Match Reports by Shane Fenton
Photos by Jane Barr
Saturday 23rd February 2008
STAR HEARTS....1 [Hutchison,74mins]
EASTVALE....1 [Hill,17mins]
With a gale force wind sweeping down Treaton Park conditions were more akin to kite flying than football, one corner kick saw the ball actually blown right back for a throw-in without another player touching it.
There was confusion before the match even kicked off with the referee thinking it was a cup-tie when it was only a league game.
With the wind whistling through the avenue of trees down the far side of the park the match got underway, with the visitors having the advantage of the elements, and they were soon taking the game to their opponents.
A Craig Lamont throw found Ross Henderson and his shot on the turn forced Star 'keeper Chris Pratt into a save.
Lamont then had a speculative long-ranger tipped over the top for a fruitless corner.
At the other Alan Bell was impeded on the edge of the box, from the resultant free-kick Btendan Napier's effort hung in the wind and was easily gathered by Steven Gardner.
'Vale made the breathrough in 17 minutes, the home defence failed to clear a long throw into the box by Lamont, it went straight through to full back Stuart Hill who drilled the ball low into the net from 12 yards.
Hearts passed up an opportunity at the other end, a Bell cross was knocked back into the path of Gary Hutchison by Michael Sullivan only for the Star man to crash the ball just wide of the target.
The wind was creating havoc for both sides, the visitors however had more to fret about in 38 minutes when they were reduced to ten men when referee Alan Spalding had no hesitation in showing Gary Lamont the red-card for a rash challenge on Craig Nicholson. This was the third Saturday in a row Star have seen their opponents reduced to ten men.
The second 45 minutes saw Star encamped in the 'Vale half.
Substitute Stevie Patterson played the ball onto Napier, his deflected cross fell to Gordon Grieve in the clear, he failed to control however and the chance was gone.
Hearts continued to press and both Sullivan and Hutchison fired in shots which were dealt with by Gardner.
The home side deservedly levelled in 74 minutes, a Sullivan corner from the left saw the ball fall for Hutchison, who promptly dispatched it low into the corner of the net with a first-time left foot drive from ten yards.
Hearts, then nearly won the game with a wonder strike, from fully 40 yards out, and with the gale behind him, Graham Soutar blasted in a bazooka which crashed off the crossbar with 'keeper Gardner claiming he got his fingertips to it.
Despite pressing until the end Star couldn't add to their score so the points were shared, and both sides were happy to hear the final retort of the referee's whistle and return to the haven of the dressing rooms.
STAR HEARTS=Pratt,Douglas,Nicholson,Soutar,Martin,Napier,
Grieve,Hutchison; Sullivan,Bell,Reilly.
SUBS=Greenlaw,Paterson,Spence,Laidlaw,Woods.
EASTVALE=Gardner,Hill,Thomson,Marshall, Martin,C.Lamont,Douglas,G.Lamont,Allan,Henderson,McLeod.
SUBS=Sartarello,Aird,Crawford,Quigley,Kinnear.
Referee=Alan Spalding.
Saturday 16th February 2008
STAR HEARTS ....…2 THORNTON AMATEURS ......1 A.E.T
A strike five minutes from the end of the extra-time period finally decided this well-contested Fosters Fife Amateur Cup third round tie played in perfect conditions and on an immaculate playing surface at Treaton Park.
The sides shared eight goals in this competition the last time they met and if chances had been taken it could well have been a similar scoreline.
Hearts were first to threaten, a darting run from Martin Woods created space to lay the ball off to Brendan Napier who fired in a shot that was gathered by keeper Michael Wilson. A defensive error then let in Woods and with only Wilson to beat he clipped the ball past the custodian only to see it agonizingly inch wide of the target.
It was now the visitors turn to squander opportunities, Barry Rankin got behind the defence and with only home keeper Chris Pratt to beat, the big striker pulled his shot wide of the upright.
Another gilt-edged chance was passed up when Gary Howatson found himself with space but blasted past the keeper's right hand post from eight yards.
The homesters eventually made the breakthrough in the 26th minute with Michael Sullivan playing in Napier to steer the ball low past Wilson from ten yards.
It should have been two on the stroke of half time when Napier turned the ball across the face of the goal; it found Sullivan unmarked at the back post, but the Star hitman somehow contrived to send the ball wide when it looked easier to score.
Thornton were given a lifeline on the hour mark when the referee rightly awarded a penalty when Derek Page was impeded in the box. However, former Star man David Walker saw his effort parried away by keeper Pratt and cleared.
