IRVINE VICTORIA (Victoria Park)

AYRSHIRE CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINAL, IRVINE VICTORIA 1-5 AUCHINLECK TALBOT, ATTENDANCE: 310 (h/c)

My end of season trips North of the Border continued today with a journey to the Ayrshire coast. Irvine Victoria were hosting Auchinleck Talbot in an Ayrshire Cup semi-final clash, for the right to play Hurlford United in the final.

Formed in 1904, Irvine Victoria have been at their Cochrane Street home since 1937, the ground is now known as Victoria Park. They are most certainly the towns second team behind rivals Irvine Meadow.

The ground is basically two sided with a couple of bits of terracing behind one goal and a couple of bits of cover down one touchline. The other touchline is tight up against a railway embankment. The ground is quite ramshackle, I thought it looked absolutely fanstastic!

Irvine Victoria were Ayrshire District League Champions in 2014 but after just one season in the Super League First Division they have been relegated back to the District League. In contrast visitors Auchinleck have won the Super League Premier Division for the third year in a row and will also play Musselburgh Athletic in the Junior Cup Final next weekend.

On paper, this looked a formality for The Bots, especially after a midweek 7-0 win over Kilbirnie in the last round. So it proved.

Auchinleck were 2-0 up at the break, thanks to goals from Brian Young and Mark Shankland, and looked threatening everytime they went forward.

The Vics tried their hardest and did carve out a few half chances but further second half goals from Shankland, who completed a hat-trick, and Graham Wilson cemented the victory for Auchinleck. If it wasn't for the superb performance in goal of Victoria's player of the season Chris Lamb, the score may have been at least double what it was.

Irvine Victoria did get themselves on the scoresheet with virtually the last kick of the game when David Adams picked himself up to score from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Andrew Leishman, who was also sent off.

WISHAW JUNIORS (Beltane Park)

WEST CENTRAL LEAGUE CUP 3rd ROUND, WISHAW 3-5 BLANTYRE VICTORIA, ATTENDANCE: 126 (h/c)

Sometimes the groundhopping Gods smile upon you and tonight was certainly one of those occasions.

It was destination Scotland once more but the original plan was to take in the League Cup game between Vale of Clyde and Benburb, unfortunately this was called off as the Bens could not raise a side.

The only option therefore was to divert to Wishaw where they were home, again in the League Cup, to Blantyre Victoria. The game turned out to be an absolute cracker.

Wishaw took the lead after 10 minutes, from the penalty spot, thanks to KB Grant (below left). Nicky Moore (40) added a second just before half time and when Grant (48) scored his second and Wishaw's third goal to put the home side on easy street, it seemed the contest was over.

There was no indication of the drama that was to unfold!

After 56 minutes Blantyre got a goal back courtesy of an own goal, which somebody referred to as "a Sandy" which is one for all you Everton and Liverpool supporters out there!

The Vics made it 3-2 through Craig Smith after 71 minutes before Smith scored his second and levelled the tie at 3-3. 

At this point you could see the Wishaw players legs had gone. It was no surprise when David Green put Blantyre ahead with 9 minutes remaining and Smith made the comeback complete after 85 minutes when he bagged his hat-trick.

Wishaw are back in the town after a nomadic existence. In 2010 a pitch in Beltane Park was fenced off and portacabins erected for dressing rooms. There is a small bit cover to help protect spectators from the elements. Despite it's limitations, the ground looked resplendent in the evening sunshine. A perfect way to spend a bank holiday.

PENICUIK ATHLETIC (Penicuik Park)

EAST REGION SUPERLEAGUE, PENICUIK ATHLETIC 2-4 SAUCHIE JFC, ATTENDANCE: 163 (h/c)

As is now tradition at this time of year, I headed North to Scotland to watch Penicuik Athletic wrap up their season with a home game against Sauchie Juniors.

2014/15 was Penicuik's first season back at the top table of East Region football after being reformed in 2002. The club were originally founded in 1888 but went into abeyance in 1990 after their Eastfield Park was sold off to a supermarket chain in order to clear the club's debts.

After efforts throughout the 1990's to keep the name alive, and find a new home in the town, the club finally secured a pitch in Penicuik Park. 

This ground is fully enclosed (though you can watch through the fence if you are that way inclined, as indeed some tightwads were doing) and has cover down two sides of the pitch. There is a food hatch in the changing room block where you can get the usual football fayre.

There is no social club so pre-match supping took place in the nearby Navaar House, where a pint of Ossian went down well in the glorious Scottish sunshine.

Considering both teams were playing for nothing but pride, the game was a superb watch and a fine advert for Junior football.

Neil Jancyzk gave Penicuik the lead after 29 minutes before Iain Diack levelled for the visitors after 42 minutes (left). 

To compound Penicuik's misery moments later they were reduced to 10 men when was sent off after receiving his second yellow card.

Sauchie began the second half with a bit more urgency and they soon raced into a 4-1 lead. Goals from Gary Bonnes, Daniel Ashe and ex-Falkirk striker Collin Samuel (right) who also played in the 2006 World Cup for Trinidad and Tobago. Jancyzk scored his and Penicuik's second with 10 minutes remaining.

A great afternoon at Penicuik Park was made complete, for my good self anyhow, when I scooped up £20 star prize in the half time raffle. Happy Days!

Highlights of the game can be viewed here and if you look closely you may be able spot yours truly in the crowd. 

WEST HAM UNITED (Boleyn Ground)

FA PREMIER LEAGUE, WEST HAM UNITED 1-2 EVERTON, ATTENDANCE: 34,977

This was my 10th and final Everton away game of the 2014/15 season. I normally don't bother blogging Premier League grounds these days as they are omnipresent in this day and age. 

However, as this is almost certainly my last ever visit to the Boleyn Ground I thought I would make an exception.

West Ham will be moving to the Olympic Stadium from season 2016/17 onwards, vacating what has been their home since 1904. The ground has played host to a number of iconic footballers and two of them have stands named after them, namely Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking. 

West Ham also provided three of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and there is a statue of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, along with Everton's Ray Wilson on the corner of Barking Road.

West Ham's owners have stated recently that the move to the Olympic Stadium will mean cheaper tickets for fans but there was no such generosity on show today as the club were charging £55 for what is effectively a meaningless end of season game, despite some people billing the game as the UEFA Fair Play play off.

Everton players though chipped in to reduce the price by £10 for the travelling Evertonians. It is a sad indictment of modern football that fans are happy to only be paying £45. Still a tenner is a tenner so thank you Everton.

Most pubs around the ground are home fans only so it was a twenty minute walk down the Barking Road to a Wetherspoons to get oneself a pint. Or two.

The game itself was typical end of season stuff but a 94th minute winner from Romelu Lukaku made the trip down to London worthwhile. Stewart Downing (62) gave the Hammers the lead before Leon Osman levelled things up (68) with a superb turn and volley.

With the game petering out to a draw, which would have been a fair result, an Aiden McGeady cross was met by Lukaku to bag the three points for The Toffees. Depending on your point of view on the Europa League, whether you think it's a good competition or not, Everton picked up up four yellow cards today which will probably mean next season will not begin on 2nd July.

 

No trip to the east end would be complete
without some pie and mash!