Fraserburgh

It is the opening day of the Highland League campaign, and I decide to head to the far north east of Aberdeenshire for this game between Fraserburgh and their local rivals from Banff, Deveronvale, teams who finished third and fourth respectively last season.

With a little time before the game I take in a tour of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, which gives the opportunity to climb to the top of the old Kinnaird Head lighthouse.

The reward is a fine view over Fraserburgh's coast and skyline, and the Bellslea Park grandstand can be seen immediately to the right of the tall church steeple in the centre of the picture.

The church is right across the road from the ground, and provides a tremendous backdrop alongside the traditional old stand.

A closer view of the stand, which provides the only cover on the ground, and is well populated on a day of frequent showers.

Deveronvale are without a couple of their most experienced players, but even allowing for that they make an awful start, Jamie Beagrie on 2 minutes and Willie West on 7 minutes putting Fraserburgh in control, both goals owing much to the failure of the visitors defence to clear their lines.

Fraserburgh are on the attack here in the early part of the game.

Allan Hale almost makes it 3-0, only for his cross to come back off the bar, but Deveronvale start to get a foothold in the game, and Michele Lombardi pulls one back on 25 minutes with a spectacular finish, finding the target with a shot hooked over his shoulder.

Looking towards the town end goal that Deveronvale are attacking in the first half.

The visitors could soon have been level as Graeme Watt sees a shot hit the post, but they are punished again as they allow Willie West far too much time in the penalty area to score his second, and just before the interval a fine finish by Allan Hale from Neil Main's cross gives Fraserburgh a 4-1 lead.

The side of the ground opposite the stand.

The supporters have turned out in good numbers, with the attendance probably double the size of that which attended the higher level game I watched at Stranraer last week.

The weather seems determined to provide a reminder in the second half that summertime in Scotland is no guarantee of pleasant conditions.

The remainder of the game is certainly not without chances, but there is no further addition to the scoreline, and the Broch fans head home delighted with the start their side have made to what is their centenary season.

Walsall

Walsall's Bescot Stadium, another ground known by a sponsor's name, is the venue for the FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier between England and Turkey.

England need three points from their last two games to top the group and qualify for the play-offs that will decide the teams to reach next years finals in Germany.

The teams line up for the national anthems.

A general view of the stadium looking towards the stand that normally houses visiting supporters. The giant advertising hoarding is aimed at passing traffic on the nearby M6 motorway.

England are strong favourites to get the result they need here, and they spend most of the first half on the attack. They make the breakthrough on 23 minutes, Rachel Yankey, captain for the evening on the occasion of her 100th cap, applying the finish after a neat one-two with Alex Scott.

Getting a sideline seat with an unobstructed view here is no mean feat, even if it is in one corner of the ground.

The second half quickly settles into the same pattern as the first, with England now attacking the impressive cantilevered stand that towers over the rest of the ground.


Substitute Ellen White adds the second goal after 62 minutes, running on to Jill Scott's pass and rolling the ball into the far corner. Nevertheless, Turkish goalkeeper Duygu Yılmaz is having an inspired evening, and Katie Chapman is left with her head in her hands after her header is somehow kept out.


England do make it 3-0 through a 76th minute Jess Clarke header, and can now look forward to seeing who they will draw in September's play-offs.

Dumbarton

Dumbarton will this season celebrate the tenth anniversary of moving into their spectacularly sited Rock Stadium home, now, like many newer football grounds, known officially by a sponsored title. The ground sits at the foot of Dumbarton's most famous landmark The Rock, a twin peaked basaltic volcanic plug, that not surprisingly has housed a castle for many centuries. The guide book blurb says it is 557 steps to the highest point of Dumbarton Rock - I didn't count them but it certainly felt like a lot - the reward is some stunning views including the football ground.


The crowd control measures are perhaps a little excessive!


Spectator facilities are on one side of the ground only, so on a match day it is a little difficult to get a photo of the stand framed against The Rock, though in this shot taken from the railway station platform the top of one of the floodlight pylons can be seen dwarfed by its neighbour.


Today's visitors for another Scottish Challenge Cup tie are near neighbours from the opposite side of the River Clyde, Greenock Morton, so there is good support for both teams in a four figure crowd.


With Morton in Division One of the Scottish League and Dumbarton in Division Two, the visitors are favourites, and they set off at a fast pace, creating several chances in the first few minutes, though the outstanding moment of the first half sees Dumbarton goalkeeper Stephen Grindley make a superb save to deny Stewart Keen. The photo shows one of many first half Morton attacks as they play towards the River Leven end of the ground where their supporters buses are parked.


The view north from the ground looks up the Leven valley towards Ben Lomond.


The second half sees Morton continue to have the better of the play, though Dumbarton are not without chances of their own, but Stewart Keen misses a great chance to win it for the visitors in the last minute. Extra time once again, my third game in a row, and no change to the pattern of play, though this time Dumbarton come close to snatching a last gasp winner, Colin Stewart tipping over a header from substitute Paul Maxwell.

Quite how such an open goal failed to produce a goal in 120 minutes is surprising, but there can be no argument with the sponsors choice of the home keeper as man of the match. On to the penalty shoot out, and Ross Campbell hits the bar with the first kick for Dumbarton. The next seven kicks are all converted to leave Morton 4-3 ahead, so when Colin Stewart pushes away this kick from Ryan McStay, Morton are home and dry.


The result sends these Morton fans home happy, but the Dumbarton supporters also seem encouraged by their teams efforts against higher ranked opposition.

