KNOCK OUT CUP
1ST LEG
FINNART 6 V 2 BULLFROG
The SCOTTISH CUP winners won comfortably today ,eventually, after a hard first half. Bullfrog raised their game after a poor result in the week when they let in 9 without reply to Swinton. They battled every minute of the game and gave Finnart a few problems and actually took the lead. But Finnart fought back and in the second half ran away with the game, highlights being a hat trick in about 5 mins from Danny Taylor! and a powerful diving header from ME that made it 5-1! Yes i made a goalscoring return to the team today and Big Phil said that i was also Man of the Match! No bad for a 37year old waiting for a knee op. HA HA. Right enough about me but to be fair i done all right lads eh?
Good victory lads considering we had so many carrying knocks.
Finnart til we die!
'MON THE STAR
KNOCK OUT CUP
ALBION THISTLE 2 V 2 FINNART
Finnart were made to battle by the dogged first division leaders on what can only be described as a midden of a pitch. Even some players of the home side admitted they took us to this pitch to give them a 'chance'. It was certainly a leveller as the home side seemed more up for it and had the better of the start and were to score first when a straight ball through the middle released the striker to stroke home. Finnart were to level it before half time with a penalty from Brian Blair after he was pushed in the box.
The second half seen Finnart take more control of the game and create a few chances and soon went into the lead when Scott McEwan 'raised like a salmon' and scored a header from close range. Albion made some changes and battled away and with minutes to go they equalised with a shot from just inside of the box.
This game was supposed to be played to a finish but the Ref had no choice in finishing the game after 90mins as it became to dark. This annoyed the home side and their support as they had their tails up after their late goal, but the outcome could have resulted in someone being seriously hurt and the Ref had no choice.
Big well done to the Albion boys for a good battling performance and we look forward to the replay and the probable promotion of your team into the premier next season. We are sure you will add to the league as Cleland have this season. Good luck lads for the rest of your league campaign.
As for Finnart, a battling performance lads but we need to take on board that we have some really important games coming up and that we need to keep working as a team and there will be pressure. We all want to be involved at this time in the season but with a squad of players and important games coming up we need to freshen things up all the time. We need everyone pulling together as there are enough people out there trying to knock us and we need to battle together to retain the league and the Scottish.
MON THE STAR
SUNDAY 23RD MARCH
FINNART 4 V 1 MOTHERWELL WAR OFFICE
Finnart played some great football at times as they beat the War Office 4-1 today at The Green. Although missing a few players and B. Smith and M. Savage starting on the bench with next weeks Scottish Cup semi final in mind, they eased past the Motherwell side who battled to the final whistle, as they always do.
Finnart had a blistering start and Alan Templeton scored after 3 mins when a great run by Zander was cut back to Temp for him to slot home. Within a minute they nearly scored with an identical move but it wasnt to be. 'The Warry' then had a few corners that Finnart defended well. And then on 10 mins Temp scores a second but the ref wrongly chopped off for offside. This wasnt the only mistake the ref made on the day as he later chopped off a Philip Blair goal that Taylor had clipped back from the byeline! Thankfully the game was just about done at that point and it didnt come back to haunt Finnart.
It was soon to be 2-0 though when Zander scored after a great Finnart move. The away side pulled one back though 2mins later when lack of talking at the back allowed the striker to prod home between Paton and 2 Finnart defenders. But Finnart restored their 2 goal lead when B. Blair volleyed from the edge of the box just a few minutes later.
Half time 3-1
Finnart relaxed a bit in the second half and the away side kept working away to no avail. The 70th minute seen the bizarre decision mentioned earlier when the ref chopped off P. Blairs 'GOAL' Some slack finishing kept the score to 3-1 until Danny Taylor got the 4th with a pen 10 minutes from time.
Good performance from Finnart with some good performances all round. Special mention to Barnsey making his first start in a while and playing really well, battling all day. Man of the match goes to Alan Templeton playing wide and caused trouble with his trickery all day.
