Three victories in a row as perfect Whalsay start continues
It was three wins out of three for Whalsay in senior football, with the Bonnie Isle side beating Ness United 4-0 to lead the way in this year’s premier league. Hot on their heels are Delting and Whitedale, who recorded victories over Thistle and Yell respectively in Monday evening’s matches.
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Thistle 1, Delting 4
In an entertaining match at Gilbertson Park on Monday it was the visiting side who secured all three points, with Shetland striker Ross MacDougal capping a fine all-round performance by notching up a first-half hat trick.
Thistle could have taken the lead in the sixth minute when Scott Morrison was in on goal but he could only toe poke the ball and keeper Craig Dinwoodie was able to block.
Play swept to the other end and a through ball found McDougal in space and he prodded the ball past Steven Henry to give Delting the lead. Two minutes later Henry produced a great save to prevent Leighton Flaws from adding a second.
It was all Delting at this stage and they doubled their advantage in the 15th minute when a mix-up in the Thistle defence enabled MacDougal to bag his second. He claimed his hat trick in the 38th minute when another through ball was collected by the striker and he calmly sent his shot beyond the despairing Henry. The home side threw themselves a lifeline in the 42nd minute when Morrison slalomed his way past several defenders to place an accurate strike out of Dinwoodie’s reach. It was the midfielder’s third goal of the season and the third game in a row in which he had found the net.
The second half was rather more even with the Jags enjoying much of the possession but unable to add to their tally.
A curling free kick from substitute Neil Riddell grazed the outside of the post while Kevin Gifford could consider himself rather unfortunate when the ball became entangled in between his legs in front of goal and he was unable to get his shot away.
Bruce Bennett sealed the points for the away side in the 65th minute when he cleverly chipped Henry from the edge of the box.
Unst 1, Spurs 3
A Shane Jamieson brace was enough to win a hotly-contested match at Baltasound between two evenly-matched teams.
Spurs broke the deadlock early on after a mazy run into the box by Jamieson. Several Unst players had the chance to clear but the run finished with a strike from Jamieson inside the keeper’s near post.
Both teams then went close and had several chances to score. Unst’s Iain Johnson rounded the keeper well before having his shot cleared off the line. Another chance fell to Unst captain Darren Thomson who rifled the ball goalwards only to see it cleared from between the posts by the last defender.
Spurs had a great chance of their own, with some good work down the right wing resulting in a Connel Gresham strike which cannoned off the crossbar to safety.
Unst made the game all square with some intricate play by David Thomson. A neat one-two with Martin McPherson was rounded off with Thomson’s sublime looping finish over the despairing Spurs keeper.
The second half saw chances again for each side, though some dogged defending by both teams kept the goals at bay. That was until 20 minutes to go when a scramble in the box was pounced upon by Jamieson who slotted the ball through a ruck of bodies and past the young Unst keeper.
Spurs made sure the three points returned to the town when an Ally Graham “squiggler” made its way past several Unst defenders and into the far corner.
Unst now travel to Whitedale in the hope of kick-starting their league campaign and putting some points on the board.
Whalsay 4, Ness United 0
Whalsay almost struck in the first few minutes when Allister Johnson curled a fine shot from the edge of the box. However, it hit the bar and was cleared to safety.
The game progressed into a very even affair for the first 45 minutes with Ness pressing Whalsay at every opportunity, not giving the home side time to settle. While Whalsay probably were edging things they were being restricted to shooting from outside the area, Johnson being the main threat.
Whalsay almost took the lead when Keith Pearson was presented with a chance following a slight scramble but he directed his shot across goal and with no-one attacking the back area the chance was lost.
Ness also enjoyed several spells of possession and were pressurising Whalsay at times, the running of Tomas Smith being a constant danger to the Bonnie Isle rearguard.
Just when the first half looked to be ending goalless Brian Irvine produced a great piece of play, combining perseverance with skill to beat two defenders and lay the ball on a plate for Keith Pearson who made no mistake from six yards.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first to begin with and Ness almost got the reward for their effort when a long goal kick was headed on to Kevin Smith who ran through on goal. But unfortunately for Ness he screwed his shot wide of the goal when he possibly should have scored.
