East of Scotland Premier League – Tuesday 5th April 2022

Sauchie Juniors 3 (Crawford 6, Smith 23 & 48)
Blackburn United 1 (Heath 61)

This was the re-arranged match after the one last July was abandoned with 7 minutes remaining and Sauchie leading 3-2.

They didn’t hang around this time and went ahead after six minutes when a cross from the right found Ross Crawford unmarked inside the box and he headed beyond Saunders to open the scoring. Blackburn created their first chance on 12 minutes when a Calum Heath free kick was cleared to Danny Campbell 20 yards out but he pulled his shot wide. However it was Sauchie who were pushing Burnie back and after Danny Smith fired over, he increased the lead on 23 minutes with a bit of luck after his shot deflected off Fergus Owens and into the net.

Nearing the half hour mark, Danny Campbell got on the end of a Daryl Meikle cross and his glancing header was pushed round the post by Charles Clark for a corner. Then a Jack Garrard effort was deflected and Clark again got down will to push it away for a corner. As the half drew to a close, Sauchie looked to increase the lead when Morgan and then Smith had efforts which came to nothing. To compound matter, Danny Campbell limped off to be replaced by Laurie Devine.

The second half was barely three minutes old when the third came. Saunders saved well from a Morgan effort, but the ball was crossed back into the box and Smith headed in from barely 2 yards. Blackburn started to get a foothold in the game and on the hour mark, Laurie Devine was sent clear but he fired his effort wide. A couple of minutes later Jack Garrad broke down the left and slid the ball into Richie Hutton inside the 6yd box, he squared across the goalmouth to Calum Heath who tapped in at the back post to reduce the deficit.

Blackburn started to cause Sauchie problems with the pace of Devine but never really carved out any clear cut chances and Sauchie saw out the game to claim the three points.

Sauchie Juniors: Charles Clark, Scott Davidson, Jon Tully (William Greenhorn 87), Sam Columbine (Kris Kelly 60), Ross Crawford, Danny Smith (Conor Kelly 87), Mark Finlayson, Craig Comrie, Sam Davidson, Jack Doherty, Brain Morgan. Unused subs: Ross Kavanagh, Darren Carroll, Evan Collumbine.

Blackburn United: Craig Saunders, James Mildren, Kyle McClung (David Howe 61), Fergus Owens, John Drummond, Daryl Meikle, Richard Hutton (Jack Sayers 61), Dominic Kane, Jack Garrad (Baley Ferris 75), Danny Campbell (Laurie Devine 40), Calum Heath. Unused subs: Marcus Millar, Chris Ashley, Gavin King.

Referee: Daniel Graves Assistants: Andrew Simmonds, Cameron Doyle.

Sauchie 3 (D.Smith 20mins, Docherty 45mins, C.Kelly 70mins)
Blackburn United 2 (Hutton 4mins, Campbell 12mins)

Match Abandoned 83mins – heavy rain & waterlogged pitch

Although Sauchie were first to show when Davidson saw his header from a Carrol free-kick tipped over by Craig Saunders, it was United who took an early lead when Darren Gribben headed on Saunders long ball into the path of Richie HUTTON who judged the bounce perfectly to lift it over the outrushing Clark’s head and into the waiting net. Indeed, Blackburn’s early lead was then doubled some eight minutes later when Martin Lawrie found Gribben in space in the centre of the park and he quickly shuttled the ball out wide to Jack Sayers who made ground on the right before squaring to Danny CAMPBELL to side foot past the ‘keeper with the aid of a deflection. However, the Beechwood Park men were back in it quickly when a free-kick to the back post allowed Daniel SMITH the time and space to hit a half volley past Saunders. Conor Kelly then almost brought the scores level but his diving header was too high, although matters were all square right on the stroke of half time when Smith’s free-kick was met by DOCHERTY who confidently side-footed home.