'MON THE STAR
BLAIR DOES THE TRICK
Finnart got back on track today with a 4-0 win over Castairs at The Green. Alan Templeton scored the first to give Finnart a 1-0 lead at half time. But the home side came out better in the second half and Brian Blair scored three times which included 2 penalties.
Man of the Match
Brian Blair
SUNDAY 9th MARCH
SWINTON 2 V 1 FINNART
FLAT FINNART FLOP
As the saying goes 'Everyone loves a happy ending' but unfortunately the glorious epic tale of 'FINNART STAR and the Unbeaten Run' has no happy ending! After a run thats not seen them lose a league game for about 2 years came to an end.
The unfortunate thing about this loss was that it was to their nearest rivals in the league, Swinton. They have now closed the gap on the current champions and it looks like the home game at The Green will go a long way to decide the title
With the downpour that came in the days building up to the game most people were surprised to hear the game was going ahead and on inspection of the pitch it was even more surprising that the ref deemed it playable. One half was in a good state but the other was covered in mud patches and playing this game could have resulted in a serious injury for a player. But the Refs decision is final and the game went ahead.
Finnart got a great start when Brian Blair nipped in at the back post to give them a first minute lead. Maybe they caught the home side cold but they soon warmed up as they began to try and play some football and put some pressure on Finnart resulting in a couple of goal mouth scrambles and a great save from Man of the Match Brian Paton. On the half hour Skipper Blair had a great effort rebound of the Swinton bar that Danny Taylor could not convert as it bounced up in front of him. Swinton continued to have more chances and most of the ball but poor finishing and some last ditch tackling kept it at 1 nil. Temp then had a great chance to make it 2 before the break when a searching ball forward seen him run 1 on 1 with the keeper , but the keeper stood up well and made a good save.
HALF TIME 0-1
Second half was dominated by Swinton and the swirling wind had Finnart backing off closer to their own goal. More chances went a begging for the home side and they must have thought it was going to be one of those days, again poor finishing and outstanding saves by Paton kept them out. Around the hour the eventually got their goal with the defence backing off to allow the home striker to finally get his goal with a good effort from the left side of the box.
Things were to get worse for Finnart when Brian Blair was red carded for his second yellow. Backs to the wall defending continued for Finnart but they just couldnt hold off and Swinton deservedly got their winner with a finish from close range.
FINAL SCORE 2-1
MAN of the MATCH
BRIAN PATON, outstanding saves kept Finnart in it.
Overall, there was only one team that deserved to win and they did, Swinton were more hungry , seemed fitter, and adapted best to the terrible conditions. WELL DONE. They are a good footballing side and hopefully the weather will be better for the Finnart home game at The Green and we can see 2 good footballing teams go head to head.The ref done no justice to either team for putting this game on yesterday in those conditions.
As for Finnart, lets put it down to a bad day at the office and hope this shakes us up for the upcoming games. If we want to make it 3 SCOTTISH CUP FINALS on the trot, and to retain our league title, we need to perform a lot better than this. We know what we are capable of, 1 bad game doesnt make us a bad team. So listen to the criticism, the slating we have been getting, the wind ups, and the name calling and use it to focus on the job we face and do the business between now and the end of the season.People have waited for years to try and bring us down, and they always will. When we got beat by Rowantree in the final of The Scottish Cup they slated us and it just makes us stronger because thats what TEAMS do. And we will do it again.
'WE ARE THE STAR'
SUNDAY 18TH NOV
CLELAND 1 V 4 FINNART
FINNART BATTLE TO VICTORY
FINNART KNEW WHEN THEY TRAVELLED THROUGH TO FACE CLELAND TODAY THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE AT THEIR BEST AS THE HOME SIDE WOULD STILL BE SMARTING FROM THE 7 - 1 DRUBBING THEY GOT AT THE GREEN A FEW WEEKS AGO.
BOTH TEAMS WERE UP FOR THE GAME, WHICH WAS IN DOUBT BECAUSE OF A FEW PUDDLES ON THE PITCH BUT THE REF WAS REASONABLY HAPPY AFTER THE HOME SIDE CLEARED THE PITCH . THE CONDITIONS WERE NOT THE BEST AND THIS WAS TO LEAD TO A BIG LOSS HALF AN HOUR INTO THE GAME WHEN THE ROCK THAT IS PHILIP BLAIR WENT DOWN HEAVILY WITH NO ONE NEAR HIM AS HE TURNED AND CAUGHT HIS FOOT IN THE MUD, DAMAGING HIS ANKLE AND IS FACING A SPELL ON THE SIDE LINES.
