Larkhall Thistle take point in opening league game despite traffic chaos

Aug 20 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

IT was a day of drama, anxiety and frustration for Larkhall Thistle as they kicked off their Central League First Division campaign with a 1-1 draw at Vale of Leven.

Elsewhere, there were smiles on the faces of relegated Shotts as they recorded a 2-0 opening day win at Maryhill but Blantyre Vics were forced to postpone their return to the First Division - and a derby against Lesmahagow - when Castle Park was ruled unplayable.

Thistle manager Paul Anderson gasped: “Five minutes before kick-off, I had only seven players getting ready to play – with my daughter Pauline about to be listed as a substitute!

“Players and some officials were caught up in horrendous traffic – Rangers supporters heading to Ibrox, airport traffic, a van broken down on the Erskine Bridge and part of the Helensburgh road closed for repair.

“It was a nightmare but we eventually managed to get together 11 players to let us kick off at 2.20pm – with no pre-match preparation at all.

“Some players arrived 10 minutes after the game should have kicked off and just got stripped and went straight on to the park but we worked hard for the point and did OK.

“James Earlie scored on the hour-mark after Leon Kondol took the ball down the left, cut inside and then cut the ball back for James to tap in from close range.

“Vale equalised in the 95th minute but I thought, under the circumstances, that a draw was a fair result.”

Anderson now faces a tough test at home to newly-promoted Blantyre Vics – with up to seven players who could be ruled out through injury.

The casualty list includes Kondol, Craig Dewar, Stevie Clark, Grant Wilson, Tam McLaughlin, David Menelaws, and Steve McInulty, who picked up a knock on Saturday.

Anderson added: “Steve probably has the best chance of making it but we’re expecting a tough game.

“I’ve watched Vics twice this season and they’re a strong, well-organised side.”

Vics manager Willie Harvey said of his weekend call-off: “I was disappointed. We didn’t want to start falling behind right away.”

Right-back David Campbell and winger Kevin Reilly will miss the first few weeks of the season due to knee and ankle injuries, respectively, that were both sustained from falls after innocuous tackles.

But Harvey is confident that Mark Docherty, his right-back recruitment from the under-21s, will help this season.

He said: “We had eight under-21s in the pool for the side that beat Vale of Clyde, and five of them on the park last week against Rutherglen Glencairn.

“That reflects great credit on Alex McArthur, who has done exceptionally well in bringing these lads through the ranks.”

Shotts opened their Central League experience with a 2-0 win at Maryhill.

Manager Tony McInally said: “That was our best performance of the season so far. It was a thoroughly professional display as the boys went about their business in the correct manner.”

John McLaughlin opened the scoring with a 25-yard wonder strike after only four minutes and John Boyack added a second in 38 minutes with a cracking drive to round off a slick six-man passing move.

Young Billy Russell rattled the underside of the crossbar – with claims that the ball had crossed the line – and new striker Mark Duffy, signed from under the nose of Annan Athletic, had a headed goal chalked off for offside.

McInally expects to have Boyack, Darren Ferguson and Gary McSeveney – who all missed last night’s Sectional League Cup quarter-final at Petershill – back for the first home game against St Anthony’s but striker Kevin Barr has ankle and thigh injuries which will sideline him for a couple of weeks.

Thorniewood United, whose scheduled home match with Cumbernauld was postponed on Saturday, are away to Perthshire, who lost 1-0 to St Anthony’s last weekend.