Match reports for 8/3/03

Falkirk GHG 6
Perthshire 0

A superb team performance got Falkirk back to winning ways on Saturday with a comfortable win over Perthshire. Falkirk started well, and didn't take too long to make the breakthrough, Stafford Dickson opening the scoring with a flick from the edge of the box. Falkirk continued to put pressure on the visitors defence, with only a combination of good goalkeeping, goal line clearances and last ditch defending preventing Dickson, Watson, Robertson and Anderson increasing the score line. Dougie Blakeley did manage to get the ball in the net, but his strike was adjudged to have been outside the scoring circle. This reprieve didn't last long, as Watson and Fraser combined to set Blakeley up to score from close range. The 2nd half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Falkirk creating a number of chances before Blakeley got his second from a penalty corner strike. Michael Watson added a fourth before Calum Taylor scored the goal of the game. A ball out of defence was deflected into the path of Fraser by Blakeley, and after committing the last defender, Fraser squared for Taylor to score with a first time shot as the goalkeeper charged from his goal. Perth pushed for a consolation effort, but sound defending from the Falkirk back line and a fine performance in midfield from Douglas Nicol denied them even that. In the final minutes, a long ball from Robertson caught Perthshire too far up the park, and Watson drew the goalkeeper before passing to Fraser to score Falkirk's 6th.

Watsonians II 5
Falkirk GHG II 0

The Edinburgh side was to prove too strong for the Falkirk team and showed them what training two nights a week can do for the team's performance. Despite good play by Russell Heron and a good performance by Robert Thomson in goal, the destination of the points was never in any doubt.

Erskines Stuart Melville II 2
Falkirk GHG III 2

On the astro at the Mary Erskine School, Falkirk had a chance from the stick of Gregor Maxwell with a reverse-stick flick. Calum Taylor did all the work and put the cross through the shooting circle to the far post where Ross Connell roofed the ball into the net. Kevin Cummings in goal had the usual string of good saves, as Melvilles came back strongly after the break to put two goals away. Derek Morrison had a shot hit the keeper and it was to take the award of a penalty flick to see Gregor Maxwell level the game as he clinically executed the stroke.

Falkirk GHG IV 3
Falkirk GHG V 2

Intra Club games can so often degenerate into a clubbing session when people lose the place with each other as well as with the opposition, but this pattern was absent from this well-contested encounter between the two Club sides in this League fixture. Douglas Smith opened for the fours picking up a deflection off the keeper from Adrian Lewis shot. Barry Warner scored the second from a corner award, and then the Fives showed stronger mettle as first of all Ben Brewer and Stuart Taylor had a shot at goal saved before David Park netted from a Billy Brankin ball on this his first outing for some months with the club. Gasps of amazement resounded as Russell Sommerville blasted in the second to level the game. Stephen Macdonald separated the teams after work by Adrian Lewis, and Mark Stewart had a chance to do further damage, but the Fives were helped no end by the presence of Robert Thomson in goal.

Erskines Stuart Melville III 8
Falkirk GHG VI 2

This game exploded with the home side showing some very high level hockey for Division 3 East District and it was remarked by the Falkirk's sides umpire that the Erskines 3rd team was better that their 2nd XI whose game he had just left and it showed with the home side being 4-0 at halftime. Falkirk replied in the second half with two quick goals from young Stewart Laing who expertly received a through ball from Ian Webster and chipped it over the home side keeper. The second goal came from a through ball from Duncan Kehoe that was hammered into the net by Stuart Brown. Erskines replied with another four goals but it just showed that their 1st sorry 3rd XI were not as good as they thought they were.

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