CLELAND STARTED BRIGHTLY AND CLAIMED FOR A FEW PENS FOR HANDBALL THAT THE REF RIGHTLY GOT RIGHT BY NOT GIVING. FINNART THEN TOOK THE LEAD WITH A GREAT GOAL. A 1-2 DOWN THE RIGHT SEEN TEMP CLIPPING THE BALL TO THE BACK POST FOR GOAL MACHINE BRIAN SMITH TO HEAD HOME. THIS GAVE FINNART A LIFT AND STARTED TO PLAY GOOD FOOTBALL ON WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCIBED AS A BOG OF A PITCH. THEY SOON SCORED A SECOND WHEN MARK SAVAGE SCORED FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX WITH A LOW DRIVE. HALF TIME 0-2
FINNART GOT THE THIRD WITHIN MINUTES OF THE SECOND HALF WHEN MAN OF THE MATCH BRIAN BLAIR COOLLY SLOTTED HOME A PENALTY AFTER THE IMPRESSIVE STEWART WAS UPENDED IN THE BOX. FINNART HAD TO STAY ALERT AS THEY KNEW CLELAND WOULD NOT GIVE IN. AFTERALL THIS IS THE TEAM THAT WERE DOWN 5-1 AT ONE POINT AGAINST SWINTON A FEW WEEKS BACK, ONLY TO COME BACK AND WIN 6-5 !
HOWEVER FINNART WERE SOON TO KILL THE GAME OFF AFTER A GREAT CHIP FORWARD FROM TEMP WAS CHESTED DOWN AND SMASHED HOME BY BIG SMUDGER FOR HIS SECOND GOAL OF THE GAME AND HIS 24TH OF THE SEASON. PHENOMENAL RECORD!! THE HOME SIDE KEPT BATTLING AND GOT A LATE GOAL BACK, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED LIKE PATON WAS FOULED AS THE STRIKER PUT THE BALL IN. THIS GOAL CAME STRAIGHT AFTER CLELAND HAD BEEN REDUCED TO 10 MEN WHEN A PLAYER LASHED OUT AT MARK SAVAGE. IT WAS A PITY THIS WAS TO HAPPEN AS THE GAME WAS PLAYED IN A HARD BUT FAIR MANNER THAT THE REF CONTROLLED WELL. CREDIT TO BOTH TEAMS FOR THEIR EFFORTS TODAY ON A TERRIBLE PITCH. CLELAND ARE A REALLY GOOD TEAM AND WILL BE BIG CHALLENGERS ON ALL FRONTS THIS SEASON SO A BIG WELL DONE TO THE FINNART BOYS FOR ANOTHER GREAT PERFORMANCE BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THE BATTLING QUALITIES THEY SHOWED.
MAN OF THE MATCH; BRIAN BLAIR, GREAT CONTOLLED PERFORMANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK AND LED BY EXAMPLE.
MON THE STAR !
MON THE STAR
MAGNIFICENT 7 AS FINNART STROLL PAST BULLFROG
FINNART 7 V 0 BULLFROG
FINNART SEEN OFF A BATTLING BULLFROG AT THE GREEN TODAY WITH A SEVEN GOAL ROUT. ONLY A GOOD PERFORMANCE FROM THE BULLY KEEPER KEPT THE SCORE DOWN AS FINNART RIPPED THEM APART AT TIMES WITH SOME GREAT FOOTBALL.
FOR THE THIRD GAME IN SUCCESSION, BIG SMITHY WAS MAN OF THE MATCH AS HIS GOAL SCORING SPREE CONTINUED AS HE GOT ANOTHER 4 GOALS TO TAKE HIS TALLY FOR 22 FOR THE SEASON SO FAR. AN AMAZING RECORD FOR THE BIG POWERFUL STRIKER. KEEP IT UP BIG MAN.
