UNDER 21S
LEAGUE CUP
FINNART 3 V 2 JERVISTON
AET
GOALSCORERS; STEVEN WILSON (2)
AND STUART ADDIS !!
The 21s had a hard fought but deserved victory today against league winners , Jerviston today at East Kilbride's junior park. They had a bright start in the first half and had a few opportunities to score. Some good football from both teams but some strange decisions from the officials, mostly going against Finnart ! Our boys were to take a 1-0 lead when a wicked corner was whipped into the box by John Carmichael and Steven Wilson knocked the ball home from close range. With time running out in the first half the league winners were to turn this tie on its head when they scored twice in the 6 minutes of injury time that the REF conjured up from somewhere!! The goals themselves were sloppy as far as the Finnart defence were concerned.
HALF TIME
FINNART 1 V 2 JERVISTON
The second half got under way and after an initial spell for Finnart the game went a bit flat. But Steven Wilson brought the game to life with an outstanding free-kick from 25 yards that the keeper didnt even move for. 2-2 and Finnart were back in it. Chances went both ways and how the impressive Ian Pelosi did'nt score is mind boggling! After a mazy run by 3 defenders he shot over with just the keeper to beat. A match winning chance but it wasnt to be. So into extra time. Extra time seen afew chances for both teams but none more so than for Jerviston when their excellent midfielder, (no.8) had a penalty easily saved by Duris in the Finnart goal after Andy Blair upended Jervistons flying winger. But this game wasnt over and with 2 mins of regulation time to go, a lob over the Jervie defence was controlled perfectly by substitute right back Stuart Addis, who then ran in on goal and rifled home from just inside the box to send the Finnart players and supporters into ecstasy. A great finish from a player who always gives his all when he steps onto the pitch wearing a Finnart strip. Well done mate. Hope the winning moment stays with you for a long time.
A great finish to the season for the under 21s who when they are on their day can beat anyone!
Also a great finish to the season as a whole for Finnart with another trophy.
WELL DONE TO CHIXY AND DANNY AS WELL AS ALL THE BOYS FOR THEIR WIN AND FOR SHOWING THE TRUE FINNART HEART AND CHARACTER THAT ALWAYS BRINGS OUR GREAT CLUB SUCCESS.
MON THE STAR
SUNDAY 23RD MARCH
FINNART 5 V 0 HARESTANES
SCORERS; BILLY GRAHAM 2
JOHN CARMICHAEL 2
STEPHEN WILSON
Finnart cruised into the Semi Final of the cup with a strong performance against Harestanes, a team that usually give any opponents a game. The first half was a joy to watch as some sublime football ripped the away team apart. Billy Graham scored in just 5 mins from close range to set Finnart on their way. John Carmichael made it 2-0 in 20 mins with a great finish after some great work from Wilson. It was to be 3-0 ten mins later when a great corner was headed home by B.Graham for his second. Then within 2 mins it was 4-0 when Carmichael danced in from the left and cut back for Wilson to knock home.
Half time 4-0
The second half continued in the same manner as the first with Finnart dictating the play although they only scored another once through Carmichael with a cheeky goal from the edge of the box with 10 mins to go.
Good all round performance from Finnart and a good team performance with some well worked goals. Man of the Match goes to John Carmichael , who's trickery and quick feet troubled the away side all day.
'MON THE STAR
SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER
FINNART 6 V 0 NEW STEVENSTON
MAN OF THE MATCH
STEVEN WILSON
SCORERS
BELL 2
JAMES DURIS
GARY MCLAUGHLIN
STEVEN WILSON
STUART WYN (DING)
SHETTLESTON 3 V 1 FINNART
THE UNDER 21S WERE NOT TO GET REVENGE FOR THEIR SCOTTISH CUP DEFEAT AS THEY CRASHED 3-1. GOALSCORER AND MAN OF THE MATCH TO FOLLOW. REPORTS SUGGEST THE HOME SIDE HAD 3 EFFORTS AT GOAL AND SCORED THEM. THE HOME MANAGER EVEN COMMENTED ON HIS TEAMS UNDESERVED WIN.
FINNART 3 V 0 HAMILTON
SUNDAY 30TH SEPT
" EASILY THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON", THOSE WERE THE WORDS FROM CO MANAGERS DANNY AND CHIXY ON THE 21S PERFORMANCE. ESPECIALLY AS THEY HAD PLAYED POORLY IN THEIR LAST COUPLE OF GAMES. THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR THE CLUB AND BAD NEWS FOR THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE BECAUSE WHEN THESE GUYS PLAY FOOTBALL THEY CAN PUNISH TEAMS, AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT THEY DONE TODAY AGAINST ONE OF THE GOOD TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE.