Stranraer

Having been in the far north of Scotland last weekend, today I am in the south west of the country, as Scottish Football League clubs get their new season underway in the Scottish Challenge Cup.

The impressive south stand dominates Stranraer's Stair Park home, seen here rising above the ground entrance.


Maintaining a team playing at this level in such a geographically isolated and relatively small town must be a constant struggle. Certainly it is little surprise to see a team coach for both sides parked behind the stand, with many of the home teams players travelling from the more densely populated areas of the country.


Here is a closer view of the south stand which provides a superb vantage point to watch the game. This is taken before kick off, and although the attendance wasn't a particularly large one, it did fill up a little more than this.


East Stirlingshire provide the opposition, and with both sides expected to be amongst the leading contenders in Division Three, a close contest seems likely. So it proved, with nothing to seperate the teams after a first half played in constant drizzle.

A general view of the ground from the vantage point high up in the south stand.


Hiding amongst the trees above the stand roof, you can just make out the red roof of the quaint bandstand that sits in the public park outside the ground, and features on the front cover of the club's programme, which is entitled 'Beyond the Bandstand'. Also note the very unusual floodlights on the north side of the ground, which the next picture shows in more detail.


In an end to end start to the second half Kevin Cawley gives East Stirlingshire a 51st minute lead, but Stranraer eventually get back on terms after 78 minutes, Craig Malcolm heading home in front of the town end stand after good work by substitute Stuart McColm.


Extra time is needed then, but at least the weather has brightened somewhat now, allowing views of Loch Ryan, earlier shrouded by the murk, to become visible again, as a P&O ferry can be seen departing Cairnryan above the roof of the north stand.


The other end of the ground presents a very rural scene.


It is at this end that East Stirlingshire eventually seal a victory that is just about deserved on the balance of play. Substitute Darren Kelly had earlier in the extra period been denied by the woodwork, but with a penalty shoot out just three minutes away, he finds space in the penalty area, and the ball eventually falls for Dean Richardson to fire in the winner.

Thurso

In the far north of Scotland amateur football is a summer sport, and the Highland Amateur Cup is the biggest prize available to these teams. The competition covers a significant geographical area, stretching from the Western Isles to Caithness and from Skye to Orkney, so providing some really interesting match ups between teams from different areas. Today is the first semi-final, and Thurso FC's well appointed Sir George's Park ground, better known locally as The Dammies, is the neutral venue.

Orkney side Kirkwall Thorfinn are the holders of the cup, so it is good to see the MS Hamnavoe on which they have travelled over today making the final approach into Scrabster dead on time, as kick off times in this competition can be very much at the mercy of ferry schedules.

Thorfinn's opponents are Pentland United, always one of the big guns in Caithness amateur football, albeit a little off the pace in this year's league campaign. They are based just along the coast in the village of Dunnet, and are the most frequent winners of this competition, with six titles to their name, the most recent of them just two years ago.

There was little between the teams in a tightly contested first half.

Weatherwise, this was the brightest part of a grey afternoon, but the rain clouds that were to ensure everyone got wet later were already gathering.

Thorfinn make the breakthrough on 37 minutes, Steven Miller firing home from the edge of the penalty area after Pentland are unable to properly clear a corner. However, a competitive half brings five yellow cards, and here Thorfinn centre half Marcus Guthrie incurs the wrath of referee Graham Elder.

However, it was the booking of Paddy Highley that was to prove more crucial, as his 65th minute foul on Pentland substitute Ross Allan brought a second yellow to reduce Thorfinn to ten men. By this time Pentland were already forcing the pace, but they must have feared it was not to be their day when Gary Mackay's shot crashed back off the crossbar. The equaliser finally came on 81 minutes, Tony Farquhar powering home a far post header from Ross Allan's corner.

1-1 it remained at the end of 90 minutes leaving both teams to prepare for extra time.

Pentland are awarded a penalty just four minutes into extra time, but Ross Allan sinks to his knees as his spot kick is pushed wide by Thorfinn keeper Paul Bain.

However, Ross Allan makes amends with a fine individual effort to put his team ahead just after the extra time interval, and with ten men Thorfinn unable to find a response, Pentland add two late goals to give a 4-1 scoreline, James Murray setting up both for Ross Allan and Garry Macleod to apply the finishes.

Cryfield

An Under-23 Women's International Tournament held at the University of Warwick, with this the second round of games played on a scorching hot day. First up was Norway v USA.


Only a small crowd enjoying the sunshine in an idyllic rural setting.


Norway looked to have the edge throughout the game, but it took until the 78th minute for Madeleine Giske to give them the lead. Just two minutes later it was 2-0 as Lauren Fowlkes turned a right wing cross into her own net. It was certainly a dramatic ending to the game as Danielle Foxhaven pulled one back for the USA, Ida Elise Enget denied by the woodwork from restoring Norway's two goal advantage straight from the restart, and Norwegian keeper Ingrid Thorbjørnsen denying Keelin Winters a stoppage time equaliser.

The second game was England v Sweden.


The hosts got off to the worst possible start, conceding a goal after only four minutes to Louise Fors. In the energy sapping conditions they faced an uphill battle to get back into the game, although Gemma Davison did come close to an equaliser in the second half.

The setting, picturesque though it is, does seem a little surreal for international football.


Sweden ran out reasonably comfortable winners. Goalscorer Louise Fors remained their main threat throughout, and though the free-kick below was too high, she was denied by the crossbar with the very last kick of the game.