Football: Stagecoach Central League Second Division round-up

Feb 3 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

CARLUKE Rovers emerged from cold storage to produce a sizzling seven-goals and claim top spot in the Stagecoach Central League Second Division.

With all of their rivals idle due to a series of frozen pitches, the Rovers cashed in to dump hosts St Roch’s 7-1 and emphatically state their promotion credentials.

Rovers were a goal up within minutes and led 4-0 at half-time.

Teenage striker James Dickson got them on their way, Stewart Arnott doubled the lead, then Mark Weir made it 3-0 from the spot after Dickson had been fouled, with the St Roch’s culprit red-carded.

Dickson added his second to take the score to 4-0.

In the second half Arnott grabbed his second and Dickson completed his hat-trick before Weir grabbed the seventh – again from the spot when goal-bound Arnott was fouled, and Saints were reduced to nine men for the final quarter.

Rovers have been stuck in runners-up slot for weeks due to goal-difference, but Saturday’s emphatic win saw them leap-frog Yoker by three points – although the Glasgow side have two games in hand.

Boss Whitey Moffat said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the performance. I would have settled for just a 1-0 win because after such a long lay-off you can never be sure how the players will react – but the performance was perfect from start to finish.

“The win puts us top of the league; Yoker have a couple of games in hand, but we still have to play them twice.

“There were quite a few managers and representatives from several clubs at the game and a few of them came up to me afterwards to say they were really impressed by our performance.”

The one downside of the impressive away win was a foot injury sustained by striker Stephen Ferguson midway through the first half.

Moffat explained: “Stephen seemed to fall awkwardly and we decided to take him off.

“He was still standing around after the game when we got back to Carluke but I got a text from him on Sunday afternoon to say he was ‘in stookie’ because he had broken his ankle.

“That put a bit of a damper on what was a really bright weekend. He’ll now be out for six-to-eight weeks which is a blow, because he was playing well and working hard for the side.”

Rovers will have a chance to consolidate their lead on Saturday when Stonehouse Violet visit Loch Park, which was the scene of an asbestos scare last week.

Moffat commented: “There doesn’t seem to be a problem with playing the actual game at Loch Park – the asbestos panel is located near the switch that controls the floodlights, which means we can’t use the facility for midweek training sessions.”

Moffat will also be eagerly awaiting the result of the Kingshill Park encounter between Forth Wanderers and Yoker.

Third-placed Larkhall Thistle intend to enhance their promotion prospects when they tackle St Roch’s at Gasworks Park.

There’s a good chance that defender Alan Fleming, signed last week from Wishaw, could make his Jags debut.

Lesmahagow, meanwhile, hope to give former Hamilton Accies’ Angolan winger Jose Quitongo his debut at home to Benburb.

Wishaw go into the North Lanarkshire derby clash with Newmains United at Victoria Park on the back of a 2-2 draw in a friendly at Saltcoats Vics on Saturday.

Michael Clark fired in the opener midway through the first half when he followed up a blocked drive to smash in the rebound.

Vics equalised on the stroke of half-time but defender Chris McIntyre put the visitors in front from a move he started back in his own half before smashing home a 25-yard strike.

Paul Airth almost added a third, but just as he was about to shoot he pulled up with a hamstring injury and Vics went straight up the park to notch their equaliser with only a couple of minutes remaining.