FINNART STARTED BRIGHTLY AND SCORED WITHIN MINUTES. THEY THEN RELAXED A BIT AND THE BULLY HAD A COUPLE OF CHANCES THAT BRIAN PATON DONE SUPERBLY TO SAVE. THIS GAVE FINNART A BOOT UP THE ASS THEY NEEDED AND WENT ON TO SCORE THROUGH SMITH AGAIN, DANNY TAYLOR WITH A DELICATE CHIP OVER THE KEEPER THAT TOOK AN ETERNITY TO GO IN AND A GREAT RUN AND INTO THE BOX FROM BEAGLE SEEN HIM BLAST IN TO MAKE IT 4-0 AT THE BREAK.
SECOND HALF WAS AT A SLOWER PACE BUT FINNART FINALLY KILLED OFF THE OPPOSITION WITH 3 MORE GOALS . 2 FROM SMITHY AND A GREAT CLOSE RANGE VOLLEY FROM TEMP PLAYING HIS FIRST GAME IN A FEW WEEKS AS HE WAS INJURED. POOR FINISHING AND GOOD SAVES KEPT THE GOAL TALLY TO 7. THE AWAY TEAM KEPT GOING RIGHT TO THE END WITHOUT THREATENING THE HOME BACK LINE TOO MUCH . THEIR ONLY REAL EFFORT SEEN PATON PULL OFF AN AMAZING SAVE AS THE BALL HEADED TO THE TOP CORNER ONLY FOR HIM TO CLAW IT AWAY.
FINNART PLAYED SOME GREAT FOOTBALL AT TIMES AND ON MANY OCCASION GOT IN BEHIND THE AWAY TEAMS DEFENCE WITH AMAZING ONE TOUCH FOOTBALL. GREAT TEAM PERFORMANCE FROM THE BOYS. PATON WAS OUTSTANDING WHEN CALLED UPON, DEFENCE OF MCEWAN,P.BLAIR, CHARTERS, AND MCGOWAN WERE IN CONTROL THROUGHOUT. MIDFIELD OF SAVAGE AND BLAIR IN THE MIDDLE PULLED THE STRINGS,SHIFTY TO THE LEFT WAS ELECTRIC AND COLHOUN ON THE RIGHT WAS THE COLHOUN OF OLD WITH SOME GREAT MAGICAL TOUCHES AND PLAYED A BIG PART IN MOST EFFORTS FOR FINNART, AND UP TOP THE COMBINATION OF TAYLOR AND SMITH WOULD SCARE ANY DEFENCE WITH THEIR MOVEMENT AND FINISHING. ALSO THE LUXURY OF BRINGING ON TEMP UP TOP FOR TAYLOR AND REID ON FOR MCGOWAN GAVE FINNART AN EDGE WHEN THE GAME WAS GOING FLAT.
WELL DONE LADS, LETS KEEP IT GOING.
MON THE STAR
FINNART SEE OFF DRUMCHAPEL
SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER
SCOTTISH CUP
FINNART 10 V 3 DRUMCHAPEL
SCORERS; BRIAN SMITH 5
DANNY TAYLOR 2
JOE REID 1
BRIAN BLAIR 1
OWN GOAL ( no Des, its no yours) 1
FINNART SEEN OFF DRUMCHAPEL WITH A 10 GOAL ROUT. THE DRUM TRIED IN VAIN TO STAY IN THE GAME AND EVEN EQUALISED EARLY ON TO MAKE IT 1-1, BUT FINNART WERE FAR TOO STRONG AND HAD A 5-2 LEAD AFTER 20 MINS. FINNART PLAYED SOME GOOD FOOTBALL IN SPELLS BUT CAN PLAY A LOT BETTER THAN THIS AND WILL HAVE TO IF THEY PLAN ON DEFENDING THE CUP THEY WON LAST YEAR. 3 LAPSES IN CONCENTRATION GAVE THE AWAY TEAM THEIR GOALS WHICH RAGED MANAGER PHIL AND LET THE TEAM KNOW THIS AT HALF TIME, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE 6-3 UP.
