For their second last home match of season 2013/14 Scone Thistle entertained near neighbours Blairgowrie and with Blair chasing crucial promotion points as they seek to secure the second and last promotion place from the North Division a hard game was envisaged.  What we got was a cracker and great entertainment for the supporters at the match.

Scone started the brighter and had a half chance after only 7 minutes to open the scoring when a thrown in on the left was taken by Lafferty to Doig, he in turn played a good 1-2 with Dudek which created the space for Doig to release a shot on goal from the edge of the box which screwed right across to the far touchline where Ayton was able to keep the ball in play.  Ayton laid the ball back to Scott Ballingall who managed to shoot goalwards, the ball just going past the post.

Five minutes later saw another chance for the home side as Dudek got his head on a clearance from the Scone defence to flick the ball to Doig and good play between Doig and Hynd let the latter get past a couple of Blair defenders before firing a long range effort goalwards which O’Brien in the visitor’s goal held comfortably.

Great passing play minutes later saw O’Brien called into action again after Dudek won the ball in midfield before passing out to the left to Kyle Ballingall, Ballingall beat a defender and crossed the ball into the centre where Doig’s first time volley was held by O’Brien.

Blair had been under pressure but managed their first attack of the game after 20 minutes when a long ball forward took a wicked deflection off Laing to Findlay who cut inside Scott Ballingall before chipping the ball goalwards where it struck the bar before bouncing out to Neave.  The Blair man got a quick shot on goal away before being closed down by MacLeod but it was a simple save for Curtis.

Three minutes later and the action returned to the other end of the pitch as Lafferty played a pass up to Doig on the edge of the box and he showed great skill to take the ball with his back to goal, chip it upwards before turning and volleying goalwards.  O’Brien couldn’t hold the shot properly but recovered the grab the ball before the in rushing Hynd could knock it into goal.

A minute later a Lafferty throw on the left was taken to Kyle Ballingall and returned to Lafferty, he in turn crossed into the box where Doig flicked the ball onto Ayton but the Jags striker couldn’t get his shot on target.

Scone were dominating the attacks and in 28 minutes again almost carved out the opener when Kyle Ballingall took the ball up the left touchline before a good tackle from Simpson saw the ball break inside to Doig, he knocked the ball back to Mitchell but his shot was over the bar.

As is often the case in games teams that fail to turn possession into goals can be hit on the counter and so it proved as Blair took the lead after 30 minutes.  The ball was played up the right touchline to Menzies and he managed to beat the defence and centre the ball for Axworthy who took one touch to stead the ball before firing an unstoppable shot past Curtis from about 22 yards out.

Scone however didn’t let the set back put them off their stride and tied the game with only a further 2 minutes having been played. Mitchell won the ball in midfield before releasing Ayton on the right and he in turn showed great vision to pick out HYND in the centre and the Jags number 10 made no mistake from six yards out.

The Jaggies continued to press for more goals and in 36 and 38 minutes had two more chances.

First Mitchell won the ball and released Kyle Ballingall on the right who crossed the ball into the centre.  The ball took a slight deflection off a defender which just carried it away from Doig and into the hands of O’Brien, then two minutes later a ball forward to Doig was chested back to Lafferty but his long range effort just cleared the bar.

Into the second half and it was more of the same as Scone again started the brighter and only two minutes had been played when Scott Ballingall won the ball at the half way line before playing it up the right wing to Ayton.  Ayton squared the ball to Hynd and he laid it off to Lafferty but his shot cleared the crossbar.

Again though Blair hit back on the counter attack to re-take the lead and again it was the combination of Menzies and Axworthy with the former showing great vision to pick out Axworthy at the left hand post with a fantastic cross from the right wing.  Axworthy made no mistake with the header from six yards out.

Three minutes later and the Jags missed out on the chance to tie the match when Ayton won the ball on the right before squaring it to Mitchell who quickly moved it on to Lafferty.  Lafferty’s goalwards run was impeded by a Blair midfielder but the referee, who had an excellent match, gave a good advantage to the Scone player and he was able to work the ball up to Doig who played a shot on the turn that just went past the post.

57 minutes were on the clock when Scone had their next chance after MacLeod won the ball at the back and release Scott Ballingall on the right.  he then took the ball forward before passing inside to Mitchell who knocked it on to Kyle Ballingall on the left.  The ball was taken past a Blair defender before Ballingall squared it to Lafferty who placed a good shot on goal which O’Brien did well to hold.

There was another chance for Scone after 67 minutes when Laing played a long ball forward to Doig who laid the ball off to Hynd but his shot was over the bar.

The match was being played almost exclusively in the Blairgowrie half of the pitch by this time and some Scone fans were beginning to think that the goal gods had deserted the Jags as yet another chance to equalise went a begging after 74 minutes when Laing won the ball at the back before playing the ball forward to Robertson who headed the ball on to Doig who took a touch before playing a delicate curling shot which hit the right hand post, the rebound falling for Robertson.  His shot was blocked for a corner which was played into the middle by Ayton to Doig but the Jags’ striker’s effort went over the bar.

If spirits were dropping after coming close without reward they soared three minutes later when the Jaggies got the goal they deserved.

A corner on the left was swung into the box by Ayton and MACLEOD produced a powerful header which gave O’Brien no chance from six yards out.

Ironically this goal seemed to wake Blair up and two minutes later they mounted their first decent attack of the second half which almost gave them the lead again.  The ball was played up the right hand side to Murison who beat the offside trap before heading goalwards however Laing managed to get back to block Murison’s initial shot and Curtis was able to gather the ball.

That was it for goal action and a welcome return to form for Scone after a couple of disappointing results in recent weeks.  Prior to the game given the positions of the relative teams the home support would have been happy with a draw, in the end given how much of the play was dictated by the Jaggies a win would have been deserved but the biggest thing to draw from the match was the return of Scone Thistle playing good football and that sets things up nicely for next week’s trip to Lochore Welfare.

Ewan Dow - Scone Thistle