FINNART HAD A GOOD FIRST HALF WERE THEY HAD 3 OR 4 CHANCES. IN THE SECOND HALF THEY SLEPT FOR 5 MINUTES OR SO AND NEARLY LET HAMILTON BACK INTO IT. BUT THEY TURNED ON THE STYLE AGAIN TO DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE GAME AND RUN OUT COMFORTABLE WINNERS.
GOALS WERE SCORED BY: BELL, A.ROBERTSON AND WILSON
MAN OF THE MATCH WAS DARREN BRANNIGAN
SCOTTISH CUP
FINNART(under 21s) 3 V 5 SHETTLESTON
SUNDAY 16TH SEPT
WHEN YOU PLAY FOOTBALL IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST ABILITY TO SUCCEED...YOU NEED THE DESIRE, THE HEART AND PASSION TO GET THAT VICTORY. UNFORTUNATELY THE 21S LACKED IN THESE AREAS AND THAT RESULTED IN THEM BEING ELIMINATED FROM THE SCOTTISH CUP AT THE EARLY STAGE.FINNART STARTED BRIGHTLY AND TOOK THE LEAD WHEN RYAN MCPHEE DELIVERED A GREAT CROSS THAT S. WILSON PUT AWAY. THE HOME SIDE CONTINUED TO PRESS AND WERE GUILTY OF MISSING SOME CHANCES THAT WOULD HAVE PUT THE TIE TO BED. THEY HAD 8 GREAT CHANCES TO SCORE IN THE FIRST HALF HOUR. JOHN CARMICHAEL AND GARY MCLAUGHLIN BOTH HAD A COUPLE OF EFFORTS IN THIS HALF HOUR BUT FAILED TO ADD TO THE SCORE. THIS WAS TO COME BACK TO HAUNT FINNART WHEN SHETTLESTON SCORED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 15MINS OF THE HALF. ALL 3 GOALS WERE GREAT BREAKAWAY GOALS WITH THE AWAY TEAMS PACE BEING THE DIFFERENCE AS THE DEFENCE COULDNT MATCH THE SHETTLESTON ATTACK..
HALF TIME 1-3
CHIXY AND DANNY HAD SOME WORDS WITH THEIR BOYS TO TRY AND TURN THE TIE AROUND BUT THE HALF WAS PLAYED AT A SLOWER PACE TO START WITH AND THE LEAD WAS TO BECOME 1-4 IN THE 60TH MIN WHEN THE BIG NO.9 BROKE AWAY FROM THE SLEEPING DEFENCE TO FINISH. FINNART REPLIED STRAIGHT AWAY WHEN A BRAVE CHALLENGE ON THE KEEPER BY LEE WEIR SEEN THE BALL END UP IN THE SHETTLESTON NET. 2-4 WAS THE COME BACK ON?? FINNART DID PRESS AND CREATE SOME MORE EFFORTS BUT ANY CHANCE OF A COMEBACK WERE CURTAILED WHEN INSPIRATIONAL SKIPPER ANDREW BLAIR WAS SENT OFF FOR 2 RECKLESS TACKLES . BILLY GRAHAM HAD A GOOD SAVE BEFORE FINNART PULLED ANOTHER GOAL BACK WHEN S. WILSON TURNED AND CHIPPED THE KEEPER 3-4. WITH MINUTES TO GO ,AGAIN BIG BILLY HAD ANOTHER GREAT SAVE BEFORE SHETTLESTON COMPLETED THE SCORING WITH ANOTHER GOAL 3-5.
FULL TIME 3-5
DISAPPOINTMENT ALL ROUND AT THE FINAL WHISTLE FOR THE FINNART PLAYERS, MANAGEMENT, AND SUPPORT . THE ON LOOKING SENIOR FINNART PLAYERS, WHO ARE CURRENT SCOTTISH CUP HOLDERS WERE ALSO DISAPPOINTED AT THE PERFORMANCE THEY HAD JUST WITNESSED AND HAD HOPED TO SEE MORE HEART , DESIRE AND PASSION THAT THEY THEMSELVES SHOWED ON THEIR RUN TO GLORY LAST SEASON. HOPEFULLY THE LADS CAN LEARN FROM THIS SHOWING AND GO ON AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LEAGUE CAMPAIGN. WITH THE EXPERIENCED PAIRING OF DANNY CHARTERS AND CHIXY MANAGING THE TEAM , THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD FOR THE LADS DESPITE THIS RESULT.
MAN OF THE MATCH JOINTLY WENT TO STUBBSY AND WILSON FOR SHOWING SOME PASSION TO SUCCEED BUT TO NO AVAIL.
'MON THE STAR