IN THE SECOND HALF FINNART PLAYED SOME GOOD FOOTBALL AND WENT ON TO SCORE ANOTHER 4 GOALS, ALTHOUGH THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SCORED A FEW MORE BUT POOR FINISHING AND SOME GOOD SAVES KEPT THE SCORE DOWN. MAN OF THE MATCH FOR TODAYS GAME WAS BRIAN SMITH, WHO SCORED 5 GOALS. THATS 2 IN A ROW FROM BIG SMUDGER (despite the match report in last weeks gen that printed Brian Blair had recived it !). WELL DONE BIG MAN.
WELL DONE FINNART, NOT THE BEST FOOTBALL BUT A GOOD RESULT.
MON THE STAR
BATTLE AT THE WAR !!
SUNDAY 21ST OCTOBER
M'WELL WAR OFFICE 2 V 5 FINNART
MANAGER PHIL BLAIR WARNED THE PLAYERS BEFORE THEY WENT OUT TODAY THAT THEY WERE IN FOR A BATTLE, AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT THEY GOT AS THE WAR OFFICE CAME OUT BLAZING AND TRYING TO RATTLE FINNART AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. THE FIRST 15 MINS BELONGED TO "THE WARRY" AS THEY TOOK THE LEAD AFTER SLACK DEFENDING AND PROBABLY COULD HAVE SCORED AGAIN. THEY WERE WELL FIRED UP FOR THIS GAME AND THIS RESULTED IN A FEW BOOKINGS FOR THE HOME TEAM AS SOME OF THEIR CHALLENGES WERE OVER EAGER. BUT FAIR PLAY TO THEM , THIS WAS THERE TURF AGAINST THE CURRENT LEAGUE , LEAGUE CUP AND SCOTTISH CUP HOLDERS THAT THEY WERE UP AGAINST AND THEY DIDNT CARE! THEY WERENT GOING TO GIVE IN EASY.
FINNART THEN GOT INTO IT AND BEGAN TO PLAY SOME FOOTBALL WITH 'BEANZY' AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING. FINNART WERE TO THEN HAVE A 25MINS SPELL THAT BASICALLY WON THE GAME AS THEY SCORED 5 TIMES BEFORE THE BREAK !! THE FIRST WAS PURE CLASS AS DANNY TAYLOR LINED UP A FREE KICK AND AS HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE IT , HE FLOATED THE BALL OVER THE WALL WITH AN INCH PERFECT PASS TO JOHN COLHOUN WHO COOLLY DINKED IT OVER THE KEEPER. THE SECOND LOOKED LIKE TAYLOR HAD GOT HIMSELF A GOAL BUT SKIPPER BLAIR MADE SURE THE BALL WENT OVER THE LINE. DANNY WAS NOT TO BE DENIED THOUGH AND SCORED A BULLET OF A HEADER THAT LEFT THE KEEPER WITH NO CHANCE AFTER A GREAT CORNER FROM COLHOUN. TOP GOALSCORER AND MAN OF THE MATCH BRIAN SMITH WAS TO ADD A FOURTH WITH A POWERFUL STRIKE PAST THE KEEPER. AND THEN TO CAP OFF AN AMAZING SPELL TAYLOR TUCKED AWAY A PENALTY.
HALF TIME 1-5
THE SECOND HALF HOWEVER WAS POOR FROM BOTH TEAMS. THE WAR OFFICE WERE TO PULL ANOTHER GOAL BACK AFTER SOME SLACK PLAY FROM FINNART, BUT THIS WAS THE ONLY FOOTBALLING POINT OF ANY NOTE FROM THE SECOND HALF. FINNART HAD DONE ENOUGH IN THE PLAYERS MINDS AND THE WAR OFFICE FINALLY RAN OUT OF STEAM AFTER WORKING SO HARD IN THE EARLY SPELLS. THE SECOND HALF HAD A FEW FLASH POINTS FROM PLAYERS CLASHING OFF THE BALL AND SOME REFEREE DECISIONS FOR THE TEAMS TO DEBATE OVER. BOTH TEAMS LOOKED GLAD TO HEAR THE FINAL WHISTLE AND DESPITE THE BATTLE THAT JUST TOOK PLACE , CREDIT TO EACH AND EVERY PLAYER FROM BOTH TEAMS FOR SHAKING HANDS AT THE END AND SHOWING RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER. WELL DONE LADS.