The hosts were reduced to ten men in the fifty fifth minute when Laurie Devine put Campbell in behind the Sauchie back line only for Hewitt to scythe him to the ground and receive both the wrath of the referee and the red card. However, it was Sauchie who were looking to control the game despite their man disadvantage and Finlayson shot over from good position. However, moments later the home side were ahead, Smith’s corner falling perfectly for Conor KELLY at the back post to net. With thunderous weather and heavy showers making play difficult, United threw on two attacking substitutions and almost levelled matters with eight minutes left when Hutton got to the bye-line and delivered a ball across the face of goal that was just out of the reach of Devine and Calum Heath. Within a minute though and with the playing surface swamped in water under a constant barrage of rain and with thunder and lightening overhead the game was brough to a premature end when the referee was forced to abandon with both player safety and waterlogged conditions in mind.

Blackburn United line-up: Saunders, Sayers (Sweeney 78), Lawrie, Browne (Mildren 69), Millar, Kane (Heath 78), Garrad, Howe, Campbell, Gribben (Devine 27), Hutton Subs (not used): McClung, Kidd

Sauchie line-up: Clark, Turnbull, Docherty, Hewitt, Davidson, McTaggart, Carroll, K.Kelly, C.Kelly, D.Smith, Finlayson Subs: Barraclough, Cross, Crawford, Tully, Brown, Collumbine

Referee: Mr. Brent Falconer
Assistants: Mr. Mark Donaldson & Mr. Darren Robertson

Saturday 31st October 2020 – East of Scotland Premier League

Sauchie Juniors 1 Blackburn United 2
Smith 81 Campbell 90, J.Devine 90+3

The last time Blackburn won a game at Beechwood Park, manager Mark Campbell was still playing up front and scored in a 2-1 win, 24 years ago and with a heavy pitch with a strong wind blowing, the task of ending that long winless streak wouldn’t be easy.

It took ten minutes for either team to create chance and it was Danny Smith of Sauchie who created it, evading several challenges on the left wing before swing in a cross which a diving Gary Carroll headed wide from 6 yards. It was Smith again, although this time the visiting Marc Smith, who combined with Laurie Devine for the latter to fire in a low cross towards Danny Campbell at the near post but a defender got in just ahead to stab behind for a corner. Brian Morgan then tried from distance but the ball sailed over in the strong wind.

By the mid-point of the match Sauchie were handling the conditions better and creating a period of pressure and forced a succession of corners which came to nothing, Brian Morgan again tried from distance and this time his attempt just cleared Gavin King’s bar. Just before the half ended, Carroll found himself in acres of space inside the box but managed to shoot wide, only for the linesmans flag to spare his blushes.

From the restart it was Blackburn who created a number of chances, first Dominic Kane pounced on a loose ball and swung in a cross from the left, the centre half misjudged the flight and it fell to Campbell but he skied the ball over, a minute later Marc Smith tried form 20 yards which Brett Young in the Sauchie goal gathered.

At the other end, Craig Donaldson carried the ball forward and slid in Danny Smith, but King narrowed the angled and blocked the shot on the six yard line, the ball rebounded back off Smith and crept past for a goal kick. Just past the hour mark, McClung gathered from a throw-in and swung the ball into the box, Laurie Devine met it no more than eight yards out but headed straight at Young. Marley Redfern then tried his luck from 20 yards but his shot deflected wide.

With 14 minutes left Brian Morgan let loose a piledriver from distance but King did well to tip it over the bar. Up the other end, sub Jordan Devine controlled a throw-in and crossed into Kieran Swanson but he knocked it over.

The opening goal finally came with only 9 minutes remaining on the clock when from a throw-in on the left, the ball fell to Danny Smith on the edge of the area and he lashed the ball across King and into the far corner.

With three minutes left Blackburn made a couple of changes in search of the equaliser and it came in the last minute. Gavin King took a free kick from inside his own half, the ball sailed into the Sauchie area where Danny Campbell had eluded the defence to connect with it on the penalty spot and loop an excellent header over Young and into the net. More drama was to follow deep into injury time when a long ball from the right by James Mildren found Jason Devine running away from the Sauchie defence where he met it first time and lobbed Young, caught in no mans land, and the ball bounced off his far post and into the net for the winner.

