Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
3 September, 2010
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Published:  27 May, 2009

IT WAS back to league business last Tuesday for the Strathspey and Badenoch welfare teams.

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After a tight game seven days earlier between the two Aviemore sides, RBL set out their store with an attacking formation including two wingers with the intention of stretching Thistle's defence.

And this paid off within five minutes, as Darren Thomas cut in from the right and fired a low shot across the Thistle keeper, the ball going in off the post. RBL should have been two up shortly after, but Brian Minnard missed from close range.

Thistle were hitting RBL on the break and Jamie Simpson and Campbell Gaff were keeping the Legion's defence on their toes.

But on the half-hour mark the Legion extended their lead.

Stewart Scullion rounded his marker and although on his wrong foot pushed into a wide position and fired home a powerful left footer into the opposite corner.

RBL were now in top gear with both wingers terrorising the Thistle defence.

It was not long before David Robertson took the ball from his own half, beat three players before passing to Alan Docherty whose neat reverse pass to Darren Thomas was struck soundly at the near post for number three.

Thistle were still hitting their opponents on the break and in the 33rd minute picked up a free kick 30 yards out.

A difficult moving ball was parried by the keeper and Thistle's Jamie Simpson reacted quickest and lobbed it into the empty net.

Thistle gained some confidence from the goal and the game swung from end to end before effectively being killed off as a contest on the stroke of half-time.

A long ball found Darren Thomas who slipped past his marker and gave Thistle's keeper little chance with a good strike low to his left for his hat-trick.

RBL started the second half as they had finished the first, and within five minutes David Robertson moved inside and struck a tremendous shot from 20 yards, which was well saved by Thistle's keeper.

On the hour-mark Gaff broke past the RBL defence and a fierce left footer forced a good save from the home stopper.

Five minutes later, Legion central defender Colin Campbell produced a mazy 40-yard run, and from his resulting shot Minnard smashed in the rebound.

With the game in the bag, Darren Thomas was substituted for Jamie Stewart, and within two minutes he had put Scullion behind the defence who slotted home from 10 yards.

RBL were now dominating, and the final goal was a second for Scullion. The ball broken to him and calmly passed the ball into the net from close range.

*

LAST WEEK, Kingussie destroyed a poor Tomatin United side 7-1, however, seven days later it was a different tale.

There was no suggestion of another drubbing in this very close affair with play being dominated by midfield exchanges.

Visitors Kingussie took the lead on the half-hour mark when a speculative Dougie Langlands effort was deflected into the bottom corner of the net.

However, this spurred United on, and their mounting pressure was eventually rewarded when Hector Bryden expertly slotted home a penalty having been upended in the box as he closed in on goal.

In the second half, United had their tails up and laid siege to the Kings' goal. Only a mix of poor finishing and some desperate defending keeping the scores level.

Kingussie exploited the odd gap and were a threat on the break and it took some agility from burly United keeper Gary Stuart to keep them at bay.

With the game drawing to a close, United were denied a deserved winner.

Kevin Thain thundered home a 25 yard free kick off the underside of crossbar only for referee Eric Robertson to blow for encroachment by the wall just as the ball was struck.

United were upset, however, the whistler called it correctly. Thain's re-taken effort flew over the bar.



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