Schools football: West Lothian get National campaign off to a flying start

West Lothian battled to a 3-2 victory over visitors Forth Valley at Broxburn’s Albyn Park and the Group 4 match heralded the start of this season’s Lloyds TSB Scotland Senior National Trophy.

A tight affair was reflected by the slender margin of victory, and Forth Valley had the better of the early exchanges with stand-out winger Liam Taggart disrupting the West Lothian defence.

But, despite the early pressure, Forth Valley failed to make the breakthrough and they paid the price when West Lothian won a free kick 20 yards out and Michael Adams curled in a low effort that Forth Valley goalkeeper Craig Morris spilled into the net.

Having taken the lead against the run of play, West Lothian managed to hold on until half-time.

They came out of the traps quickly after the interval and substitute Russell Little doubled their lead when a deflected effort found the right-hand corner of the net.

Little’s introduction was a clear turning point in the match, as his goal and physical presence seemed to bring out confidence in his team-mates.

Forth Valley continued to press, though, and were eventually rewarded with a goal from substitute Mark Taylor.

But West Lothian bounced back when centre back Daniel Nimmo bulleted a header into the Forth Valley net from a free kick from another substitute, Sean McLaughlin.

With time running out, Forth Valley gained another consolation goal by taking advantage of a mix-up at the heart of the West Lothian 
defence that allowed Taylor 
to flick the ball into an empty net.

The winning West Lothian line-up was Tommy McAllister (Armadale Ac), Marcus Millar (Broxburn Ac), Kyle Miller (Deans CHS), Rob Dent, 
Graeme Thomson (both Inveralmond CHS), Michael Lee (James Young HS), Michael Adams, Jamie Bouhaddou, Robbie Brown, Mark Finnigan, Andrew Macdonald, Sean McLaughlin, Daniel Nimmo (all Linlithgow Ac), Michael Gilmour, Andrew McBride, David Porcher (all St Margaret’s Ac), Liam Forbes, Russell Little, Connor McQueenie (all West Calder HS).

In the same group, meanwhile, Lanarkshire defeated Glasgow 2-1 away at Petershill.

West Lothian will be at home to Lanarkshire in the final match in the group on 30 November.

In Group 2, defending 
champions Dundee secured an emphatic 7-0 win over Aberdeenshire.

In the Under-15 National Trophy there has been a run of draws. Edinburgh and 
Perth and Kinross drew 1-1 in Group 1, Aberdeenshire and Dundee tied 2-2 in Group 2 and East and Mildothian shared a 4-4 scoreline with Paisley in Group 3.

Fife are the current holders of the under-15 championship.