Sauchie Juniors: Brett Young, Iain Syme, Anthony McTaggart, Danny Smith (Darren Cummings 84), Mark Finlayson, Mark Sharp, Craig Donaldson (Ross Crawford 68), Ross Wilson (Sam Collumbine 68), Darren Carroll, Brian Morgan, Gary Carroll. Unused subs: David Cross, Jon Tully.

Blackburn United: Gavin King, James Mildren, Kyle McClung (Finlay Anderson 87), Martin Lawrie, Michel Browne, Stuart MacLeod (David Howe 87), Marc Smith (Kieran Swanson 77), Dominic Kane, Laurie Devine (Jordan Devine 68), Danny Campbell, Marley Redfern (Lewis Alexander 77). Unused subs: Craig Young, Craig Saunders.

Referee: Chriss Hobbs Assistants: Lewis Sinclair, Jordan Kelly.

Sauchie 3 (Dolan 6mins, Turnbull 13mins, McCaughie 41mins)
Blackburn United 0

United travelled to a venue where they haven’t been particularly successful over the years and, due to injury and suspension, fielded two debutants in the shape of midfielder Justin Watson and full-back Alan Higgins, with attacking midfielder Nathan Donnelly-Kay making his first start of the season. Unsurprisingly, the unfamiliar line-up coughed up an opportunity to their hosts within sixty seconds when goalkeeper Jonny Clements had to be quick from his line to spread himself well and deny McCaughie. At the other end Dominic Kane was unfortunate to see his glancing header from a Calum McDowall corner cleared off the line by Turnbull. However, three minutes later Sauchie were in front, a long ball forward eventually finding DOLAN racing clear and he made no mistake in picking his spot behind Clements. Back came United though and clever footwork by David Taylor allowed him to pull a ball back into McDowall’s path but his curler was easily enough held by Young in the home goal. However, the Beechwood Park men were further in front only ninety seconds later when an innocuous looking free-kick was awarded some thirty yards from goal and when TURNBULL’S effort from the dead ball somehow found its way through the United wall Clements wasn’t able to prevent it finding the net. Three chances in quick succession then came and went for Blackburn when first Donnelly-Kay and David Howe linked for Danny Campbell to drag his shot past the post and then when Campbell and Donnelly-Kay swapped passes to set-up Howe for a pop at goal that Young saved before, from a McDowall corner, Watson was desperately unlucky to see his effort clip the left hand post. Clements then kept Sauchie from stretching their lead by blocking Dawson’s shot with his feet before, in an end to end first half, McDowall’s free-kick hit the top of the crossbar on its way over. Four minutes from the break though and the hosts did move three ahead, Dawson hitting the bye-line on the right and cutting the ball back for the unmarked McCAUGHIE to thump past Clements despite the ‘keeper getting fingertips to it.

The second period was devoid of clear cut chances by comparison to the first half, although quick feet from Howe helped set up Watson for a shot that was saved before Finlayson’s effort at the other end was blocked by Clements and McCaughie’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Higgins. With quarter on an hour remaining and the game limping towards a conclusion there was one last opportunity and it came the way of the hosts, substitute Mooney outstripping Martin Lawrie on the run but sending his shot past the left hand upright.

Blackburn United line-up: Clements, Higgins, Lawrie, Browne, Taylor, Kane, Donnelly-Kay (Smith 63), Watson, Campbell, Howe (L.Devine 73), McDowall (Welsh 89) Subs (not used): Young, McLeod, Mbewe

Sauchie line-up: Young, Houston, Turnbull, Wright, Tully, White, Dawson, Davidson, Dolan, Finlayson, McCaughie Subs: Magregor, Sharp, McKeown, McTaggart, Langton, Mooney, Cummings

Referee: Mr. Andrew Craven