Largs Thistle

Next Thistle fixture: Saturday 11th Jan 2 pm: Shotts Bon Accord v Largs - Hannah Park
Some stuff about this season..

Thistle are in the West of Scotland superleague 1st Division, being last year's Ayrshire 2nd Division champions! We've some stuff from 2000-2001, 2001-2002 and a little from 2002-2003. Stuart McAulay's excellent Largs Thistle Site is best for online news.

If you want to help the local committee, phone Match Secretary Derek Keenan on 686342.

Full match reports by Calum Corral are, as always, in the Largs and Millport Weekly News.

The new book WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING - The History of Largs Thistle Football Club by Stuart Robertson - is available now for £8.00 from Rowe Sports, 128 Main Street, Largs, or by post from Stuart Robertson, 167 Glen Avenue, Largs, KA30 8QQ (add £1.20 for postage in the UK).

Saturday 21st December 2002: Troon v Largs Thistle. 1.45 pm Portland Park.
              Game cancelled due to frost.

Saturday 28th December 2002: Largs Thistle v Cumbernauld. 1.45pm Barrfields.

End of Year Cheer for Thistle... But Only Just!

Largs Thistle 2 Cumbernauld United 1

Largs finished off 2002 with a much needed victory against Cumbernauld United in the Rockware Glass First Division.
Three points were crucial for Largs as they attempted to build on their first victory of the season against Beith, and they opened the game with style and panache, taking a two goal lead in the opening eight minutes.
Largs were streets ahead of Cumbernauld in the first half and created some good chances but the second half was a different story, as the visitors fought their way back into the game and came almighty close to finding an equaliser. It was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance from Largs as they held on to victory by their fingertips!
Thistle fielded two trialists – former Beith striker Billy Ferguson and fullback Leonard Marshall – and both contributed well during the match.
It was an impressive performance from Largs in the first half with perhaps some of Thistle’s best attacking play of the season as they created chance after chance, knocking the ball around the park well, and working hard.
But when Cumbernauld scored on the hour mark and put the Barrfields side under stern pressure towards the end of this dramatic encounter.
One of Thistle’s best players in recent weeks has been Alan Colsh and it was fitting that he scored the opening goal.
On five minutes, a high ball was lofted into the box and was knocked down by Cameron, leaving ‘Colshy’ to strike an exceptional bending shot into the bottom right corner of the net with the outside of his right foot.
The effort from 20 yards out was something special and one of the best strikes to be seen at Barrfields this season.
Colsh then launched a long throw into the box three minutes later. The ball eventually reached Michael Hart who managed to pounce from close range. With only eight minutes gone, Thistle were flying.
Largs were stretching the Cumbernauld defence with Blaikie providing a major injection of pace down the left hand side. His run and cross nearly found Smith at the far post after 12 minutes but a defender just managed to head over.
Cumbernauld offered no attacking threat in the first half and it seemed just a matter of time until Thistle added to their lead.
Smith set up Colsh on the left who turned a good cross into the box to Ferguson who headed an excellent downward header which seemed goalbound but was cleared off the line by a defender. Colsh had a powerful turn and shot from the right hand side which required a good one handed save from McLaughlin to turn the ball around the post on 25 minutes.
Smith was striking up a good partnership with Ferguson upfront throughout and it was through this combination that Largs nearly killed the game before half-time as Smith knocked down a high ball from Scott Cameron.
Ferguson followed up but his angled left footed volley from 12 yards out which just flashed just wide of the right post.
The veteran striker again did well in the build-up to a good opportunity for Largs on 52 minutes. Smith nearly scored with a terrific turn and shot from 15 yards out which was just wide of the post. Largs keeper Kenny Meechan gathered a close range header from Cumbernauld two minutes later as the visitors provided their first attacking threat of the game.
Just before the hour mark, United pulled a goal back as Michael Glancy sped away from defenders and managed to fire the ball under Meechan’s legs.
Cumbernauld, who had scarcely been in the game up until this stage, nearly found a second goal in as many minutes after a good Craig Findlay raced down the left hand side and hit the ball across goal to the waiting Glancy but Leonard Marshall somehow got a vital foot in the way to divert clear. Suddenly, the coherent passing and attractive build-up play from Thistle in the first half vanished without trace as Cumbernauld launched attacks on the Largs goal.
There was an incredible miss on 77 minutes as substitute Dougie Brownlie somehow lofted an easy chance from matter of yards out over the bar on the half-volley.
There were some goalmouth scrambles as shots were blocked in the Thistle box but Largs managed to hold on with nearly four minutes of injury time being played.
Thistle struggled to create any chances in the final stages as they held on for their second consecutive victory.
We witnessed the best and the worst of Largs during a lively 90 minutes of action. Largs seemed to hit the panic button in the second half after going into a seemingly comfortable two goal lead, after playing good football in the first half and appeared certain to add to their two goal advantage.
It was an edgy victory in the end but a crucial three points to give the Barrfields club an important boost as they head towards the new year.

THISTLE: K.Meechan, Davidson, Marshall, G.Sheridan. J.Sheridan, Cameron, Hart, Colsh, Smith, Ferguson, Blaikie. Subs: Fulton, Wraith, Gow, Meechan, Barrie.