Delting draw leaves door slightly ajar
WHALSAY retained a glimmer of hope in senior football’s premier league when champions Delting were held at home to Celtic, the Bonnie Isle side remaining after a comfortable win over Scalloway. Elsewhere Thistle routed understrength Yell, who had manager John Saunders back between the sticks, while Whitedale narrowly defeated Spurs.
G&S Flooring Premier League
Thistle 17, Yell 0
Yell turned up with only nine men but decided to play with manager John Saunders in goals to give them an extra man.
The veteran keeper was kept busy and pulled off a number of fine saves, most notably when he turned away a Richard Manson pile-driver for a corner.
Credit to the Yell players who turned up and kept battling away but shame on those who did not turn up and let the rest down badly.
The Thistle scorers were Colin Bragg (6), Neil Riddell (5), Craig Gerty (3), Kevin Gifford, Stuart Smith and an own goal.
Whitedale 5, Spurs 4
After two defeats to Spurs this season Whitedale were looking to give a good account of themselves towards the end of a mixed season.
Whitedale started the brightest with some neat passing throughout the team causing the Spurs defence problems. After one such attack a Spurs clearance gave Whitedale a corner which Spurs failed to clear and Craig Nicolson hammered the ball into the back of the net.
Whitedale continued to attack and after 15 minutes Ryan Joswik split the Spurs defence with a perfect pass which Paul Molloy ran on to and smashed it home for 2-0.
With 30 minutes gone Whitedale were 3-0 up, again through Molloy after good link-up play with both strikers involved and some individual skill.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining Spurs got a lifeline when the Whitedale defence lost the ball at the back which was hammered towards goal. Young keeper Jordan Morrison made a great low save only to see the rebound fall to the feet of Adam Sharp who made it 3-1.
Within a few minutes Spurs got a second when the Whitedale defence got their offside trap wrong leaving Sharp through on goal for his second.
On the hour mark Whitedale got there fourth when Molloy completed his hat trick after using his pace.
Spurs closed the deficit 10 minutes later when Josie Kay followed in a driven strike and when the ball fell loose he cleverly chipped it over the keeper.
As the game wore on Whitedale brought on young midfielder Alan Johnson and within a minute he gave Whitedale a 5-3 lead when he sneaked in behind the defence to head home a Piotr Drozdowski cross.
With less than 10 minutes to go it looked like game over but Spurs were not finished and after a corner the ball was poked it the net by Alan Page to make the final five minutes interesting. But there was no more goals and Whitedale got their deserved win.
Whalsay 5, Scalloway 1
The first goal came from a breakaway after defending a corner with a good quick passing move resulting in Gary Jamieson playing in Laurence Pearson. His initial shot was saved by Bryan Johnson but Pearson was handily placed to knock in the rebound.
The second came from Pearson again. This time he relied more on luck as when Kevin Sinclair challenged him for the ball it cannoned off Pearson and from 20 yards looped over Johnson and under the crossbar.
More bad luck followed when shortly after Scalloway had to use their only available substitute when Gary Burns was forced to leave the field due to an injury.
Magnus Polson increased the home side’s advantage with their third goal after 20 minutes, catching the ball sweetly with a half-volley from outside the box sending it across the keeper and into the far corner.
Scalloway’s bad luck was compounded just before half time when Robert Garrick had to leave the field with a suspected broken leg.
It took until the 75th minute for Whalsay to score their fourth, Pearson notching his hat trick with as good an individual goal as you are likely to see. He collected the ball out wide, beat two players then curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Ian Simpson scored Whalsay’s fifth again from outside the box, this time collecting the ball from a free kick to drill the ball low and hard into the far corner again giving the Scalloway keeper no chance.
Scalloway deserve credit for fighting to the end with 10 men and were duly rewarded for their efforts when Stephen Umphray pulled a goal back in the dying minutes.
Delting 0, Celtic 0
No report was received.
Bloomfield Cup (group one)
Whitedale 3, Celtic 0
The breakthrough came for the home side close to half time when the ever dangerous Jamie Wilson went on one of his weaving runs and eventually finished into the bottom corner.
The second goal was a good finish from substitute Paul Molloy and it was Molloy again who scored his second and Whitedale’s third with a good solo effort.
Whalsay 2, Delting 1
The dead lock was broken as Sean Manson pounced on a loose goal kick to stun Whalsay with the opener in an increasingly bitter tie in which both teams were guilty of silly fouls and mouthing off.
Bryan Irvine grabbed the equaliser with the last kick of the half with a well taken goal.
The winner came around the hour mark as Ian Anderson played a deep cross which Philip Mowat latched onto and prodded past the keeper.
Whalsay 2, Whitedale 0
Whalsay took the lead when Sandy Kay eased past the defence and slotted home. The second came from Brydon Pearson whose tame shot the keeper couldn’t seem to catch and the ball trickled over the line.
Bloomfield Cup (group two)
Scalloway 2, Spurs 4
Scalloway opened the scoring when Shaun McCaffrey headed in a cross ball from Jamie Robertson. The visitors went on to dominate the half with a hat-trick from Adam Sharp and another from Connel Gresham. The second half proved to be a more even contest as both teams were awarded penalty kicks with Spurs missing the target while Magnus Henry converted for Scalloway.
Ness United 5, Thistle 5
No report was received.
Bloomfield Cup (semi-finals)
Spurs 4, Delting 4 ( Spurs won 5-4 on penalties)
Scorers for Spurs were Connell Gresham (2), Sam Goudie and Shane Jamieson (penalty). Delting replied through Robert Balfour (2,) Fraser Hall and an own goal.
Whalsay 0, Scalloway 0 (Scalloway won on penalties)