On the hour mark Whalsay managed to put a bit of daylight between the two teams and it came courtesy of Laurence Pearson. The striker picked up the ball and from 25 yards his fierce effort eluded the best efforts of keeper Erik Peterson, a slight deflection taking it over his outstretched hand.
Ten minutes later any hopes of a Ness comeback were dashed when Whalsay won a free kick outside the box and Ian Simpson directed it in off the post to put the islanders 3-0 ahead.
Whalsay scored a fourth in almost the last minute of the match. More good work on the right by Brian Irvine ended with a low, driven cross that was carried out into the path of the onrushing Johnson who finished from close range.
Whitedale 3, Yell 1
It was the visitors who started the more urgent with Lee Jamieson firing in a left foot shot low to keeper Martin Young’s left which the keeper was sharp to collect. Soon after it was Mathew Saunders’ turn at the other end to deny Piotr “Bako” Drozdowski and Kevin Nicolson with two fine saves.
Whitedale dealt a double blow to Yell in the space of two minutes, the first when Paul Molloy sent a through ball to Jamie Wilson, who ran through and basically “bulldozed” the ball over the line. The second was a good solo run by Molloy down the left, cutting in and placing his shot wide of Saunders.
Yell bounced back quickly and Jack Jamieson nearly got them back in it seeing his shot clip the crossbar.
On the half hour mark Whitedale scored their third when Molloy, after seeing his shot well saved, squared the ball to Wilson who finished with a strike down to the keeper’s left.
Anyone thinking that the home side would run away with it in the second half was very much mistaken as Yell put up a very spirited show, and were justly rewarded when Neil Petrie struck a fine left foot shot into the roof of the net.
Yell almost got a second when a strong run from Lee Jamieson saw him through on Young, only to see his shot saved well by the keeper.
It was a good second half performance from Yell, well served by Petrie and also Danny Peterson who had a fine match. Whitedale’s second half performance was disappointing after giving a good performance in the first 45 minutes. Marcus Pitt and Jon Moncrieff played a steady game for the home side.
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Celtic 3, Spurs 4
Spurs took the lead through debutant and ex-Celtic player Thomas Sinclair after he rounded the keeper and slotted home. Spurs dominated the first half but a lapse in concentration at the back on the stroke of half-time let Celtic equalise through Michael Spence.
Spurs came out of the traps running in the second half and quickly went 4-1 up, Sinclair completing a hat trick and Torneil Halvorsen hitting a 35-yard thunderbolt free kick right into the top corne.
Spurs had a few chances to increase the lead but they switched off five minutes before full time and allowed Celtic to get two late consolation goals.
Ness United 3, Scalloway 3
Scalloway started well and were one up within five minutes through Scott Henderson. Ness replied right away when Grant Redfern burst through the Scalloway back line to rifle a screamer past John Leask in goal. Scalloway went back in front when the ball was stabbed home by David Clark.
Scalloway went 3-1 ahead when Sean McCaffrey broke free and shot past Duncan Flaws in the Ness goal. Ness came back fighting and finally got the goal they were seeking through Grant Redfern. They got the equaliser when Scott Ferguson played a perfect pass through the Scalloway defence for Michael Farmer to top off a fine performance with a goal.
Whalsay 6, Delting 2
Whalsay were one up inside two minutes through Gary Sandison and Magnus Polson put them two ahead with a trademark free kick. Delting got a penalty just before the break through Callum Clark to get them back into the game.
After the break Delting equalised through Robert Balfour but were dealt a blow when Bruce Bennett was injured and there was no replacement. Whalsay hit them with four more, Geordie Irvine coming off the bench to score two and young James Shearer and Stuart Shearer one apiece to secure a good win against a stubborn 10 men.
Whitedale 5, Thistle 3
Thistle took the initiative early on and took the lead when Neil Riddell slotted home. Whitedale were eventually rewarded with an equaliser courtesy of veteran striker Vinny Wlterson’s looping header.
The home side then made it two when Ryan Jozwik calmly chipped the keeper from 18 yards and George Ritchie got the third with a bullet header.
Whitedale gave themselves distance with a Piotr Drosdowski wonder goal from 25 yards but Thistle pulled one back through Saul Davis to make it 4-2. The game was all but over as a contest when Jozwik scored his second although Thistle managed a consolation through Riddell.
