,and again Russell was instrumental. He went for a long through ball with Prior , but although both missed it , ex Hill defender John Cunningham put the ball into his own net while attempting to clear. It would be unfair to be too critical at this early stage with so many new faces, and positional changes, but hopefully a successful blend can be found before the start of the league campaign on 1st September. Although he was only on the field for a short spell, Alan Russell gets the man of the match nomination, as his introduction led to an overall improvement in the performance of the team. CLYDEBANK-: Prior,Lennox, McInnes, Kenna, Cunningham, Docherty, Sichi ( Carr 45 ), Lappin, Hailstones, Craig ( Fisher 45 ), Jack ( Kennedy 79 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Sutherland, Duncan BOOKED-:Craig ( 41 ), Carr ( 84 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Sangster ( McIlvean 39 ), Jarvis ( Russell 67 ), Wilson, Barr, Crossey, McCandie, Fraser, Johnston , Connelly, McGraw ( Slack 59 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Queen, Soave. BOOKED-: Connelly ( 40 ), Fraser ( 44 ), Crossey ( 54 ) REFEREE- David McIntosh |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - FIRST DIVISION
SATURDAY 1st SEPTEMBER Maryhill 2 Lesmahagow 1 SCORERS Maryhill-: Slack ( 68 ), Smith ( 76 ) Lesmahagow-: McGhee ( 72 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill opened their league campaign with a narrow victory over a well organised Lesmahagow side, who will perhaps feel that they played well enough to earn a share of the points. There were few clear cut scoring chances in a goallless first half in which both teams displayed the same traits of trying to play football, but running out of ideas when reaching the penalty box. The fact that both defences , well marshalled by newcomer Craig Dewar for Hill, and Ross McTavish for the visitors,were in good form, did little to facilitate the endeavours of the respective strikers. Bryan Smith and Leyton Slack both had early attempts saved by Stewart Thomson in the visitors' goal, and for Gow, a long range effort by Murray Watson , comfortably saved by Kevin Montgomery, was their first serious effort. Just before the break a Craig Dewar header came very close for Hill, but both defences appeared unlikely to concede at this stage. A short passback early in the second half forced Kevin Montgomery into making a good stop at the feet of Phillip Cairney, but thereafter Maryhill began to gain the upper hand, and two good runs by the impressive Leyton Slack set up chances which were scorned. Alan Russell and Chris Johnston both then passed up good opportunities with weak finishing, but midway through the half, they eventually took the lead. Bryan Smith's cross from the left was missed by several Lesmahagow defenders, and Leyton Slack fired home a low shot at the far post to make it 1 - 0. The visitors took only four minutes to draw level, however, when Graham McGhee's low drive from a 25 yard free kick somehow managed to evade the attentions of the Hill defence and ended up in the net. It was a lively and engrossing encounter at this stage, with play switching from end to end, and both keepers called on to make good saves. Maryhill got what proved to be the winner with fourteen minutes remaining. Substitute John Connelly's bustling style won a free kick just outside the penalty area, and Bryan Smith's curling strike defleced off the Gow's defensive wall, leaving Thomson powerless to prevent the ball reaching the net. Despite both teams having chances to add further goals, including spectacular stramashes at both ends, there was no further scoring. In an entertaining and sporting match which had only one booking, Maryhill possibly just deserved the three points on the basis of having created more scoring chances, but they were made to fight all the way by a strong Lesmahagow team .There were several good performances, with Craig Dewar catching the eye with a solid display on his debut, and Leyton Slack, Ross Barr, and Bryan Smith all showing inspirational flashes in midfield, but man of the match was Kevin Montgomery, who although not called on to make many spectacular stops, gave an immaculate display of confident handling and good positional sense. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Robertson, Fraser, Dewar, Barr, Slack, Smith, Johnston, Russell ( Connelly 68 ), McGraw SUBS ( not used )-: McCandie, Gordon, Wood, Soave. BOOKED-: None. LESMAHAGOW-: Thomson, Brown, McGhee, McTavish, McAloney, Aymard, Cunningham , ( Mc Shane 83 ), McDade, Watson ( Mason 68 ), Crainey, Gilliland ( Bartlet 25 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Murdoch, Brazil. BOOKED-: McDade ( 41 ) Referee-: Alan Newlands Man of the match -: Kevin Montgomery |
|
STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - DIVISION 1 SATURDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2007 Troon 2 Maryhill 5 SCORERS Troon-: Sloan ( 38 ), Robb ( 66 ) Maryhill-: Elliot ( 12, 27 ), Connolly ( 22, 63 ), Friel ( o.g 24 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill registered a resounding victory over Troon at Portland Park, which took them to the top of the league. The game was effectively over after 27 minutes with Hill 4 - 0 ahead, although bearing in mind that they were 4 goals down two weeks ago and came back to win, no one was getting over confident at that stage. After a quiet and fairly uneventful opening spell, Maryhill took the lead in the twelfth minute. Chris Johnston connected with a cross from Leyton Slack, but his shot was blocked, and Tony Elliot, making his first appearance in a competitive match this season, lobbed the rebound over keeper Johnston's head into the net. Encouraged by this, Hill began to play with confidence, and went two up ten minutes later. Following a powerful run by Slack down the right wing, his cross into the box was hit home from close range by John Connolly, taking a slight deflection off a Troon defender. Another two minutes and it was 3 - 0 when full back Chris Friel headed past his own keeper when attempting to clear. Tony Elliot scored his second and Maryhill's fourth only three minutes later when John Connolly's shot rebounded off the home defence, and he was on hand to fire home a low shot to demoralise the home side. To their credit, however, Troon did fight back, and reduced the deficit eight minutes before half time , when Tommy Sloan, looking well offside, shot into the net with no Hill players in sight, apart from keeper Kevin Montgomery. From then until the break, the home side dominated the game without really coming close to scoring. With Gordon Burns on for Chris Friel, Troon started the second half in more determined fashion and Ricky Robb had two efforts well saved by Kevin Montgomery.It was Maryhill, however, who scored next on 63 minutes when a long ball from Donnie Wilson caused some " misunderstanding" in the Troon defence. John Connolly just beat Darren Johnston to the ball, and lofted it over the keeper's head to make it 5 - 1.Troon's Jason Stewart was then sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of a few seconds, first for a foul on Leyton Slack, then for arguing about the award of a free kick. A couple of minutes later, Montgomery made a great save from a Ricky Hanvey free kick, but had no luck 60 seconds later when the impressive Robb reduced the deficit with a close range header, after Montgomery had blocked his first effort. There was no further scoring, but Maryhill finished strongly with Bryan Smith, and substitute Alan Russell both coming close to increasing their lead in the closing stages. TROON-: Johnston, Friel ( Burns 45 ), Fleeting, Stewart, Cunningham, Robb, Sloan, Russell, McCormack ( McCaffrey 20 ), Kerr ( Mitchell 64 ) , Hanvey. BOOKED-: Friel ( 32 ), McCaffrey ( 60 ), Stewart ( 64 ) SENT OFF-: Stewart ( 64 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Fraser, Dewar, Robertson, Barr, Slack ( Russell 85 ), Smith, Johnston, Connolly ( McCandie 67 ), Elliot ( Sangster 55 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Crossey, Soave. BOOKED-: Barr ( 2 ), Montgomery ( 65 ) , Wilson ( 80 ) Man of the match - Leyton Slack |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - FIRST DIVISION