MAN OF THE MATCH - BRIAN SMITH
'MON THE STAR
CLELAND CLATTERED BY CLASS
FINNART 7 V 1 CLELAND
AFTER LAST WEEKS POOR FOOTBALL DISPLAY, DESPITE THE GOOD RESULT, FINNART GOT BACK TO WHAT THEY DO BEST WITH A FIRST CLASS FOOTBALLING DISPLAY AGAINST A STRONG CLELAND SIDE WHO LOOKED SHELL SHOCKED AT THE FINAL WHISTLE. EACH AND EVERY SINGLE PLAYER WERE OUTSTANDING AND WORKED THE WAY A TEAM SHOULD WORK. IT WAS A JOY TO WATCH.
DANNY TAYLOR GOT THE FIRST GOAL WITH A STRIKE THAT WAS TOO POWERFUL FOR THE KEEPER, WHO PROBABLY FELT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER. SMUDGER SMITH THEN GOT THE SECOND AS HE FOLLOWED UP A SHOT FROM THE OUTSTANDING ALEX CLEARIE. BUT JUST BEFORE THE BREAK , CLELAND WERE TO PULL A GOAL BACK WHEN PATON ATTEMPTED TO PUNCH CLEAR A BALL INTO THE BOX ONLY TO SEE THE BALL SPIN UP INTO THE AIR AND THE CLELAND STRIKER SCORE FROM CLOSE RANGE.
HALF TIME 2-1
FINNART STARTED THE SECOND HALF WITH THE SAME PASSION AND PRESSING THEY SHOWED IN THE FIRST HALF AND THEY WERE TO TOTALLY OVER RUN THE AWAY TEAM, WHO S HEALTHY SUPPORT MUST HAVE ALSO BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE FINNART FOOTBALL THEY WERE WITNESSING. IT WAS SOON 3-1 WHEN BRIAN BLAIR HEADED HOME FROM A TIGHT ANGLE. HE THEN SET UP BROTHER PHILIP WITH A GREAT KNOCK BACK TO MAKE IT 4-1. BRIAN SMITH WAS SNIFFING ABOUT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY AND SCORED ANOTHER TWO TYPICAL 'SMUDGER' GOALS FOR HIS HAT TRICK, THATS NOW 7 GOALS IN 2 GAMES FOR THE BIG STRIKER.
THE OTHER GOAL CAME FROM MAN OF THE MATCH MARK SAVAGE WHO STRUCK THE BALL FROM 25 YARDS, ALTHOUGH SAV THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSER TO THE HALF WAY LINE! THE BALL TOOK AN ETERNITY TO GO IN BUT THE GENERAL CERTAINLY ENJOYED HIS MOMENT.
SO OVERALL IT WAS AN OUTSTANDING DISPLAY. PHILIP, JOE , AND MURDY WERE IN TOTAL CONTROL AT THE BACK, GREAT SERVICE FROM DES AND BEAGLE FROM THE FLANKS, GOOD WORK RATE UP TOP FROM SMITH , WHO ALWAYS GETS THE GOALS AND FROM TAYLOR WHO WAS OUTSTANDING , AND QUIETER THAN NORMAL , WHICH WAS GOOD. OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES IN MIDFIELD FROM SKIPPER BRIAN BLAIR, GENERAL SAV, AND BEANZY , WHO IS A MAGICIAN WITH THE BALL AT HIS FEET. CLELAND JUST COULD'NT MATCH US IN ANY DEPARTMENT.
WELL DONE LADS. LETS KEEP IT GOING.