(Chris Pratt saves the penalty kick - photo by Ian Grieve)
The visitors’ cause wasn’t helped when the referee adjudged Gary Howatson to have swung an arm in the direction of Graham Soutar and flashed the Thornton man a red card.
Angered by the decision the visitors upped the tempo and a deflected cross from Davy Provan pinged off the top of the crossbar.
Mark Skene then sent in a corner from the left, it was met by the towering Rankin, his bullet header looked net bound all the way only for Pratt to somehow get his fingertips to it to turn over for a corner.
Star replied and substitute Alan Bell cut the ball into the path of Steve Greenlaw whose snapshot was blocked on the line.
The visitors deservedly got on level terms in the 82nd minute, a long clearance was knocked over the home rearguard by Rankin it fell for Stuart Wilson who ran in to lob the ball over the advancing Pratt and into the net to send the game into extra-time.
Thornton went close again when a rasping shot from Wilson crashed off the upright.
(Star's desperate defending holds out!)
The tie was eventually decided in the 115th minute, substitutes Ryan Clarke and Alan Bell combined down the right flank; the latter sent the ball low into the danger area, where it found Mark Reilly 15 yards out and he swiftly swept the ball into the corner of the net to send the home fans away happy and the visiting contingent contemplating what might have been, if they had taken their chances.
STAR HEARTS:- Pratt; Martin; Brown; Soutar; Douglas; Napier; Grieve; Greenlaw; Sullivan; Reilly; Woods.
SUBS:-Bell; Clark; Spence; Williams; Patterson.
THORNTON:- M.Wilson; Gray; R.Wilson; Skene; S.Wilson; Mair; Watson; Page; Howatson; Walker; Rankin.
SUBS:- Provan; McGibbon; Robson; Mackin; Scullion.
Referee:- J Headrick.
Saturday 9th February 2008
BALGONIE SCOTIA ....0 STAR HEARTS ....4
This Kingdom League local derby finally went ahead at the fifth attempt.
Usually matches between these two sides are close fought affairs, however, on this occasion the visitors won as easy as the scoreline suggests.
Hearts carried all the early threat and went close when Michael Sullivan struck the upright after being put through by Brendan Napier.
Gary Hutchison then forced home keeper Alan Cuthbert into a save as Star continued to press.
In a rare foray up the other end Paul Malcolm struck the side-netting.
For all their domination it took Hearts until the half hour mark to make the breakthrough. From the right flank Sullivan sent the ball behind the Scotia rearguard where it found Martin Woods who blasted high into the net from ten yards.
It was all Star in one of the most one-sided derbies for years, Steve Geeenlaw fired in a long ranger which Cuthbert clutched from under the crossbar; Mark Reilly then fed the ball through to Greenlaw who saw his net-bound effort cleared away by full back Wayne Logie.
The visitors added to their lead on the stroke of half time with a determined piece of play from Greenlaw which saw him work the ball through to Hutchison who dispatched the ball past Cuthbert from eight yards.
(Greenlaw battles)
(Hutchison lines up his shot)
(Hutchison joyful at finding the back of the net)
The second period started in a similar vein with the visitors on the attack.
Reilly flashed in a free kick that inched wide of the target.
At the other end a Steven Small free kick was blocked by the Star wall.
The points were more or less sealed in the 59th minute, good build up play between Sullivan and Reilly saw the latter set up Napier to drill the ball low past Cuthbert.
(Brendan Napier gets goal no.3)
On an afternoon when he was seldom employed, Hearts keeper, Chris Pratt was called on to make two saves in quick succession, firstly pushing away an effort from Michael Valente and then keeping out a shot from substitute Scott McGregor.
The scoring was completed in the 83rd minute, a slide rule pass from Sullivan found substitute Alan Bell who steered the ball low past Cuthbert from 12 yards.
To end a miserable afternoon for the home side, referee Ryan Woodrow flashed a red card at Paul Malcolm in the 90th minute for appearing to raise an arm to Gordon Grieve.
BALGONIE SCOTIA - Cuthbert; Logie; Stewart; Sword; Small; Lawson; Steedman; Watt; Malcolm; Shepherd; Valente.
SUBS – McGregor; Young; Hendry.
STAR HEARTS –Pratt; Martin; Brown; Soutar; Hutchison; Napier; Grieve; Greenlaw; Sullivan; Reilly; Woods.
SUBS – Spence; Wells; Laidlaw; Clark; Bell.
Referee - Ryan Woodrow.
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