SATURDAY 15th SEPTEMBER 2007 Maryhill 1 Renfrew 0 SCORER-: Connolly ( 45 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A John Connolly goal right on half time was enough to secure all three points for Maryhill, and maintain their 100% league record. Ex Maryhill players Craig Ferguson and Paddy Gallagher featured in a Renfrew side which started briskly, belying their poor record so far this season. The Maryhill defence looked very vulnerable, and they were fortunate not to be behind in the early stages. Two efforts by Chris Faulds forced Kevin Montgomery into making top class saves, and a long range shot from Gallagher also produced a quality stop from the Hill keeper. In the 16th minute the visitors had the opportunity to take what would have been a deserved lead when Colin Robertson's clumsy challenge on Faulds resulted in the award of a penalty. Faulds took the kick himself, but the ball struck the crossbar and went over.Maryhill seemed encouraged by this break and started to threaten the Renfrew goal. Bryan Smith and Leyton Slack combined well, and the latter's shot was well saved by Craig Marshall, then further efforts by John Connolly and Tony Elliot came very close before they took the lead seconds before the break. Peter Fraser's free kick wide on the left was met first time by John Conolly, and his shot gave Marshall no chance to send Maryhill in at the interval 1 - 0 ahead. The second half was an absorbing affair , with the visitors doing most of the attacking, but their lack of an effective finisher proved to be their downfall. Kevin Montgomery was again in top form, handling cross balls superbly, and making one particularly outstanding save from a Joe McAlpine free kick. Maryhill threatened on the break, however, and had several chances to increase their lead. Substitute Stuart Sangster overran the ball when in a good position, then in the final minute Alan Russell set up Ross Barr with a good opportunity, but he delayed his shot long enough to allow a late challenge by Rankin to avert the danger. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Fraser, Dewar, Robertson, Barr, Slack ( Sangster 57 ), Smith, Johnston ( Russell 82 ), Connolly, Elliot ( McCandie 64 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Crossey, Soave. BOOKED-: Robertson ( 16 ), Barr ( 20 ), Fraser ( 86 ), Connolly ( 90 ) RENFREW-: Marshall, Hammond, Keys, Rankin, Loughlin ( Mort 58 ), Lees, Ferguson, McAlpine, Gallagher, Faulds ( Crowhurst 78 ), Kennedy ( Smith 64 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Gordon, Spence. BOOKED-: Hammond ( 44 ), McAlpine ( 64 ) Referee - Kevin Clancy Man of the Match - Kevin Montgomery |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Saturday 29th September 2007 KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY 3 MARYHILL 1 Scorers-: Rob Roy-: Zok ( 32 ), Kirkwood ( 78 ), Broadfoot ( 80 ) Maryhill-: Smith ( 15 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill lost their unbeaten record at Adamslie Park in a match which degenerated into farce with Hill playing the last 20 minutes with only 9 players. After only three minutes poor defending allowed Rob Roy's Chris Zok a clear run on goal, and Hill keeper Kevin Montgomery brought him down just outside the penalty area. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a free kick and showing a red card to Montgomery. Striker Alan Russell was taken off to allow substitute keeper Stephen Soave to replace Montgomery, a decision which caused obvious displeausure to Russell and, it has to be said, to most of the Maryhill support. Unsurprisingly, with Maryhill a man short and playing one up front, the home side dominated for the rest of the first half, but despite the skillful play of Chris Zok and Clinton Maxwell, they created few clear cut chances, and it was Hill who went ahead after 15 minutes. A lob from John Connelly eluded the home defence, and Bryan Smith nipped in to force the ball past keeper Kevin Bell. The Maryhill defence was coping well with the non stop Rob Roy attacks, but they gifted them a goal in the 32nd minute, when Ross Barr miskicked his clearance, leaving Zok with an easy chance to give his side the equaliser. The second half continued in the same vein with Hill defending in depth, and the home side going all out to exploit their extra man advantage and the fact that further misfortune struck Hill when captain Bryan Smith had to retire due to ill health just 11 minutes into the second half. Despite this setback, however, the combination of dreadful finishing from Rob Roy and inspired goalkeeping from Stephen Soave meant that Maryhill looked capable of holding out for a draw until Donny Wilson was sent off following a second booking, leaving Maryhill to play the final 20 minutes two men short. The task proved too much, and the almost inevitable happened when the home side sealed victory in the last twelve minutes with goals from substitutes David Kirkwood and Jamie Broadfoot. ROB ROY-: Bell, Carter, Jarvis, Prunty, Morrison, Tamburini ( Broadfoot 74 ), Chang, Campbell ( McPeake 83 ), Zok, C.Maxwell ( Kirkwood 66 ), Vaugh. SUBS ( not used )-: S.Maxwell, Dearie. BOOKED-: Jarvis ( 13 ), Campbell ( 36 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Robertson ( Sangster 28 ), Barr, Dewar, Crossey, Slack, Smith ( Gordon 56 ), Russell ( Soave 3 ), Connelly, McAndie. SUBS ( not used )-: Queen, Thomson. BOOKED-: Connelly ( 30 ), Wilson ( 59 ), Soave ( 72 ). SENT OFF -: Montgomery ( 3 ), Wilson ( 70 ) Man of the match -: Stephen Soave |
| Scottish Cup - First Round
Saturday 6th October 2007 BLACKBURN UNITED 0 MARYHILL O Match Report by John Hinshelwood Towards the end of the first half some locals were heard to remark that this game had 0 - 0 written all over it. The prophecy turned out to be accurate, but considering the almost total absence of creative ideas from both sides, it was not really too bold a prediction. The first attempt at goal arrived on 23 minutes when Blackburn's Derek Drummond tried his luck from 25 yards, but his shot went wide. Nine minutes from the break Bryan Smith came close for Hill, but his effort from six yards was deflected for a corner. The first, and arguably , only real piece of skill came three minutes later when Stephen McCardie beat three Hill players, but unfortunately his final ball into the box was poor, and was easily cleared. Just before half time a good run down the left by Peter Fraser ended with his accurate cross being headed over the bar by Brian McAndie. The prevailing view among the Maryhill support at half time was that it had been the poorest first 45 minutes of the season, but the optimistic opined that things could only get better. The fact that the main topics of conversation during the second period were the quality of the pies, appreciation of the arboreal splendour on the far side of the pitch, and speculating as to when Rangers would be awarded their penalty at Ibrox as they were 0-1 down to Hibs, only served to underline the fact that things certainly did not get better.The substitution of John Connelly and Leyton Slack for Ross Barr and Brian McAndie did little to change things, and although Andrew Crossey and Alan Russell both had reasonable attempts well saved by United keeper Barry Hunter, and the home side had a late flurry of activity in their attempt to snatch a winner, such was the ineptitude of the finishing of both sides that neither deserved to progress to the next round. The replay will be at Lochburn Park next Saturday, 13th October, with a 1p.m kick off, when hopefully things will get better. BLACKBURN-: Hunter, Sneddon, Fowler, Polwart, Savage, McCardie, Brown, Drummond, L.Docherty ( McQuillan 82 ), R.Docherty, Waddell. SUBS ( not used )-: Brown, Tevendale, Campbell. BOOKED-: None. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Sangster ( Gordon 84 ), Fraser, Wilson, Dewar, Barr ( Connelly 56 ), Crossey, Smith, Johnston, Russell, McAndie ( Slack 56 ) SUBS ( not used )-; Elliott, Robertson. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 50 ), Dewar ( 64 ) Referee- : Paul Wedlock |
| SCOTTISH CUP - 1st ROUND REPLAY
