2022/23 – Balfron Rovers 4 v 3 Deanston

Donaldson Park, Forth and Endrick League, 16/6/23

Me 279, Wee Man 150

Founded – 1930

Nickname – Rovers

Honours – Leslie League – 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948. 1950, 1955, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1990, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2016 and 2017. Donald Beaton League – 2018. Cameron Cup – 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1991, 1993, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2021. MacGregor/Ferguson Cup -1981, 1989, 2002, 2009, 2011 and 2013. Salmon Leap Cup – 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1985, 2003, 2007, 2016 and 2018. Garvie Cup – 1988, 2004, 2013 and 2019. Telfer Cup – 1979, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Margaret White Trophy – 1982, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2015, 2016 and 2018

Random Fact – When the idea of founding a team came up between John Young and Gregor Stewart they both wanted to name the club after the senior teams they supported. These ideas were “Balfron Rangers” and “Balfron Motherwell”. Rovers was settled on a later date.

A lot of people don’t know when to start a new season. Is it when the fixtures come out? Is it once the last ball is kicked in May? I personally choose, the first pre-season friendly to be attended in person. Given these have not started yet, tonight’s match still falls in 2022/23. A seven goal thriller, an ex FIFA grade A ref, welcomed like old friends, both teams without their keepers and a free history book on the club. Whats not to like. The bloody midges. That’s what. Blood thirsty arseholes that were relentless all night putting this wee Stirlingshire ground up their with Claggan Park in Fort William in terms of the wee bastards. There was a guy with a mosquito net mask on for fuck sake .

But away from the beasties, tonight was an important milestone for Wee Man as he reached 150 grounds by visiting Donaldson Park. It was also important as we both popped our Forth and Endrick league cherries adding to the other Welfare set ups visited over the last couple of summers by us.

Looking at the league prior it was hard to see past Deanston here but an interesting bit of information made it our way pre game. Both teams were missing their keeper. This meaning anything could happen. Continuing on pre game we got speaking to a older gentleman as the teams were warming up. As the conversation carried on, it turned out I was speaking to ex FIFA referee Brian McGinlay. A man who has around 100 European games, over 20 Old Firm matches, World Cups and even three months in the NASL when it was just starting up with the likes of Pele making a quick buck.Something John said he also did as the money was “considerably great”. A fine mannie it has to be said and he even aided me by getting me the team lines. For this I grabbed one of my books out the boot and gifted him it. I am not sure how my comment went down when i asked “so who do you support then?” He informed me it was Stenhousemuir to which I jokingly replied “you are nae a ref now, who do you really support?” which seemed to be met with a stoney face.But it turns out he was a director at Ochilview when he retired.

The game kicked off in 22 degree heat and it showed with many a shirt almost immediately becoming saturated with sweat. But before the players pours opened Balfron had the ball in the net, It was chopped off pretty quick for what I can only guess was offside. Balfron then found themselves with another opportunity when Cormack MacKenzie had a glorious chance but pulled out a decent save from keeper Monteith. As solid as the save was it has to go down as a bad miss. Deanston werent without their own chances with there two biggest in the opening stages falling to Chris Geddes (University of Stirling in the Lowland Leagues manager). But on both occasions he struck over the bar. Balfron seemed to be awarded numerous set pieces whether corners or freekicks and they were clearly dangerous winning every battle in the air but not getting the better of Monteith. The home side were also getting in behind quite regularly and Jamie Walker was to get caught in two minds when clean through. He hit one of those was it a shot or was it a cross efforts which went wide. It looked as if he thought he was too wide for an effort but wasn’t sure what to do. However he made up for it immediately when he broke the deadlock with an effort from close range to leave Monteith with no chance. It should have been two soon after when theDeanston defence split in front of Sean Curtis who screwed his shot wide. A strike on target was the least the winger should have managed but it seemed he had a rush of blood. The second did come when a knock through from Walker should have been mopped up by Monteith but the keeper didn’t get there and Gregor Harrower nipped in to stick the ball into the net. This taking the home side into the half in a decent and well deserved position.

HT 2 v 0

Rovers came out for the second half looking like where they had left off the first period and Craig Stewart was unlucky not to add a third when he fizzed a venomous effort just wide and i should know it was fizzing as it flew just past my lug with a hiss. Then it was game on when Deanston halved Rovers lead. A corner was fired in and Deanston defender Coubrough rose to head goalward only to see his header hit a defender but the Deanston man was alert and met the rebound and slammed it into the roof of the net. Even a real keeper would have had no chance. Instantly Deanston shot themselves in the foot and conceded straight from centre as their defence parted like the Red Sea leaving Walker clean through and bearing down on Monteith, but the forward was unselfish and spied McKenzie racing in and picked him out leaving a tap in. But Deanston were not out of this and were arguably the better team after scoring. The looked dangerous going forward and they scored again when Fabien Borz drilled home a poor defensive clearance from the edge of the box. A tidy finish and as Wee Man said “Deanston will score again now”. He was entirely correct and the game seemed like it was only a matter of time before the equaliser came. Deanston kept knocking and became more direct with their ideas. It was a ball into the corner to Alan Ingils who did crossed perfectly to fellow sub Paterson who was left with a tap in from a few yards out. Given the pressure Deanston were surely going to go on and win it from here. Or so we thought. Balfron went on to grab the winner straight away when a long long ball from David Reid in his own half landed perfectly on the head of Cormack McKenzie who headed across goal and in from inside the box. Offside was uniformly appealed for but the ref waved the complaints away leaving the Rovers to pick up their first maximum points in the league this season.

A cracking game for the neutral and to celebrate the milestone on what was a decent Friday night adventure with a random meeting with the man who refereed the title decider at Ibrox in 1991. An enjoyable way to break our Forth and Endrick duck at what seems a fine club with a decent backing from the tinnie wielding locals. Interestingly though tonight also kept up the high goal average we have of watching Welfare fitba. The season isn’t over yet, more Welfare games before pre-season . Watch this space….. Hopefully less bloody midges.

Entrance – Free

Attendance – 44 plus numerous folk hiding in their cars from the midges

Pie – N/A

Pint – N/A

Score Predictions – Me 1 v 3, Wee Man 0 v 4

Season Score Prediction Total – Me 2 v 4 Wee Man