Match Reports by Shane Fenton
(Photos by Jane Barr)
Saturday 24th November 2007
KETTLE UNITED ....5 STAR HEARTS ....2
This scoreline looks like it was a comfortable win for the home side.
That wasn't the case however, with the score at 3-2 for Kettle, and Star looking the more likely side to score, the referee allowed a fourth goal for the visitors, which was all of 10 yards offside.
All credit to the referee who apologised for his howler after the game, but not much good for Hearts.
A stiff breeze was blowing down the park as the game got underway. The visitors had it in their favour for the first half and took the lead in 17 mins when Reilly sent the ball into the box, where it fell for Sullivan who netted from close range.
The lead would last only nine minutes. A darting run from McKie saw the ex- Star man to create space to set up Campbell to head past Pratt. A similar move minutes later saw the Hearts keeper save Campbell’s header.
The home side went in front on the stroke of half time when Grieve apparently impeded McKie in the box and Simpson stepped up to send the resultant spot kick past Pratt.
The homesters added to their score in 53 minutes with Campbell setting up Simpson to tuck the ball past Pratt from 16 yards.
The visitors refused to throw in the towel and reduced the leeway in 61 mins with Williams netting his first goal for Star.
Star were now in the ascendancy and came close on a few occasions to levelling the score, but were deflated with 5 mins remaining when referee Alan Spalding allowed play to continue when it was blatantly clear that a home player was off side by a country mile. That didn't deter Campbell from netting number four. The same player (in similar circumstances) added a fifth seconds later to complete his hat-trick.
STAR HEARTS - Pratt; Sheach; Nicholson; Soutar; Douglas; Williams; Grieve; Greenlaw; Sullivan; Reilly; McIntyre
Subs - Mitchell; Woods; Bell.
Referee - Alan Spalding.
Saturday 17th November 2007
KIRKCALDY THISTLE ....0 STAR HEARTS ....2
A goal in either half saw Star through to the last 16 of the Fosters Fife Amateur Cup. The match, played on one of the notorious Ravenscraig Park pitches, reminded many of the visiting contingency as to why the Kingdom League was set up.
The match itself was a somewhat drab affair. Star were first to threaten when Mark Reilly skipped past a couple of defenders before firing in a shot which was blocked by keeper Brian Napier.
The visitors eventually made the breakthrough in the 12th minute, when a harmless looking Reilly through ball into the box was fumbled by Napier and Michael Sullivan nipped in to side step the keeper before slotting home from an acute angle.
At the other end John Burt swung in a free kick; it found the head of Greg Robertson whose looping header was gathered by keeper Chris Pratt.
Mark Reilly then squandered two excellent opportunities for the visitors. First he hooked a Gordon Grieve cross over the top, then struck the crossbar when it looked easier to score after being set up by Sullivan.
(Mark Reilly on the attack)
Shortly after the restart, Josh Henderson sent in a free kick for Thistle which went straight through to Pratt.
Hearts added to their score in 62 minutes when Sullivan found space down the right before sending in a cross, which found Paul Douglas lurking at the back post to nod the ball into the net.
The homesters were then reduced to 10 men when Ricky Grubb was sent packing by referee Gordon Suttie, who didn't agree with a comment the player had made to him.
The miss of the match came in the closing minute when substitute Alan Bell did the hard bit getting past a marker then side stepping the keeper, and with the open goal gaping he somehow managed to push the ball wide of the target.
KIRKCALDY THISTLE- Napier; Burt; Kirkham; Peggie; Whittaker; Robertson; McGregor; Grubb; Allan; Henderson; Brown. Sub-Grant.
STAR HEARTS-Pratt; Sheach; Nicholson; Soutar; Brown; Douglas; Grieve; Greenlaw; Sullivan; Reilly; Woods.
Subs- Mitchell; Spence; McIntyre; Williams; Bell.
Referee- Gordon Suttie.
Saturday 10th November 2007
BURNTISLAND SHIPYARD ......3 STAR HEARTS ......0
The visitors arrived at Recreation Park with a side ravaged by injuries and call offs and did well to keep the scores level for an hour. The match was also blighted by weak refereeing with the official refusing to give clear-cut decisions. Both sides can also count themselves fortunate to end the game with a full compliment of players, when after a couple of somewhat unsavoury incidents, the whistler ruled yellow would suffice when everyone saw they quite clearly should have been red.
In a first 45 minutes of few chances, the first to send in a shot was the visitors’ Davie Sheach, which keeper Craig Hutt clutched out of the air. Shipyard then had a couple of strong claims for a penalty brushed aside by the referee.