SATURDAY 13th OCTOBER 2007 Maryhill 2 Blackburn 2 SCORERS Maryhill-: Connelly ( 1 ), Savage ( o.g 23 ) Blackburn-: Waddell ( 16 ), L.Docherty ( 76 ) ( penalties 4 - 3 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill progressed to the second round of the Scottish Cup after a lively and entertaining match, which was eventually settled by penalty kicks. The game was a vast improvement on last week's drab and dismal affair, with both sides seeming to thrive on the good playing surface. There was more action in the first twenty five minutes than in the whole of last week's game, with three of the four goals coming in this period. Hill took the lead in the first minute, when Bryan Smith's cross from the right was headed home by John Connelly for his fourth goal of the season. Chris Johnston came close to making it two five minutes later, but his strong shot was just wide. The visitor's first goal attempt arrived on eight minutes when Lee Docherty headed past from an Alan Brown cross. Exchanges were fairly even at this stage, and a good piece of play involving Chris Johnston and Tony Elliott, ended with the latter's powerfully struck shot being well saved by Barry Hunter in the Blackburn goal.The visitors gained a rather fortunate equaliser in the sixteenth minute when Glenn Waddell's free kick took a deflection, leaving Kevin Montgomery stranded. They were unfortunate, however, not to go ahead five minutes later when Lee Docherty's close range shot struck the foot of Montgomery's right hand post. Maryhill retaliated with a long range effort from Johnston which produced another good stop from Hunter, and a minute later they took the lead for the second time. There was an element of good fortune about this goal too, as Donny Wilson's shot from the edge of the penalty area was diverted past Hunter by Blackburn defender Bryan Savage. It should have been three just four minutes later when indecision in the Blackburn defence allowed John Connelly a clear run on goal, but his final shot went weakly past the post. Ryan Docherty then had a chance to bring his side level when he too had a clear run on goal, but Kevin Montgomery blocked his shot to avert the danger. Maryhill finished the half strongly with a Johnston shot going inches past, and a Bryan Smith attempt well saved by Hunter. Maryhill were well on top in the second half, but failed to convert all their pressure into goals. Leyton Slack had a couple of good chances, and substitute Paul Gordon was causing the visitors' defence problems, but against the run of play, Blackburn equalised with fourteen minutes remaining. The goal arrived in somewhat controversial circumstances, when a long ball from defence found the unmarked Lee Docherty. His shot was saved by Montgomery, but the ball spun high into the air, and as it headed goalwards Montgomery made a second save. The assistant referee indicated, however, that the ball had crossed the line, and Montgomery was eventually booked for his outraged protest.Blackburn were obviously happy to hold out for a penalty decider, and at times had seven men in defence in an attempt to prevent Maryhill scoring again. Despite several close encounters, the tactic succeeded, and the game finished at 2 - 2. In the shoot out Smith scored for Maryhill, and Brown did likewise for Blackburn. Alan Russell's shot was saved by Hunter then David Sneddon put the visitors 2-1 ahead. Paul Gordon and Colin Robertson scored for Hill, and Lee Docherty was on target for Blackburn. Ryan Docherty's over confident approach cost his side dearly as Montgomery saved his poor effort, and it was all down to the last two kicks. Donny Wilson scored for Maryhill, but substitute Peter Lynch sent his shot past the post to give Maryhill victory by 4 -3. Overall, Maryhill probably deserved to go through on the strength of their second half display, but they were made to fight all the way by a determined Blackburn side, who have to be commended for their sporting display over the two matches. For Maryhill this was a vast improvement on last week's performance with Colin Robertson and Craig Dewar shaping up as a solid central defensive unit, Chris Johnston looking sharp up front, and Leyton Slack, after a quiet first half, producing some stylish touches in the second period. Man of the mach award, however,goes to Bryan Smith for strong leadership and 100% effort over the ninety minutes. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Fraser, Dewar, Robertson, Crossey ( Barr 51 ), Slack, Smith, Johnston, Connelly ( Russell 80 ), Elliott ( Gordon 61 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Sangster, McAndie. BOOKED-: Gordon ( 70), Montgomery ( 76 ), Smith ( 83 ) BLACKBURN-: Hunter, Fowler, Polwart ( Tevendale 89 ), Sneddon, Savage, Drummond ( Lynch 75 ), Brown, McArdie, R.Docherty, L.Docherty, Waddell ( Graham 81 ) BOOKED-: Fowler ( 55 ). Referee J.Burns Man of the match - Bryan Smith. |
| SATURDAY 20th OCTOBER 2007 WEST OF SCOTLAND CUP - FIRST ROUND Ardeer Thistle 2 Maryhill 2 SCORERS Ardeer-: Kippen ( 77pen, 90 ) Maryhill-: McAndie ( 36 ), Gordon ( 83 ) ( penalties 4 - 1 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood For the second successive week Maryhill were involved in a penalty shoot out, but unlike last week their opponents proved more accurate from the spot, and their interest in the West of Scotland Cup was ended for another season. The home side, obviously determined to impress their new manager, started briskly, and had two shots come back off the post in the opening five minutes. In Maryhill's first attack Bryan Smith's cross was fumbled by keeper Jonathan Robertson, but unfortunately no Maryhill players were available to take advantage. Ardeer continued to dominate, however, and a shot from John Gallagher was just inches off target, then Stephen Soave made two outstanding saves in the space of a minute from Chris Kippen and Darren Gibson. In the 28th minute Kippen, who was causing real problems for the Maryhill defence, was sent clear, but again Soave made a superb block to keep the his side on level terms. Maryhill came gradually back into the game and went ahead nine minutes from half ime. Paul Gordon made a strong run down the right and his shot was blocked but not held by goalkeeper Robertson. Gordon followed up and his cross was tapped home on the line by Brian McAndie for his first Maryhill goal. Hill gained confidence from being ahead against the run of play, and were on top until the interval. Indeed, they could easily have gone in three up as firstly Robertson made a fantastic save from a Chris Johnston header which seemed to be heading for the net, then a Craig Dewar header struck the bar with the keeper well beaten. Shortly after the break Stephen Soave made another good save from a John Gallagher shot, but the home side faded and Maryhill looked likely to add to their lead with good efforts from McAndie, Gordon, Barr and Smith all coming very close. With thirteen minutes remaining, howevr, the home side equalised under controversial circumstances. Colin Robertson's clumsy challenge on Darren Gibson may or may not have been illegal, but it certainly appeared to take place outside the penalty box. Despite Maryhill's protests referee Paul Robertson awarded a penalty from which Craig Kippen scored. Strangely, this did not seem to inspire Ardeer, and Maryhill regained their lead just six minutes later when Bryan Smith's cross from the left was headed powerfully into the net by Paul Gordon. Maryhill appeared to have sealed victory in the final minute when Gordon's shot was blocked by the keeper and Smith was on hand to fire the rebound into the empty net. Again there was some controversy over the fact that the goal was disallowed, apparently for offside. The referee's decision was to prove very costly for Maryhill as Kippen scored his second goal for the home side in injury time to take the game to a penalty decider. The Maryhill players seemed almost visibly deflated by the events of the final minutes, and the feeling that it was not to be their day was confirmed when their first two kicks from Bryan Smith and sub John Connelly were easily saved by Robertson ,whereas Chris Kippen and Graham Patterson were on target for Ardeer. Although Paul Gordon did manage to score for Maryhill, successful strikes from substitutes Fran Kilpatrick and Ian Collins were enough to see the home side into the second round. ARDEER-:Robertson, Kane, Campbell, Gilmour, Smith ( Collins 62 ), Gallagher, Gibson, Reid, Kelly ( Kilpatrick 88 ), Kippen, Patterson. SUBS ( not used )-: Nimmo BOOKED-:Campbell ( 73 ), Gallagher ( 90 ) MARYHILL-: Soave, Sangster, Robertson, Wilson, Dewar, Barr, Gordon, Smith, Johnston, McAndie ( Connelly 86 ), Slack ( Russell 86 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Crossey, Fraser, Montgomery. BOOKED-: Robertson ( 24 ) Referee-: Paul Robertson Man of the match-: Stephen Soave. |
| SATURDAY 27th OCTOBER 2007
STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - FIRST DIVISION Kilbirnie Ladeside 3 Maryhill 0 SCORERS-: McGuinness ( 31, 88 ), Erskine ( pen 85 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill's worst performance of the season so far saw them outplayed from start to finish by a very impressive Kilbirnie team. Right from the kick off the home side went on the offensive and Kevin Montgomery made a great save from an Alan Kinney header after only three minutes.With a display of attractive football, Kilbirnie were cutting through the Maryhill defence with ease, and only further superb stops by Montgomery from efforts by Kinney, Gray and Smith kept Maryhill on level terms.Some solid defending from Craig Dewar also helped prevent Kilbirnie from going ahead, but just after the half hour mark they eventually took a deserved lead when Liam McGuinness blasted home from twelve yards. The home side remained on top , and Maryhill were very fortunate to be only one goal behind at the break. The hope that perhaps playing with the advantage of the strong wind in the second half might change Maryhill's fortunes proved groundless as Kilbirnie continued to play attractive football and leave the Hill fans wondering how they had not managed a league win this season. There was a momentary ray of hope as Paul Gordon made a couple of good runs down the right wing, and from his cross in the 55th minute a mighty "stramash" ensued in the Kilbirnie goalmouth, but no Hill player was on hand to put the ball away.The impressive Jamie Longworth was sent clear four minutes later, but again Montgomery produced a magnificent save to keep the score at 1 -0. A further succession of saves by Montgomery from Gray, McGuinness, and a John Harvey free kick caused further frustration to the home team, then home keeper Paul McCann was forced to make his only real save of the day as he he dived to push away a 30 yard shot from Andrew Crossey. Kilbirnie eventually managed to give the score a more realistic look with two goals in the last five minutes from a Chris Erskine penalty, and another close range effort from Liam McGuinness. This was a very poor display by Maryhill with only Craig Dewar and Paul Gordon among the outfield players turning in anything like acceptable performaces, and had it not been for an outstanding display of goalkeeping from Kevin Montgomery, the margin of defeat could have been much greater. KILBIRNIE-: McCann, Todd, Harvey, Smith, Quigley, Anderson, Gray ( Miller 84 ), McGuinness, Longworth, Kinney, Rankin ( Erskine 77 ). SUBS ( not used )-; Davidson, Rooney, Ward. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Sangster, Robertson, Dewar, Wilson, Crossey, Gordon, Smith, Russell, Connelly ( Johnston 70 ), Trialist ( Elliott 70 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Barr, McAndie, Soave. BOOKED-: Russell ( 24 ), Crossey ( 57 ), Connelly ( 64 ), Robertson ( 72 ), Wilson ( 87 ) Referee-: Andy Tait Man of the Match -: Kevin Montgomery NEXT MATCH - Saturday 3rd November 2 p.m Scottish Cup 2nd Round Maryhill v Auchinleck Talbot |
| SATURDAY 3rd NOVEMBER 2007
SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP - 2nd ROUND Maryhill 1 Auchinleck Talbot 6 SCORERS Maryhill-: Smith ( 88 ) Auchinleck-:Young ( 43 ), McKelvie ( 56 ), Boyle ( 64, 65 ) Friels ( 77, 83 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood For the second successive week an inspired display from goalkeeper Kevin Montgomery prevented Maryhill from incurring a defeat of catastrophic proportions, and although the dismissal of midfielder Andrew Crossey ten minutes before half time certainly contributed to the heavy defeat, the gulf in class between the sides was evident from start to finish. The visitors could easily have been two goals ahead in the opening minutes when first the unmarked Brian Young headed narrowly past, then John Boyle broke clear, but his shot hit the side net. It was mostly one way traffic with Auchinleck creating, but missing countless chances, due in no small part to some excellent saves from Kevin Montgomery.Maryhill did have a good scoring chance when Donny Wilson was left unmarked just outside the visitors' penalty area, but his first touch was found wanting, and the opportunity was lost. Peter Fraser was perhaps fortunate not to receive a second booking as he obstructed Brian Young, but just as it was looking as if Hill might hold out until the break, a difficult task was rendered amost impossible when Crossey was sent off. It appeared to be a rather harsh decision as he reacted to being held in a stranglehold on the ground by John Boyle, especially in view of the fact that the Talbot player's actions did not even merit a warning from referee Glancy. Two minutes from the interval Montgomery made a great save from a Boyle effort, but the ball broke to Brian Young who shot high into the net from close range to give Auchinleck a 1 - 0 lead. The substitution of Alan Russell for Peter Fraser at the start of the second half did little to improve Maryhill's performance, and when Danny McKelvie made it 2 -0 in the 56th minute when he connected with Boyle's cross, it was simply a matter of how many Auchinleck were going to score.The home defence appeared non existent at times, and it often looked as if the visitors had more than a one man advantage as they frequently had three or four attackers to one Hill defender. Boyle added another two in the space of a couple of minutes before substitute Gavin Friels scored the goal of the game with a blistering shot from wide on the left which gave Montgomery no chance. Friels got his second and Talbot's sixth as he drifted through the "missing" Hill defence, before Bryan Smith got a consolation for Maryhill two minutes from the end. It is difficult to know what to say about a performance like this, and it shows just how far Maryhill have regressed in the last two seasons. The days of exepcting to compete with or defeat a team of Auchinleck's stature seem like a distant memory, and a vast improvement is required if a serious promotion challenge is to be sustained. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Fraser ( Russell 45 ), Dewar, Elliott, Smith, Crossey, Barr, Gordon, Johnston ( McAndie 78 ), Slack. SUBS ( not ued )-: Connelly, Sangster, Soave. BOOKED-: Fraser ( 15 ), Gordon ( 76 ), Barr ( 80 ) SENT OFF-: Crossey ( 35 ) AUCHINLECK-: Barnes, White, McVey, Lundie, Collins, Spence, Young ( Doolan 61 ), Slaven, Boyle ( Robertson 78 ), McKelvie ( Friels 61 ), Gilmour. SUBS ( not used )-: Anderson, Davidson. BOOKED-: Collins ( 49 ) Referee-: Kevin Glancy Man of the Match - Kevin Montgomery. Next Game Saturday 10th November Super League Maryhill v Annbank 2 p.m |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - DIVISION 1
SATURDAY 10th NOVEMBER 2007 Maryhill 0 Annbank United 6 SCORERS Noble ( 6, 14 ), McKenzie ( 29 ), Wilson ( 60 ), Hyslop ( 63 ), Boyd ( 64 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood This was one of the most embarrassing defeats that most Maryhill supporters can remember,as they were systematically taken apart and outplayed by a team that was no more than competent. The visitors almost went ahead in the first minute when sloppy defending allowed Stuart Maxwell to head onto the bar.Two minutes later Maryhill had a great chance to take the lead when Bryan Smith was sent clear, but in attempting to take the ball round keeper Brian McGarrity, he played it too far creating a difficult angle for himself and the chance was lost. It was to prove a costly miss as Annnbank took the lead just a few minutes later, when full back Jimmy Noble cut in from the left and struck a magnificent curling shot which gave Kevin Montgomery no chance. Noble then got his second goal after 14 minutes when his free kick from just outside the penalty area crashed off the underside of the bar, but although it was scrambled clear by the Hill defence, it had already crossed the line. Brian McAndie was unfortunate not to reduce the deficit when his header struck the post, but the visitors always looked dangerous and Dwayne Hyslop almost made it three, Montgomery making a good save from his close range shot. Just before the half hour mark, however, Annbank did increase their lead when dreadful defending allowed Paul McKenzie far too much room to set up a well placed right foot shot which flew high into the net to make it 3 - 0. With Andrew Crossey on in place of Stuart Sangster, Maryhill made a bright start to the second half, and a Chris Johnston free kick caused havoc in the Annbank defence. A minute later a cross from Johnston into the box looked threatening, but a superb diving save by McGarrity averted the danger. Any hopes of a fight back were thwarted after just five minutes when Ross Barr was sent off after receiving a second yellow card from referee McIntyre for a late challenge on Chris Flannagan. The visitors then sealed victory with a devastating three goals in four minutes period. Shambolic defending allowed James Wilson, Dwayne Hyslop and Lee Boyd to score easily, and the visitors seemed bewildered at the ease with which they were able to cut through the Maryhill defence, with only some reckless finishing and some good saves from Montgomery preventing them from adding to their lead. This was a truly dire display from Maryhill, and apart from the usual sound peformance from Kevin Montgomery in goal, only Craig Dewar, Chris Johnston and substitute Leyton Slack earned pass marks, with Johnston probably just edging it for man of the match for 100% effort both in attack and defence over the ninety minutes. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Sangster ( Crossey 45 ), Wilson, Queen, Dewar, Barr, Gordon, Smith, McAndie ( Slack 68 ),Russell ( Connelly 75 ), Johnston. SUBS ( not used )-: Soave. BOOKED-: Barr ( 27 ), Crossey ( 65 ), Dewar ( 82 ) SENT OFF-: Barr ( 50 ) ANNBANK-: McGarrity, Flannagan, Noble, Maxwell, Burgess ( Heffron 72 ), Hyslop, Boyd, Inglis ( Connelly 68 ),Wilson, McCann, McKenzie ( Main 78 ) BOOKED-: Inglis ( 65 ). Referee - Hugh McIntyre Man of the Match - Chris Johnston Next Game Sat 17th Nov. Stagecoach League Clydebank v Maryhill Kick off time and venue tbc |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - DIVISION 1
SATURDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2007 Clydebank 5 Maryhill 2 SCORERS Clydebank-:Kenna ( 9 ), Lennox ( 28 ), Carr ( 73, 86 ), Hoey ( 80 ), Maryhill-: Smith ( 16 ), Connelly ( 32 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Another week, another embarrassing defeat. A sort of monotonous inevitability seems to be setting in with regard to Maryhill's matches, as the seemingly inexorable slide towards the abyss continues.Less than eighteen months ago, anything other than comfortable victories against the likes of Annbank and Clydebank would have been considered unacceptable, far less losing a total of 11 goals to these teams in consecutive weeks. Times change fast in football, however, and yesterday they were eventually well beaten by a team clearly on the way up. There had been justifiable cause for optimism in the first 45 minutes of yesterday's match, as Hill deserved to be on level terms at the break, and showed considerable resolve in fighting back twice. They could easily have been two up in the opening minutes as efforts from Bryan Smith and Paul Gordon ( twice) came very close, but it was Clydebank who went ahead after nine minutes when Andy Kenna's well placed shot gave Kevin Montgomery little chance. The proverbial heads did not go down, however, and within seven minutes Hill were level as Bryan Smith rose to head Leyton Slack's corner past Barry Corr in the Bankies' goal. James Lennox restored Clydebank's lead on 28 minutes, but it took Maryhill only four minutes to equalise for a second time when John Connelly scored the goal of the game with a scorching right foot shot which soared high into the top left hand corner of Corr's goal. Both teams missed good opportunities to go ahead before half time, Lee Sichi heading narrowly over for Clydebank, and Bryan Smith having his shot well saved by Corr. Unfortunately, the optimism generated by Maryhill's spirited first half display was quickly dispelled as "normal service" was soon resumed. Even the dismissal of the home side's Lennox for an off the ball incident seemed to do more to galvanise Clydebank, and their increased determination allied to some now familiar woeful defending handed them the game as Maryhill sank without trace.Three goals in the final seventeen minutes, two from Carr and one from Hoey sealed Maryhill's fate, as they too were reduced to ten men with the sending off of Tony Elliott nine minutes from the end for a second booking. Many more displays like this will see Maryhill struggle to beat anyone, and the rest of the season could be a fight to avoid relegation for a second consecutive season. With four teams going down from this division, this will not be an easy task, and without apportioning blame, it may well be the case that regime change offers the only hope of respite. CLYEBANK-:Corr, Allum, McInness, Kenna, Cunningham, Docherty ( Soutar 45 ), Lennox, Lappin, Hailstones ( Carr 45 ), Bowie ( Hoey 74 ),Sichi. BOOKED-: Bowie ( 14 ), Carr ( 60 ). SENT OFF-: Lennox ( 57 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Elliott, Wilson, Dewar, Queen ( Crossey 45 ), Gordon, Smith, Johnston ( Russell 88 ), Connelly, Slack. BOOKED-: Barr ( 14 ), Gordon ( 44 ), Dewar ( 49 ), Elliott ( 60 ), Smith ( 67 ). SENT OFF-: Elliott ( 81 ) Referee-: Bobby Madden Man of the Match-: Bryan Smith NEXT GAME - Sat 24th November Stagecoach League Johnstone Burgh v Maryhill Kick Off 1.45. Stats Update Goalscorers 8 - Bryan Smith 5 - John Connelly 3 - Leyton Slack 2 - Chris Johnston, Tony Elliott, Paul Gordon. 1 - Brian McAndie. Man of the Match 4 - Kevin Montgomery 2 - Leyton Slack, Alan Russell, Steven Soave,Bryan Smith. 1 - Chris Johnston. |
| STAGECOACH LEAGUE - DIVISION 1
SATURDAY 15th DECEMBER 2007 Maryhill 2 Kilwinning Rangers 8 SCORERS Maryhill- Johnston ( 44 ), Robertson ( 77 ) Kilwinning - Reid ( 6, 52, 57, 71, 86 ), Mullin ( 29 ), Dewar ( o.g 49 ), Wallace ( 79 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood " There's not a lot you can say about that" is a phrase oft uttered by a Hill regular, and it aptly sums up this performance.The statistics tell their own tale too - 10 games without a win over 90 minutes, 6 consecutive league defeats with a loss of 27 goals, biggest home defeat for over 30 years, and 20 goals conceded in the last 3 games at Lochburn, making it the worst sequence of home results in the club's history ( Clydebank was officially an away game ). Kilwinning totally dominated the first half, and the only surprise was that they only managed to score twice. Stephen Reid got the first of five of the easiest goals he will probably ever score after only six minutes, and one of the smallest men on the park, full back Paul Mullin headed a second just before the half hour mark. The same player incredibly outjumped the home defence again a few minutes later, but just narrowly missed the target. George Wallace, Gary Broadfield ad ex Hill favourite Steven McCulloch all passed up good chances to increase their side's lead, before Maryhill pulled a goal back just before half time when Chris Johnston shot past Kilwinning keeper Kerr from a few yards out. Any hopes that this may have triggered a fightback were extinguished when the visitors scored three times in eight minutes just after the break. Craig Dewar scored an own goal as he attempted to head clear a cross from Nikki Smith, then Reid completed his hat trick with two simple tap ins, as Mayhill resistance collapsed as they were taken apart by a team who had barely broken sweat. After Ross Barr had been sent off following a second booking, abysmal defending again presented Reid with a chance that he probably couldn't have missed if he had tried, and that was 6 -1. Surprisingly, Maryhill then started to play a bit, with substitute trialist Barclay displaying some good touches, then another sub Colin Robertson scored a good goal as he headed powerfully past Kerr from a Leyton Slack corner. This only served to antagonise the visitors as they added two more in the final ten minutes. George Wallace scored the goal of the game with a strong run and powerful finish, before Reid got his fifth and his team's eighth four minutes from the end with another simple close range effort. Barclay was very unlucky not to reduce the deficit in the final minute as his well struck 25 yard shot came back off the inside of the post with Kerr well beaten. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Wilson, Dearie, Dewar ( Robertson 62 ), Barr, Queen ( Trialist 52 ), Gordon, Smith, Johnston, Slack, Trialist ( McCandie 52 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Russell, Soave. BOOKED-: Barr ( 5 ), Wilson ( 63 ), Slack ( 74 ) SENT OFF-: Barr ( 70 ) KILWINNING-: Kerr, Wilson, Mullin, Traynor, Moore, Derek McCulloch, Smith, Wallace, Reid, Broadfield ( Docherty 50 ), Steven McCulloch ( Orr 76 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Johnston, McLean. BOOKED-: Derek McCulloch ( 21 ) |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Saturday 5th January 2008 LESMAHAGOW 1 MARYHILL 1 Scorers Lesmahagow-: McGeogh ( pen 59 ) Maryhill-: Connelly ( 66 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood The main talking point before the game, apart from how Maryhill would perform under new manager Kevin O'Neil , was whether the park was playable. The large puddle on the enclosure side, the heavy rain just before kick off,and he fact that the players had to do their pre match warm up in a nearby park to avoid damaging the playing surface, all combined to create an atmosphere of doubt as to whether the game would actually be completed. Despite the deteriorating state of the pitch, the game did go ahead, with all of the players deserving praise for the way that they managed to produce a lively, entertaining and sporting match with only one yellow card, in such difficult and at times farcical conditions. The home side dominated for most of the ninety minutes, but Maryhill produced a spitited and determined defensive performace, to earn their first point in seven matches. In one of their rare first half attacks, Maryhill almost snatched the lead just before the break when Alan Russell's cross from the left was headed narrowly past by John Connelly. Playing down the slope in the second half, Lesmahagow had the bulk of the pressure and took the lead just before the hour. Referee Hugh McIntyre awarded a penalty for an apparent off the ball incident, and John McGeogh scored from the spot. Maryhill fought back well and equalised just seven minutes later when John Connelly scored from close range following some frantic frolicking in the mud inside the home penalty area.They began to play with some confidence, and Paul Gordon was unlucky not to put them ahead three minutes later when his 25 yard shot beat home keeper Stewart Thomson, but struck the bar. Lesmahagow should have secured the points in the final fifteen minutes, but dogged defending, and three outstanding saves from Kevin Montgomery denied them. John McGeogh and substitute Murray Watson both broke clear on seperate occasions and seemed certain to score, but fantastic saves from the Hill keeper kept them level, and his stop from a Ross McTavish free kick also came into the outstanding category.In the final minute, however, it was Gow keeper Thomson who was called upon to make a vital save from Alan Russell to earn his side a share of the points. This was a much improved all round display from Maryhill with all players giving 100%, but Kevin Montgomery earns the man of the match award for some exceptional saves at vital stages in the match. LESMAHAGOW-: Thomson, Doyle, McGhee, McGuigan ( Brown 79 ), Brown ( Watson 66 ), Creaney, Aymard ( McTavish 66 ), McDade, Davies, McGeogh, Gilliland. SUBS ( not used )-: Cunningham, McGoldrick. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Robertson ( McAndie 70 ), Dewar, Wilson, Slack, Trialist, Smith, Russell, Gordon, Connelly ( Elliott 70 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Queen, Dearie, Soave. BOOKED-: Smith ( 71) Referee-: Hugh McInytre Man of the match-: Kevin Montgomery |
| Stagecoach Super League - Division 1
Saturday 19th January 2008 MARYHILL 1 LARGS 2 Maryhill-: Gordon ( pen 8 ) Largs-: Robertson ( 57 ), Black ( 86 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill's run of games without a victory was extended to 11, as they were denied a second successive draw by a goal four minutes from the end. With new signing Chris McKee in the starting line up, Hill started in determined fashion and went ahead after only eight minutes. Referee Rafferty awarded a penalty after the ball had struck Martin Dow's hand, and Paul Gordon scored from the spot, after the lengthy protests from the Largs players had eventually subsided. The visitors then dominated for most of the first half, although it took until almost the half hour mark before they seriously threatened the Maryhill goal, Graham Black's powerful shot just skimming the crossbar. A couple of minutes later a low shot from Jonathan Donnelly was just wide of the goal, but Maryhill were not totally out of it,however, and Paul Gordon just failed to connect with an Alan Russell cross from close range.Largs finished the half strongly and William McClure's shot from six yards came very close to bringing them level just before the break. The visitors maintained their superiority in the second period, and after Black somehow managed to head past from only a few yards out, they gained a deserved equaliser in the 57th minute. There was an element of good fortune about the goal as John Robertson's cross struck a Hill defender and ended up in the net. Chris McKee had a great chance to restore Maryhill's lead just a minute later when he was sent clear by John Connelly, but unfortunately he overran the ball allowing Largs keeper Stephen Connick to gather easily. Apart from another chance for McKee, when an additional couple of inches in height would have enabled him to connect with a Bryan Smith cross, Largs dominated and passed up several good opportunities to go ahead, most notably when McClure managed to scoop the ball over the bar from a couple of yards. Just as it was looking as if Maryhill would hold out for a share of the points, they conceded another goal four minutes from time. John Connelly's loose pass was intercepted by Graham Black, who ran unchallenged before sending a shot past Kevin Montgomery to secure all three points for his team. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Robertson, Wilson, Dewar, Smith, Trialist ( Crossey 55 ), Gordon, Russell ( Hobbs 58 ), McKee, Connelly. SUBS ( not used )-: McAndie, Queen, Soave. BOOKED-: Connelly ( 30 ), Gordon ( 71 ), Barr ( 85 ) LARGS-: Connick, Molloy ( McCann 64 ), Hendren, Gault, Shearer, Dow, Black, Robertson, McClure, Jamieson ( Cummings 78 ), Donnelly ( Marks 57 ). SUBS ( not used )-: McLennan, McCabe. BOOKED-: Hendren ( 34 ), Black ( 40 ), Marks ( 72 ), Jamieson ( 77 ) Referee-: Pat Rafferty Man of the match-: Paul Gordon GOALSCORERS UPDATE 8 - Bryan Smith 6 - John Connelly 3 - Chris Johnston, Leyton Slack, Paul Gordon 2 - Tony Elliott 1 - Brian McAndie, Alan Russell, Colin Robertson |
| Stagecoach Super League - Division 1
Saturday 9th February 2008 MARYHILL 2 KILBIRNIE LADESIDE 6 Maryhill- Hobbs ( 24 ), McAndie ( 81 ) Kilbirnie- Longworth ( 7, 22, pen 72, 80, pen 90 ), Rankin ( 64 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood This was probably Maryhill's worst performance of the season so far, as they were totally outclased by Kilbirnie. Kevin Montgomery once again produced a top class display in the Hill goal, preventing an embarrassing defeat from turning into a massacre. It took the visitors only seven minutes to take the lead when the unmarked Jamie Longworth headed home from close range. The same player had a great chance to make it two, but slipped at the vital moment. It was all one way traffic,as time and time again the Kilbirnie forwards strolled past the Hill defence with ease. A scorching 30 yard free kick from John Harvey missed the target by inches, just before the almost inevitable second goal arrived on 22 minutes. Again the home defenders were nowhere to be seen as Longworth was allowed to progress and score easily. Maryhill had hardly been out of their own half at this stage, but managed to pull a goal back two minutes later. A long ball from Paul Gordon wrong footed the Ladeside defence, and Charlie Hobbs picked up the loose ball and calmly beat Paul McCann in the visitors' goal. Despite almost constant pressure from the visitors, they were unable to score further before the break. The opening third of the second period produced little incident of note, but after nineteen minutes, more defensive indecision from Maryhill handed the visitors the crucial third goal, Neil Rankin tapping home from a few yards out. Eight minutes later it was four, as Longworth completed his hat trick from the penalty spot. Kevin Montgomery then produced a series of excellent saves, but could do nothing to stop Longworth scoring his fourth and Kilbirnie's fifth ten minutes from the end. In a rare home attack, sub Brian McAndie headed a second for Maryhill a minute later to make it 5-2, but in the final minute Longworth again scored from the penalty spot, after Andrew Crossey had handled on the line. A red card was Crossey's punishment from preventing a goalscoring opportunity. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr,Sideserf ( Connelly 64 ), Queen, Wilson, McManus, Gordon ( Crossey 45 ), Smith, Russell, McKee, Hobbs ( McAndie 75 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Dewar, Soave. BOOKED-: McKee( 27 ), Barr ( 67 ), Wilson ( 69 ), Crossey ( 74 ), Hobbs ( 75 ). SENT OFF-: Crossey ( 90 ) KILBIRNIE-: McCann, Caldwell, Harvey, Smith ( Cochrane 13 ), Quigley, Anderson, Collins ( Gray 68 ), McGuinness, Longworth, Kinney, Rankin (Struthers 72 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Todd, Rosentahl. BOOKED-: Harvey ( 60 ), Longworth ( 71 ) MAN OF THE MATCH - Kevin Montgomery |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - FIRST DIVISION