'MON THE STAR
TAM PARKS RAVAGED BY SMUDGER AND SAVAGE
FINNART 6 V 1 TAM PARKS
FINNART KEPT THEIR WINNING RUN GOING BY THUMPING TAM PARKS 6-1 AT GLASGOW GREEN. EVEN THOUGH THEY PLAYED NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS THEY DID LAST WEEK, THEY STILL DONE ENOUGH TO GET THE POINTS.
BIG SMUDGER WAS AGAIN THE GOAL HERO WITH FOUR GOALS, EVEN THOUGH HE COULD AND SHOULD HAVE SCORED DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT. BUT AS WE ALL KNOW ITS THE SIGN OF A GOOD PLAYER WHEN HE CAN KEEP WORKING HARD AND FINALLY GET HIS REWARDS. WELL DONE SMUDGER !! THE OTHER TWO GOALS CAME FROM SKIPPER BRIAN BLAIR.
MARK 'THE GENERAL' SAVAGE WAS MAN OF THE MATCH WITH ONE OF HIS TRADEMARK PERFORMANCES CONTROLLING THE MIDFIELD. THE DEFENCE ALSO DESERVE CREDIT FOR PLAYING WELL AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES.
TAM PARKS STARTED THE BETTER TEAM AND DIDNT LET FINNART SETTLE INTO THEIR USUAL PASSING GAME. HOWEVER IT WAS FINNART THAT WERE TO GO 1 UP AND THATS THE WAY IT WAS AT HALF TIME. TAM PARKS WERE TO GET AN EQUALISER WHEN GOALKEEPER PATON GOT DISTRACTED BY "THE SHADOWS ON THE GROUND" ( HIS WORDS FOLKS!!) AND THE BALL SKIPPED BY HIM INTO THE NET. THIS JUST PROMPTED FINNART TO GO UP THE PARK AND SCORE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS THE KEY TO FINNART FINALLY RUNNING AWAY WITH THE GAME AND SCORE A FEW MORE GOALS.
GOOD RESULT LADS BUT NEED TO PERFORM BETTER AND GET BACK TO PLAYING THE FOOTBALL WE ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF PLAYING.
'MON THE STAR
CARSTAIRS 0 V 6 FINNART
SUN 30TH SEPT
ANOTHER EASY WIN FOR FINNART THROUGH AT CARSTAIRS WHERE THEY PLAYED SOME OF THEIR BEST BOOTBALL OF THE SEASON. PLAYING A 3-5-2 FORMATION THEY DOMINATED THE WHOLE GAME WITH CHUCKY ONLY HAVING ONE SAVE TO MAKE AND DAVIE BLAIR WITH A EXCELLENT LAST DITCH TACKLE BEING THE CLOSEST TO A GOAL THAT THE HOME TEAM GOT. MAN OF THE MATCH WITH 2 GOALS WAS BRIAN SMITH WHO IS BACK TO HIS BEST AND HE EVEN WENT OUT HIS WAY TO TAKE A BOOT IN THE FACE!! WELL DONE BIG SMUDGER!!
BACK LINE OF MURDOCH, P.BLAIR, AND D.BLAIR WERE COMFORTABLE THROUGHOUT, 3 CENTRE MIDFIELDERS OF B.BLAIR, SAV AND BEANZY CONTROLLED THE GAME, THE 2 WIDE MEN OF BEAGLE AND SHIFTY RAN ALL DAY, AND THE FRONT MEN OF SMITH AND TAYLOR GAT BACK TO WHAT THEY DO BEST AND TERRIFIED THE HOME DEFENCE.MON THE STAR!
GOALS CAME FROM: SMITH 2, TAYLOR, B.BLAIR, P.BLAIR, AND MURDOCH, 5 OF THE 6 GOALS WERE HEADERS!!
AND AS SAID BEFORE, MAN OF THE MATCH WAS BRIAN SMITH.
WELL DONE LADS, LETS KEEP IT GOING.
MON THE STAR!
