East Kilbride Fire Amateur Football Club

 

Glasgow Sunday AFL Division 1
	Pl	Pts	GD
Govan Harhill	16	43	+47
Morgans ES	15	41	+58
Laurel Park	12	28	+15
Westburn	17	24	-5
EK Fire	15	17	-5
Auld Firm United	13	17	-10
Glasgow East	16	15	-9
West End United	17	14	-19
Vale of Leven	14	11	-17
Tullichewan	15	5	-55

Latest News

Auld Firm up next
4th May 2008
This Tuesday evening (6th May) we take on Auld Firm Utd in the league. We have just three league games left to try and salvage some prode from the season so let's hope the players can do just that. With Dallas and Martin having joined junior side Darvel, the side will be down to the bare bones more than ever before. The game kicks off at 7pm at Stonefield in Blantyre.

Support the Fire
19th March 2008
We're coming into a very expensive time of year and the players will soon be asked to do their bit with fundraising etc to help raise the cash needed to see us through until the end of the season. League fees for next season are due in May and the cost of staging the Player of the Year night will need to be accumulated.

With this in mind we would remind any reader of the Fire website who wishes to make a donation to the club that you can do so via our PayPal account. This facility can be accessed via the "Donate" button on the left hand side.

GSAFL Div.1 Result - Glasgow East 7 v 2 EK Fire
16th March 2008
With 12 players missing this match was always going to be a struggle for the bit-part Fire side which took the field and so it proved as Glasgow East romped to an easy win at Fullarton Park. All over the Fire side there were players missing as a combination of a weekend trip to Newcastle and the League Cup Final at Hampden took their toll on our squad. Neil Miller was drafted back in for only his second game of the season and trialist Mark Hutton started on the right wing. Centre half Davie Anderson took the responsibility between the sticks in the absence of Scott Ogilvie.
We started brightly enough and took the lead when the ball dropped to Hutton in the box and he fired the ball past the Glasgow East keeper from ten yards. The lead was short lived as the Glasgow East players were given too much time on the ball and we soon found ourselves pulled back and then 3-1 down at half time. Co-manager Kevin MacFarlane tried to rally his troops at half time with a fully deserved rant but it seemed to fall on death ears as Glasgow East continued to control the match and extended their lead to 5-1 before MacFarlane got on the end of a Greg Miller free kick to give us hope. This was all in vain however as we conceded another two goals before the end.

This result has really put us in trouble with both Glasgow East and Vale of Leven having games in hand over us, we know we must pick up points to ensure avoiding the drop at the end of the season.

Team
Anderson, Stewart, Robertson, N. Miller, Stirling, Frame, Dreghorn, G. Miller, Campbell, Hutton (Pollock 75), MacFarlane

GSAFL Div.1 Result - Govan Harhill 2 v 0 EK Fire
9th March 2008
Having travelled to Cardonald with a threadbare squad of just 11 players we can count ourselves unlucky to have come out of this game with nothing. It was an unfamiliar EK line-up with several players missing for various reasons. We lined up with a 4-5-1 formation with Ian Knox in the lone striker role. This proved to be effective as the hosts controlled the game in terms of possession but were largely restricted to long range efforts. Indeed, we had what looked like a stonewall penalty denied after Knox was taken down by the Govan keeper in the box but the referee was not interested.
Govan made the break through on the hour mark when Alan Martin was judged to have deliberately handballed inside the box with the no.9 coolly slotting home the resultant penalty. We continued to try and hit on the break and looked dangerous at set pieces with Dallas twice going close. The lack of options available to freshen things up became more apparent as the game wore on and those lacking match practice became increasingly tired. It was this which cost us as gaps began to appear and Harhill exploited this superbly to get the clinching second goal with five minutes remaining leaving the remainder of the game to be played out with little meaning.
In truth we struggled to keep up with an excellent team but the one thing which has been lacking from the Fire this season is fight and desire, two qualities which the team today displayed in abundance and this is the positive which managers Pollock and MacFarlane can take into the next game.

Team
S. Ogilvie, Ritchie, Millar, Martin, Robertson, Miller, Dallas, Thomson, Wilson, Campbell, Knox
MOTM - Calum Robertson, had a great game at left back.

Consolation League Cup Result - EK Fire 6 v 2 Church House
24th February 2008
Braces from Ian Knox & Chris Dallas along with single strikes from Jamie Richardson and Kevin MacFarlane sent us into the quarter finals. The game was played at a furious pace and Knox's double saw us twice go ahead with Church House pinning us back before half time where the score was tied at 2-2. Our second half performance was far from pretty with much of the football being "route one" but it was effective as MacFarlane proved to be a handful and Dallas got into his stride. Midfielder Richardson netted his first goal for the club as we eventually ran out comfortable winners.


