Blairgowrie Juniors FC 0 - 2 Tayport FC (Match Report 12/11/22)

**Apologies for the lateness of this match report**

Blairgowrie Juniors FC 0 - 2 Tayport FC

12/11/22

2.30pm Kick Off

Davie Park

Midlands Football League

Match Report by Charlotte Wilde

Photographs by Ryan Masheder

After a poor performance at home to Dundee Downfield in the first match of November, Tayport were determined to get back into training with a positive mind set and redeem themselves with a win on Saturday against Blairgowire Juniors. The Port travelled to Davie Park with some key players missing due to injuries and suspensions. However, the starting line-up did feature defenders Greg McColm and Craig Sturrock and keeper Tom Welsh, who all returned from absence.

The opening 10 minutes of the match saw equal chances for both sides. Ryan Paterson had a powerful shot on goal but Blairgowrie keeper Cameron Johnstone made an easy save. The home side also had an early chance when Gary Axworthy passed the ball to Cameron McManus in the box, but McManus’s shot was caught by Port keeper Tom Welsh.

20 minutes in, Port striker Rikki Gillespie took a great free kick which fell straight into the Blairgowie box. Daryl McKenzie jumped up to header the ball into the net, but it skimmed of the wrong side of his head and fell to a Blairgowrie defender where it was then cleared from the home sides half. However, only 5 minutes later in the 25th minute of the match, Tayport got their first goal. Gillespie took a powerful shot from inside the box and across the goal and into the top left corner of the net.

Despite just conceding, Blairgowrie continued to push for their own goal. Kaisey Brown took a shot on goal but the ball was batted away by Welsh and then further cleared from the box by defender McColm. Axworthy also had a chance through his free kick but the Tayport defence were quick to clear the ball from the box once again.

On the 42nd minute mark, Tayport made it 0-2. Paterson controlled the ball in the box before slipping it across to Ethan Samson who simply tapped it into the back of Blairgowrie’s net. The half time whistle was blown and The Port went into the break with a good lead of 0-2.

Only minutes after the second half had begun, Tayport had a great chance to make it 0-3 when Paterson chipped the ball over Johnstone when he came out of his box. Unluckily for Paterson, the ball just skimmed over the cross bar.

Paterson also had a few chances through passes from McColm but, unfortunately, all 3 of his runs were ruled as offside. Another Tayport chance came from goal scorer Samson 20 minutes from the end of the match. Paterson lobbed the ball into the box where it found Samson who headed it towards the goal but the ball smacked off the cross bar and went out.

Blairgowrie also had their fair share of chances in the second half. Axworthy took a powerful free kick into the Tayport box but the ball couldn’t find a Blairgowrie player and was subsequently cleared away by McColm. Another free kick was this time taken by Ian Plenderleith but, once again, the Tayport defence were first to get to the ball in the box and made the clearance. Substitute Stefan Brown had a great late chance for the home side but his shot was easily caught by Welsh.

Only minutes before the end of the match, Port substitute Adam Fraser made a great pass in the box meant for Andy Walls, but unfortunately Walls couldn’t quite get his feet to the ball and Johnstone slid in and collected the ball. The Port bench cheered as the referee blew the whistle and Tayport took away the 3 points with a 0-2 win.

Tayport Manager Daryl McKenzie expressed that he was, “very happy overall with the performance and the result”. He also added, “I thought we were the better team right the way throughout the game”, but that in the second half, “Blairgowrie came into the game but we really limited them to pretty few chances.” McKenzie finished by saying he was “happy to get the win after 3 or 4 straight defeats”.

The Tayport Distillery Man of the Match award was given to defender Craig Sturrock.

Tayport Team:

1 Thomas Welsh

2 Bradie Heggie

3 Callum Walls

4 Daryl McKenzie

5 Greg McColm

6 Craig Sturrock

7 Innes Barbour (Fraser)

8 Ethan Samson

9 Ryan Paterson

10 Andrew Walls (Trialist)

11 Rikki Gillespie

Substitutes:

15 Caleb Addo

16 Dominik Naglik

17 Adam Fraser

18 Jamie Gill

20 Charlie Kennedy

Blairgowrie Juniors FC Team:

1 Cameron Johnstone

2 Brodie Cussick

3 Ian Plenderleith

4 James Simpson

5 Ryan Beedie

6 Craig McLellen

7 Cameron McManus

8 Gordan Pirie

9 Matthew Adam

10 Gary Axworthy

11 Kaisey Brown

Substitutes:

12 Logan Thoms

14 Harry Watson

15 Robbie Watson

16 Jay Fleming

17 Lewis Gemine

18 Stefan Brown