Andrew Stenhouse then swung a ball into the Star box, it found Brian Muirhead coming in at the back post, he got his head to it but the ball flashed wide. At the other end Sheach sent in a free kick from the halfway line, it fell for Sullivan 12 yards out who glanced in a header which was dealt with by Hutt.
Kevin Masson then dipped in a free kick for the homesters, which had Chris Pratt scrambling along his line to keep out. This ended an uninspiring first half.
With the wind now at their backs Shipyard began to dominate and finally broke the deadlock in 59 minutes, a Richard Noble corner broke to substitute Colin Mullen to nod over the line from close range.
Gavin Gray then turned on the edge of the box before whizzing in an effort, which forced Pratt to turn round the post for a corner.
It was 2-0 in 75 minutes when the referee failed to take action for a clear push on Sheach and Gray, from an acute angle, squeezed the ball past Pratt.
In a rare Hearts foray up the other end, good work out on the left flank from Sullivan saw him create space to deliver a good ball in to the box where it found no takers.
The points were secured in 88 minutes, Noble swung in a corner from the right and Stephen Hodge, who had come on as a sub, was first to react to head the ball into the net to give the home side a deserved win.
BURNTISLAND SHIPYARD:- Hutt; McLuskie; Muirhead; Stenhouse; Reid; Noble; Pryde; Marsh; Tillier; Masson; Gray.
Subs- Hodge; Mullen; Forsyth; Rae; Stokoe.
STAR HEARTS:-Pratt; Mitchell; Nicholson; Sheach; Brown; Greenlaw; Grieve; Reilly; Sullivan; Woods; Douglas.
Sub- Williams.
Referee- Ryan Hepburn, Glenrothes.
Saturday 3rd November 2007
(Photos also by Ian Greive)
STAR HEARTS .... 3 NEWTONGRANGE STAR 'A' ....1
This 3rd round Soccer World Scottish Amateur cup-tie should have been finished after fifteen minutes. It was the 90th minute, however, before it was finally put to bed.
In ideal conditions Star got off to the perfect start with four minutes on the clock when sloppy defending by the visitors let Ryan Thomson gather the ball, he raced into the box before cutting it into the path of Michael Sullivan to steer over the line from eight yards.
Hearts then passed up a couple of gilt-edged opportunities with Thomson the sinner on both occasions, firstly pulling the ball wide, then firing straight at the keeper.
Newtongrange came into the match for a spell, Dougie Evans sent in a long ranger which went straight through to keeper Chris Pratt, Evans then worked a smart one-two with Paul Smith with the latter forcing Pratt into a save.
The home side lost the service of the pacey Thomson after 38 minutes through injury. Hearts nearly added to their score on the half time mark with Sullivan getting in a shot, which tested keeper Brendan Bostock.
The visitors were first to threaten after the interval and their best player Evans set up Smith who brought out a good stop from Pratt.
Hearts eventually added to their score in 51 minutes, Grieve delivered a ball in to the box from wide on the right, it was cleared only as far as Mark Reilly 22 yards out and he drove it through a ruck of players into the corner of the net.
It was game on again however in 63 minutes when the visitors pulled a goal back, Paul Neilsen gathered the ball on the edge of the box and sent in an effort which eluded Pratt and ended in the back of the net.
This lifted the Lothians/Edinburgh side and substitute Graeme Herriot crashed in a shot which flew just wide.
At the other end Craig Nicholson cut into the box and his net-bound effort was deflected wide by Bostock for what should have been a corner, but the ref thought otherwise and gave a goal kick.
Despite having the upper hand Hearts couldn't put the game out of reach of the visitors. Reilly saw a shot come off the post and cleared, the same player then fired high after being set up by Grieve.
The home nerves were eventually eased in the 90th minute when Steve Greenlaw forced Bostock in to a good one-handed save, but the ball fell for Sullivan to drill over the line from close range.
STAR HEARTS - Pratt; Spence; Nicholson; Soutar; Reilly; Brown; Grieve; Greenlaw; Sullivan; Thomson; Douglas. Subs- Mitchell; Sneddon; Williams; Sheach; Houston g/k.
NETONGRANGE STAR 'A'- Bostock; Sives; McGowan; Dorans; P.Smith; Jenkin; Neilsen; Wilson; K. Smith; Irvine; Evans. Subs –Healy; Falconer; Herriot; Scotland.
Referee: Rod McMillan.
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