Victory over Ness hands Delting title as nearest rivals Whalsay can only draw
DELTING clinched the Premier League title on Wednesday night with a 4-0 home victory against Ness United while Thistle held Whalsay to a 2-2 draw. Celtic beat Spurs 7-2. There will be full reports on these games next week.
Unst 3, Thistle 7
Unst started well in this match, taking an early lead with a Neil Laurenson goal. Thistle equalised minutes later through Richard Manson. Gary Harrison put the home side ahead with a well worked move and Manson scored again for Thistle when the defence failed to clear.
In the second half, Neil Riddell and the experienced Stuart Smith made it 4-2 to Thistle but Neil Laurenson notched his second to put the home side within a goal of equalising. Thistle’s pace up front led to further goals through Manson, giving him a hat-trick, Craig Gerty and Colin Bragg.
Whitedale 7, Ness 2
On the back of three straight wins Whitedale were hoping to finish the season on a high.
The game started fairly evenly with both teams competitive in the tackles but short in the passing until Whitedale got a breakthrough when Piotr Drozdowski found space in the area and shot low under the keeper to give them a 1-0 lead. Ness were still in the game and pushed forward at every opportunity, being awarded several corners in the first 15 minutes with nothing to show. At the other end with 25 minutes gone Whitedale gained a corner and after Ness failed to clear Ryan Jozwik rounded a defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net making it 2-0. Whitedale were now getting the majority of the play and it wasn’t long before they got their third, this time when young Whitedale keeper Jordan Morrison gathered the ball and found Drozdowski in space who in turn slotted the ball to the on-running Martin Clark to make it 3-0 at half time.
As the second half started Ness began to push forward and put the Whitedale defence under pressure and were rewarded when a loose ball found Craig Leslie with little room but he still managed to curl it into the top corner to bring Ness back into the game at 3-1. As Ness began to get into the game the ever dangerous Paul Molloy broke down the right for Whitedale and with a neat one-two with Craig Nicolson smashed the ball into the back of the net making it 4-1.
You would think Ness heads would go down but to their credit they went on the attack and pinned Whitedale in their half for several periods and after a poorly defended corner went out wide Ness’ new signing Mentor Brasha swung in a perfectly crossed ball to the head of John Robbie Burgess to put Ness back in the match at 4-2. The lifeline was short lived with neat work between Molloy and Jozwik leading to Molloy getting his second from a tight angle killing the game off at 5-2. There was still time in the game for two more goals for the in-form Molloy, who has scored 12 goals in his last four games, linking up with strikers Nicolson and Jozwik. Molloy must go down as man of the match with four goals, but it says a lot about the effort Ness put into the game when, behind Molloy, Whitedale defender George Richie must go down as a close second.
Scalloway 1, Whitedale 4
Whitedale ended their poor run of results against Scalloway in recent years with a fine win at the Fraser Park. The home team started well. However Whitedale always looked dangerous with their quick counter-attacking play. Scalloway opened the scoring when Danny Moncrieff turned brilliantly on the edge of the penalty area before driving a shot into the bottom corner of the net. On the stroke of half time Alan Davidson almost added to Scalloway’s lead when he was sent through on goal before lifting the ball over the keeper and just over the cross bar. The miss was to prove costly as Paul Molloy picked up a loose ball in midfield and outpaced the defence before firing the ball into the net.
Early in the second half Duncan Anderson missed a great opportunity for Whitedale while Davidson hit the post for Scalloway. With 15 minutes remaining Ryan Joswick set up Molloy for his second of the match. Scalloway’s defensive frailties were once again exposed when a miss-hit corner seemed to pass a succession of defenders before reaching Molloy who tapped the ball in to complete his hat-trick. Just before the final whistle Martin Clark completed the scoring by curling an excellent free kick into the top corner of the net.
On the night Whitedale fully deserved their win with Paul Molloy the standout in a good team performance, although the match was much closer than the score line suggests. Scalloway on the other hand will be disappointed with their end-of-season form, which coincides with the loss of several important players due to injury.
Whalsay 5, Ness Utd 0
On a perfect night for football both teams took to the field with several first team regulars missing. Notably Irvine Burgess made a rare first team appearance for a Ness side travelling with the neat 11 players.
A very dour first 45 minutes were endured by the home support. Whalsay enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession but could not find the breakthrough against a very well organised away defence.
The second half saw more possession for Whalsay and the breakthrough eventually came on the hour mark, Ian Simpson providing the through ball for Laurence Pearson to run onto, the forward lobbing the outrushing keeper to put Whalsay 1-0 ahead.
Whalsay continued to press and it took some good saves from Eric Peterson in the Ness goal to keep his side in the game, most notably an outstanding reaction save from a Karl Williamson piledriver.
The second goal came from Ian Simpson, the midfielder taking the kick from out wide and delivering an inswinging ball into the box that came through a ruck of players and sneaked in at the far post. The independent goal jury decided that Keith Pearson didn’t get a touch to the ball before it crossed the line.
The third came shortly after when Richard Arthur scored with a left footed toe poke from outside the box that sailed into the top corner.
With Ness heads starting to drop a fourth goal was scored when Laurence Pearson ran past the defence and beat the keeper to the ball and from a near impossible angle found the net.
Young defender Ian Shearer scored a fifth for Whalsay in the dying minutes when he ran in from the left side to smash the ball in at the near post giving Peterson no chance. There was still time for Ness to score a consolation goal and they nearly did through firstly James Moncrieff whose effort was saved and with almost the last kick of the ball Craig Leslie had a glorious chance but his effort crashed against the bar.
Spurs 0, Delting 0
No report received.
Spurs 4, Scalloway 3
Scorers for Spurs were Jon Scott Drummond (2), Connel Gresham and Alan Page. Scalloway replied through David Sjoberg (2) and an Alan Davidson penalty.
Celtic v Yell
Yell failed to raise a team for this game and Celtic were awarded the points.
Yell 0, Whalsay 12
No scorers or report received.