SATURDAY 29TH MARCH 2008 Maryhill 0 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 2 Scorers-: Maxwell ( 5 ), Zok ( 65 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Anyone not familiar with these two teams would have been hard pressed to tell which was top of the league in a match almost devoid of excitement or constructive football. Scrappiness and mediocrity were the games defining characteristics, with both of the goals meriting this description. The game was only five minutes old when the visitors took the lead. A Brian Vaugh cross into the penalty area took a couple of deflections before landing at the feet of Clinton Maxwell who scored easily from a few yards out. The expected deluge of goals failed to materialise as Maryhill's central defensive trio of Donnie Wilson, Craig Dewar, and manager Kevin O'Neil effectively nullified the threat from the Rob Roy forwards. The only incidents of note in the remainder of the first period were a penalty claim from Maryhill when Charlie Hobbs appeared to be fouled by James Prunty, and a headed "goal" from Chris Zok which was disallowed on the advice of the enclosure side assistant referee, whose enthusiasm to get involved in the match remained undiminished throughout the nintey minutes. If the first half had been dull, the second was no better as both sides struggled to find any fluency, and goal scoring opportunities were few and far between. Hill's new signing Ross Currie made a few constructive runs, but found little support from his team mates, and for the visitors a Maxwell header skimmed the post, before they sealed their victory with a second goal midway through the half. A shot from Maxwell was fumbled by the usually reliable Kevin Montgomey in the Maryhill goal, and Chris Zok was on hand to put the ball into the unguarded net from close range. The Hill keeper redeemed himself, however, with a couple of good stops, most notably from a powerful shot by sub Jamie Broadfoot. Although the possibility of a second successive relegation increases with each defeat, some positives for Maryhill can perhaps be taken from this match. At no time were they outclassed or outplayed by a team who will almost certainly be promoted at the end of the season,and given time, the new signings that Kevin O' Neil has made could yet contribute to an upturn in their fortunes. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf ( Robertson 57 ), O'Neil,Wilson, Dewar ( Slack 85 ), McManus, Smith, Hobbs, Currie, Russell ( McAndie 57 ) SUBS( not used )-: McWilliams, Soave. BOOKED-: Currie ( 35 ), Dewar ( 62 ), Smith ( 79 ), Hobbs ( 81 ) ROB ROY-:Bell, Carter, Morrison, Prunty, Anderson, Tamburrini, Chang, Campbell, Zok (Broadfoot 68 ), Maxwell ( Kirkwood 80 ), Vaugh. SUBS ( not used )-: McCulloch, Bonar, McQuilken. BOOKED-: Tamburrini ( 45 ) Man of the match -: Ross Currie. |
Saturday 5th April Maryhill v East Kilbride Thistle Stagecoach First Division Match Stats by Gordon Fairley Maryhill 2 0 East Kilbride Thistle Maryhill: Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf, ONeil, Wilson, Dewar, McManus, Smith, Hobbs, Currie, Connelly Subs. Robertson, Slack, McKee, McAndie, Anderson East Kilbride Thistle: Wilson, Brophy, Cunning, Ward, Bain, Kelly, Orr, McClung, Welsh, Woods, McCrae Subs. Harkin, Brogan, Strain, Roome, McLaughlan Referee: Ian Craig Goals: Maryhill 7 McManus, 48 Currie Subs: Maryhill 77 Anderson for Connelly, 84 McAndie for Hobbs, 89 McKee for Smith Yellow Cards: Maryhill 10 Currie, 60 Hobbs, 61 Wilson, 87 Montgomery ------------------- Goals- East Kilbride - Nil Subs: East Kilbride Thistle 50 McLaughlan for McLung, 70 Roome for Ward, 72 Harkin for Orr Yellow Cards: East Kilbride Thistle 10 Woods, 40 Wilson, 65 McRae, 67 Woods, 71 Orr Man of the Match: Hobbs |
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Stagecoach First Division 15th April 2008 Match Stats by Gordon Fairley Renfrew 0 2 Maryhill Maryhill: Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf, O;Neil, Wilson, Dewar, McManus, Smith, Hobbs, Currie, Connelly Subs: Robertson, Russell, McWilliams, McKee, Soave Renfrew: Marshall, Hammond, McAlpine, Mort, Carson, Ferguson, Dickie, Miller, Cochrane, Docherty, Crowhurst Subs: Faulds, McKenzie, Harvey, Smith, Gallagher Referee: Kevin Clancey Goals: Maryhill 46 Connelly, 83 Hobbs Subs: Maryhill 70 McKee for Connelly, 84 Robertson for Sideserf, 84 Russell for Hobbs Yellow Cards: Maryhill 48 Barr, 51 Hobbs, 58 Currie, 60 ONeil, 85Smith Goals: Renfrew Nil Subs: Renfrew ( HT ) Faulds for Ferguson, 78 McKenzie for Docherty Yellow Cards: Renfrew 83 McAlpine Man of the Match: Hobbs |
| Central League Cup - Round 2
Friday 18th April 2008 LARKHALL THISTLE 3 MARYHILL 1 Larkhall-: Dunsmore ( 10 ), Renton ( 58 ), Crilly ( pen 83 ) Maryhill-: McWilliams ( 35 ) l Match Report by John Hinshelwood Larkhall deservedly progressed to the third round of the Central League cup at the expense of a very poor Maryhill side. Drew McWilliams made his first starting appearance for Hill, with regulars Donnie Wilson, Bryan Smith and Charlie Hobbs all on the bench.Goalkeeper Steven Soave's rare start in goal lasted only 14 minutes as he had to retire with a head injury, and was replaced by Kevin Montgomery. By this time Maryhill were already a goal behind, Scott Dunsmore scoring from close range from a pass from ex Hill player Brian Watret. The home side also had to make an early substitution when Leon Kondoll was carried off on a stretcher with a knee injury following a challenge from Ross Barr. Ex Blantyre Vics player Alan Pike was his replacement, and was responsible for Thistle's only other goal threat in the first period when his shot from six yards narrowly missed the target.Maryhill posed very few problems for the home defence before Drew McWilliams equalised after 35 minutes, shooting powerfully home after John Connelly had knocked down Craig Dewar's cross.Five minutes before the break home keeper Mark Burrell brought off a great save from a shot on the drop by Alan Russell. The home side were by far the better team in the second period, and went ahead after 13 minutes. A slack pass across the penalty area from Ross Barr was intercepted by Steven Renton who scored easily from six yards. The introduction of Bryan Smith and Charlie Hobbs did little to enliven a lacklustre display from Maryhill, and it was no real surprise when Larkhall sealed the tie seven minutes from the end.Kevin Montgomery fouled Paul Ross inside the box, and sub David Crilly confidently dispatched the resultant penalty kick. LARKHALL-: Burrell, Barton ( Crilly 45 ), Eadie,Marshall, Brodie, Dunsmore, Ross, Crossey, Watret, Renton ( McLean 70 ), Kondoll ( Pike 22 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Dorrans, Paterson. BOOKED-: Barton ( 19 ) MARYHILL-: Soave ( Montgomery 14 ), Barr, McManus, O'Neil, Dewar, Robertson, McKee, Currie ( Hobbs 70 ), Russell, McWilliams ( Smith 60 ), Connelly. SUBS( not used ); Dearie,Wilson BOOKED-: Barr ( 21 ), McKee ( 45 ), Connelly ( 46 ), O'Neil ( 71 ) |
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| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Saturday 26th April 2008 LARGS THISTLE 4 MARYHILL 3 Largs-:Marks ( 60 ), McLure ( 73 ), Shearer ( 80 ), Dow ( 90 ) Maryhill-: Smith ( 41 ), Russell ( 45 ), McManus ( pen 77 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood An injury time goal cruelly deprived Maryhill of a share of the points in an enthralling, and at times controversial match. A dull and uninspiring first half was suddenly enlivened by two goals in four minutes from Maryhill just before the break. Ross Barr's cross from the right was headed powerfully home by Bryan Smith to put Maryhill ahead, then an almost exact replica gave them a two goal lead in first half injury time. This time the cross was supplied by Mark McManus, with Alan Russell providing the header. Prior to this goal burst , the only incidents of note had been two near misses from the home side, and a penalty claim from Maryhill. After 24 minutes a good run from Phil Cannie set up William McLure, but his final shot was too high. Cannie himself had an opportunity 13 minutes later, but Kevin Montgomery thwarted his effort with a fine stop. In between these misses an Alan Russell header from a Mark Sideserf corner appeared to be handled on the line by a Largs defender, but referee Haswell dismissed the penalty claims. With James Marks replacing Phil Cannie at the start of the second half, the home side showed more cohesion than in the first period, and it was Marks who scored with a header on 60 minutes to give his side hope. Marks almost scored again six minutes later , but his headed effort came off the crossbar. The equaliser was only delayed by a further seven minutes, however, when McLure scored from close range following some indecision in the Maryhill defence. Largs were well on top at this stage, but just four minutes later Maryhill were awarded a penalty when Neil Shearer handled just inside the penalty area. Shearer was booked for his protests before Mark McManus scored from the spot to put Maryhill 3 -2 ahead.The goal rush continued when Shearer gained some revenge by heading home the requaliser with ten minutes remaining. I am usually loathe to be over critical of referees in recognition of the difficulties that they face, but Mr Haswell's interpretation of events seven minutes from the end was simply beyond all comprehension. Alan Russell's shot was stopped with two hands by a Largs defender inside the penalty area, and the follow up shot was again clearly handled by another Largs player, with the ref only a few feet away. Even the fiercely partisan, but good natured , home support were stunned into a silence of disbelief when no penalty was given.. One can only speculate that perhaps Mr Haswell did not wish to incur the wrath of the home players again by awarding another penalty, or maybe there has been a new FIFA directive issued recently that teams are only to be allowed one penalty per game.In the absence of any clarification, however, it will remain one of life's mysteries! To add insult to injury, Largs scored the winner in the fourth minute of injury time from a close range header from Martin Dow. Overall, Largs probably just deserved their victory on the strength of their second half performance, but to lose in such a manner must have been hard to take for the Maryhill players. LARGS-: Connick, Hendren, McCabe, Gault, Shearer, McMillan, Robertson, Dow, McLure, McCann, Cannie ( Marks 45 ) SUBS( not used )-; Jamieson, Black, McNicol, McLean. BOOKED-: Shearer ( 76 ) MARYHILL-:Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf, O'Neil, Wilson, Dewar, McManus, Robertson ( McKee 71 ), Russell ( Connelly 90 ), Smith, Anderson ( Hobbs 78 ) SUBS ( not used )-: McWilliams, McAndie. BOOKED-: Smith ( 89 ) Man of the match-: Bryan Smith Referee-: B.Haswell STATS UPDATE Goalscorers 9 - Bryan Smith. 