Washout piles on fixture pressure

Published on Saturday 9 February 2002 00:00

ONLY one game was played last weekend in Edinburgh in what was another disaster for all league match secretaries.

The pile-up of fixtures was added to with the almost complete wipeout of games due to the excessively wet weather which is making pitches totally unplayable.

Motherwell East did, however, manage to play their under-12 league fixture against Musselburgh Windsor at Kingsknowe and the home team went on to celebrate a 3-1 success.

Leith Athletic, meanwhile, returned home from Gourock after keeping alive their Scottish Cup dream following a 2-2 draw with the local Gourock YAC outfit.

The replay of that game is due to take place tomorrow at Leith Links and Alex Cropley’s good side will be hoping to take advantage of playing before their own supporters by clinching a place in the final stages of the national event.

Edina Hibs under-13s saw their great Scottish Cup run come to an end in Maybole in Ayrshire, where the local Whitletts BC ran out 3-1 winners in another good game.

While the Leith Athletic under-13s will try to get their fifth-round tie away to Milngavie played tomorrow, there is the prospect of a real cup cracker at Wardie, where the very good Royston team entertain West Park United at East Pilton.

In what should be an excellent Kenny McLean Memorial Cup semi-final, Loanhead entertain Edina Hibs and the winners can look forward to appearing in the final at Easter Road in April.

That is an added incentive to these two cracking teams.

Another good game is on the cards at Kirkbrae, where Inch Colts line up against Dalkeith Miners’ CYP in the semi-final of the under-12 Trophy & Glass Cup.

Due to the backlog of ties in the various age groups of the Scotish Youth Challenge Cups, the situation regarding teams from this area still in with a chance of lifting the silverware is rather clouded.

But Eastern Region secretary Allan Archibald has brought some light to bear on the current situation with news of the following ties:

Under-12, Quarter-finals: Carnoustie Panmure Boys v St Peter’s or Rangers SABC or Hutchison Vale BC; Leith Athletic or Gourock YAC v Kilsyth BC or Tynecastle Hearts; Clyde FCBC v Salvesen BC.

Under-13, Quarter-finals: St Mirren FCBC or Duntocher BC A or Links United v Greig Park Rangers; West Park United or Royston BC v Hill of Beath Swifts; Milngavie BC or Leith Athletic v Baillieston BC.

Under-14, Quarter-finals: Tullichewan BC or Gairdoch United or St Peter’s BC v Hutchison Vale; Duntocher BC or North Merchiston v Clyde BC or Salvesen BC; Rangers East BC v Elderslie Wallace BC or Musselburgh Windsor.

Under-15, Quarter-finals: Edinburgh City or St Peter’s BC v Middlefield Wasps or Pollock United or Albion BC; Tynecastle Cherrie BC v Celtic South BC or Kinghorn Royals FC; West Park United v Wardie Vale BC or Syngenta Juveniles.

Under-16, Quarter-finals: Salvesen v Renfrew Victoria/Westhill.

Under-18, Quarter-finals: Cramond BC or Harmony Row or Gardenhall BC v Lennox Youth FC or Whitburn Rose FCA; East Kilbride YC or Musselburgh Windsor or Lochgelly Albert Colts v Paisley United SC.

Under-21, Semi-finals: Edina Hibs BC v Hillwood BC; Pollock Juveniles or Hutchison Vale or Busby Amateur FC v St Peter’s BC or Shotts Victoria.

Under-21 Lady Darling Cup, Quarter-finals: West Barns Star v Shettleston Juniors or Bellshill Athletic.

Just as the youth scene has been devastated by the weather, the amateurs have been toiling, too, with the whole of the Edinburgh Sunday Amateur FA fixture list wiped out last week.

Pick of the recast games tomorrow is Premier Division Braids United’s first-round President’s Cup clash against Preston Cross at Polwarth Park in Prestonpans and with both teams playing well at the moment, it could be a close call.

In the second round, another tie that could go either way is the meeting of Tranent Utd and Craigroyston at Polson Park.