FINNART 8 V 2 RED STAR
sun 2nd sept
FINNART'S GOOD START TO THE LEAGUE CONTINUED WITH AN EASY WIN AGAINST RED STAR, A TEAM THAT USUALLY PUTS UP A GOOD FIGHT. STRAIGHT FROM THE FIRST WHISTLE FINNART WERE PLAYING SOME SILKY FOOTBALL AND TOOK AN EARLY DESERVED LEAD WHEN A GREAT B.BLAIR PASS SENT McEWAN RACING DOWN THE RIGHT AND HIS CUTE CUT BACK WAS PUT HOME BY TAYLOR. THE FOOTBALL FLOWED FOR THE NEXT 20 MINUTES OR SO WITH BOTH McEWAN AND TEMPLETON RUNNING THE DEFENCE RAGGED ON BOTH WINGS. FINNART SHOULD HAVE SCORED MORE IN THIS PERIOD BUT DIDNT TAKE THEIR CHANCES WITH TAYLOR AND SMITH THE MAIN CULPRITS.
FINNART EVENTUALLY GOT THEIR SECOND WHICH THEN PRODUCED A GLUT OF GOALS IN 10 MINUTES. FIRST CLEARIE STRUCK HOME A GREAT FREE KICK FROM THE EDGE OF THE BOX. WITHIN 5 MINUTES THEY GOT THEIR THIRD WHEN A HEADER FROM TAYLOR CAME OFF THE BAR AND SMITH FOLLOWED UP TO PUT HOME FROM CLOSE RANGE, DOING BETTER THEN HIS EFFORT LAST WEEK WHEN HE SOMEHOW HIT THE BAR FROM A FOOT OUT!! JUST ABOUT STRAIGHT FROM KICK OFF FINNART GOT A FOURTH WHEN TAYLOR WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN THE BOX AND THEN DUSTED HIMSELF DOWN AND PUT THE KEEPER THE WRONG WAY. AS THE HALF CAME TO A CLOSE RED STAR GOT A GOAL BACK WITH THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT WHEN A LONG BALL WAS CLIPPED HOME BY THE STAR NO. 7.
HALF TIME 4-1 FINNART
THE SECOND HALF WAS POOR IN COMPARISING TO THE FIRST WITH THE ONE TOUCH FOOTBALL NO LONGER BEING SEEN. IT TURNED INTO A VERY SCRAPPY GAME INDEED . THE NEXT TWO GOALS CAME THANKS TO RED STAR DEFENDERS WITH THEM SCORING OWN GOALS AS THEY WERE PUT UNDER PRESSURE FROM TAYLOR AND McEWAN RESPECTIVELY. SLOPPY PLAY FROM FINNART DEFENCE SEEN RED STAR GET ANOTHER GOAL BACK TO MAKE IT 6-2 WITH 15 MINS TO PLAY.
THE SCORE STAYED THE SAME UNTIL 5 MINS TO GO WHEN TAYLOR WAS PUT THROUGH ON THE KEEPER BY A GREAT B.BLAIR PASS THAT HE LOBBED OVER THE KEEPER TO CLAIM HIS FIRST HATTRICK OF THE SEASON, ALTHOUGH HE SHOULD PROBABLY BEEN CELEBRATING HIS DOUBLE HATTRICK WITH THE CHANCES HE SQUANDERED !! THE SCORING WAS COMPLETE WHEN 'KIRK' FINISHED COOLY . FINAL SCORE 8-2
THE REF'S MAN OF THE MATCH WENT TO ALEX CLEARIE, WHO HAD AN EXCELLENT GAME. ALEX ALSO PRODUCED THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME WITH A GREAT SOLO RUN BEATING 5 PLAYERS THEN PLACING BY THE KEEPER ONLY FOR THE REF TO DISALLOW AS HE CLAIMED TAYLOR HAD TRIPPED A RED STAR PLAYER UP IN THE BUILD UP. POOR DECISION FROM THE REF WHO OTHERWISE HAD A GOOD GAME.
TODAYS OTHER GOOD PERFORMANCES CAME FROM TEMPLETON AND McEWAN ON THE FLANKS, AND MURDOCH AT THE BACK. TAYLOR TOOK HIS GOALS WELL BUT SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE. ALSO A GREAT COMMANDING PERFORMANCE IN MIDFIELD FROM 'GENERAL' SAVAGE. WELL DONE LADS.