7 - John Connelly. 4 - Leyton Slack. 3 - Paul Gordon, Chris Johnston, Charlie Hobbs, Mark McManus. 2 - Alan Russell, Brian McAndie, Tony Elliott. 1 - Colin Robertson, Ross Currie. Man of the match 6 - Kevin Montgomery. 3 - Bryan Smith. 2 - Alan Russell, Leyton Slack, Stephen Soave, Charlie Hobbs. 1 - Ross Currie, Paul Gordon, Chris Johnston. |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Saturday 3rd May 2008 MARYHILL 3 MAYBOLE 3 Maryhill-: McManus ( pen 22 ), Reilly ( o.g 34 ), Anderson ( 38 ). Maybole-: Peacock ( 63, 81 ), Kerr ( 82 ). Match Report by John Hinshelwood For the second successive week Maryhill threw away a comfortable half time lead, and in the end were perhaps fortunate to gain a share of the points. After an uneventful opening twenty minutes, the game sprang to life when Maryhill were awarded a penalty. Bryan Smith ran clear and was pulled down by Maybole keeper Martin McAulay.Despite the fact that a goalscoring opportunity had been denied, it seemed odd that no action was taken against the goalkeeper. Mark McManus confidently put away his third penaty in as many games to put Hill ahead.McManus was in good form and he contributed to a two goals in four minutes spell which gave Maryhill a 3 - 0 half time lead. In the 34th minute his inswinging corner was punched off the line by McAulay, but it came off the head of his team mate Martin Reilly and ended up in the net. Four minutes later another cross from McManus was met by Robert Anderson, whose glancing header gave McAulay no chance. The second half was a complete contrast to the opening 45 minutes as Maryhill created not a single goalscoring opportunity, and a revitalised Maybole side dominated for the entire period. It appeared as if Maryhill's defensive set up might be able to contain the onslaught on their goal, but after eighteen minutes a great strike by Stuart Peacock, the visitors' top player, from around 20 yards made it 3 -1. Just when it was looking as though Maryhill would hold out until the end, a catastrophic series of events denied them the win that they so desperately needed. Ten Minutes from the end the enclosure side assistant drew the referee's attention to an off the ball incident. After a prolonged discussion, Kevin O'Neil was summoned and sent off. A minute later Peacock struck again, this time from close range to give the visitors hope of salvaging the game.They did exactly that only a minute later when the experienced Paul Kerr rose unchallenged to head home the equaliser. Maryhill were really up against it at this stage, but despite almost constant pressure, Maybole could not find the winner. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Dewar, O'Neil, Wilson, Robertson, McManus, Currie, Anderson ( Connelly 60 ), Smith, Russell (McKee 72 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Slack, Hobbs, Soave. BOOKED-: Barr ( 14 ), Connelly ( 70 ). SENT OFF-: O'Neil ( 80 ) MAYBOLE-: McAulay, Clark, Crawford, C. Stevenson, Peacock, Scott, Boyle, Templeton, A. Stevenson ( A. Love 77 ), Kerr, Reilly ( R.Love 45 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Walker, Port, Flannagan. BOOKED-: Peacock ( 65 ) Man of the match -: Mark McManus. |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Monday 5th May 2008 JOHNSTONE BURGH 0 MARYHILL 2 Scorers-: Sideserf ( 22 ), Hobbs ( 37 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Two first half goals gave Maryhill three vital points in their battle to avoid a second successive relegation. The first chance of the game fell to Bryan Smith after seventeen minutes, but his 25 yard effort struck the top of the crossbar. Five minutes later Maryhill took the lead when Mark Sideserf fired in a low shot from a Ross Barr cross.Sideserf, along with Mark McManus and Charlie Hobbs always looked threatening against an ineffectual Burgh side, and it was the latter who scored Maryhill's second eight minutes from half time, lobbing goalkeeper Iain Wilson after McManus had sent him clear.McManus himself came close to making it three just before the break , but his long range effort went just wide. The second half was a dull and tedious affair, with little in the way of goal threats.The home side's only real chance of the game fell to Chris McDonald, but his weak shot was blocked by Kevin Montgomery.The closest Maryhill came to adding to their lead arrived with twelve minutes remaining, when Mark Sideserf's deceptive cross eluded Wilson, but hit the bar. Alan Russell was sent off ten minutes from the end after a second booking for kicking the ball away after the referee had blown his whistle, a harsh, if technically correct decision. In the end,this was a comfortable win for Maryhill. Next game is on Wednesday away to East Kilbride ( 7.15 ) JOHNSTONE-: Wilson, McGarrigle, G.McCreadie, Perrie, Russell, Day ( Graham 23 ), McDonald, Lennon, Brolly ( Ferris 76 ), Cowan, Pattison ( D. McCreadie 76 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Nisanci Payne. BOOKED-: Perrie ( 30 ), G.McCreadie ( 31 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf, O'Neil, Robertson, McManus, McKee, Hobbs ( McAndie 67 ), Smith ( Slack 61 ), Russell. SUBS ( not used ) -: Anderson, Currie, Dewar. BOOKED -: Russell ( 30 ). SENT OFF-: Russell ( 80 ). Man of the match -: Mark Sideserf |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Wednesday 7th May 2008 EAST KILBRIDE 3 MARYHILL 2 East Kilbride-: McClung ( 23 ), Ward ( 83 ), McManus ( o.g 84 ) Maryhill-: Anderson ( 54 ), McKee ( 60) Match Report by John Hinshelwood If games only lasted eighty minutes, Maryhill would probably be clear of relegation worries by now, but for the third time in the last four games, they threw away a comfortable lead and went down to late goals.This was also the third consecutive match where they have had a player sent off near the end. Maryhill made a bright start and Charlie Hobbs came close with two good efforts early on, one of which struck the bar. They dominated at this stage, but the home side showed them how it should be done when they went ahead after 23 minutes in only their second foray into the Maryhill half. Martin McLaughlin crossed from the right and Steven McClung shot confidently home to put his side ahead.Maryhill continued to press, but despite almost constant pressure they could not find an equaliser before the break. Chris McKee's header came off the bar, then had a shot scrape the post, an an endless succession of corners just before half time failed to be productive. Nine minutes into the second period the deserved equaliser eventually arrived when Robert Anderson dived to head home Bryan Smith's cross from the left. Six minutes later, Maryhill went ahead when Chris McKee headed in at the back post following a strong run and cross from Charlie Hobbs. East Kilbride came more into the game at this point and enjoyed a long period of territorial superiority, which finally paid off seven minutes from the end when Andrew Ward hit a shot on the turn from close range giving Kevin Montgomery little chance. A minute later they went ahead when Mark McManus headed into his own net when trying to clear. Kevin O'Neil was then sent off for an off the ball incident, and Charlie Hobbs was perhaps fortunate not to follow him in injury time, when his difference of opinion with East Kilbride keeper Chris Wilson got somewhat out of hand. Referee Beaton, however, after consulting with his assistant, decided that a yellow card was appropriate. EAST KILBRIDE-: Wilson, Bain, Cunning, Welsh, Ward, Brophy, Orr, McLaughlin, McClung, Daly ( Strain 74 ), Smith. SUBS ( not used )-: Roome, White, Hastings. BOOKED-: Wilson( 78 ), Bain ( 79 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Barr, Sideserf, O'Neil, Wilson, Dewar, McManus, McKee, Anderson, Smith, Hobbs. SUBS ( not used)-: Russell, Currie, Slack, Connelly. BOOKED-: Dewar ( 65 ), Wilson ( 67 ), Hobbs ( 90). SENT OFF-: O'Neil ( 85 ) Referee-: John Beaton |
| Stagecoach Super League - First Division
Saturday 10th May 2008 |