Tam returns
18th February 2008
Midfielder Craig Thomson has now served his four match ban and will return to the squad for the match with Church House this weekend.


Church House again
18th February 2008
This week we once again take on Church House, this time in the Consolation League Cup. Just over a week ago we suffered a horrendous result losing 3-2 at Brancumhall. No doubt managers MacFarlane and Pollock will be using that to motivate the players in the build-up to this week's match which will take place at Ballerup Recreation Area, East Kilbride.


GSAFL Div. 1 Result - Westburn 3 v 1 EK Fire
17th February 2008
Once again we paid the price for being the side who wanted to win the least. Westburn did not play us off the park, far from it but they had far more cutting edge infront of goal and looked hungrier all the way.

If truth be told the home side took the lead out of nothing after some poor marking from a corner saw their player nod home from six yards out midway through the first half. We looked to play football in patches but what we really lacked was a desire to go in hard where it hurts. We started the game with three debutants in Jamie Richardson, Scott Stewart and Alex Dallas, the younger brother of central midfielder Chris. Richard Millar also made his long awaited comeback and understandably looked off the pace early on. Things could have been far worse before half time as we were lucky to see the ball come back off the base of the post after another scramble in defence presented Westburn with a chance.

In a selection which saw many changes made, co-manager MacFarlane also left himself, Jonathan Cunnachie and John Ritchie out of the squad with Chris Stirling and Davie Anderson settling for places on the bench.

We equalised 10 minutes into the second half when Richardson's inch perfect pass picked out Graeme Ogilvie for his second goal since returning to the Fire. Following the goal we took control of the game but the hosts still looked dangerous on the break. We pressed hard looking to take the lead but still the final pass and finishing touch was not there as Westburn (and in particular their no. 5 who was outstanding) continued to scrap for every ball.

Our lack of composure in front of goal cost us dear as we lost two goals late in the game, dropping another three points in a match we feel we should be winning. Co-manager MacFarlane hit the nail on the head in the dressing room after the game saying ".....we can only keep losing these games so long and writing it off as a one off. The only difference between us and them today was desire to win and commitment." Too true big man and sadly, this is the story of our season so far.

Team
S. Ogilvie, Vernon, Millar, Martin, Stewart, A. Dallas (Campbell), Dreghorn (Anderson), Richardson, C. Dallas, Knox (Stirling), G. Ogilvie

Subs not used
Miller, Riley

Westburn next up
12th February 2008
We have a big point to prove, more to ourselves than anyone else as travel to take on Westburn next week. Following Sunday's dismal performance the lads have a responsibility to put in a battling performance this week and show some guts.

Our last meeting with Westburn ended in a share of the spoils as we drew 1-1  at the Murray in October.  The game is scheduled to be played at Stonelaw Sports Centre in Blantyre with a 2pm kick off.


Consoltation Scoreboard Sports Cup Result
Church House 3 v 2 EK Fire
10th February 2008
We recorded the single most shocking result in our history today as we went down to division 2 side Church House in the Consolation Scoreboard Sports Cup. This was the trophy we lifted just 21 months ago but this Fire team has a long, long way to go before they even come close to emulating the success of that team and that in the season which followed. The strangest thing about our recent demise is the fact that today's starting line-up contained a full six players from the squad which won the very same cup back in 2006. So why the problem? Is it down to the new guys? No. Is it the management and their tactics? No. The answer is plain and simple. These guys do not want to be a team any more. There are too many now who are in it for their self and who think they are better than those who surround them. The sad fact is that not one of the Fire players got pass marks today, not one looked like he had the guts to put himself where it hurt for the team, to throw himself into tackles or to keep his composure infront of goal. The team are undoubtedly lacking in leadership, there is nobody there who seemed to want to grab his team-mates by the scruff today and pull them back from the brink when things got tough. The players hid and looked around as if expecting someone else to pull them out of it.

They were lacking all of the attributes which Church House showed in abundance. Passion, desire, willingness to work and above all, a willingness to put them team first, to fight for the man next to them. Church House are by no manner or means world beaters, in terms of talent, the Fire players should have been capable of playing them off the park but what they were was organised and disciplined. They played 4-5-1 and looked to hit on the break and they did it with great effect. The Fire defence all but handed them their opening two goals. The first from the penalty spot after Davie Anderson hauled down their no.7 and the second after we failed to get the ball away past the 18 yard line on three occasions. Ian Knox got the first of his double 20 minutes into the second half but as we pushed forwards we always look vulnerable at the back and so it proved as Church House went 3-1 up after another "shoot yourself in the foot" moment from our defence. Knox got his second shortly after but a host of spurned opportunities from MacFarlane, WIlson and Graeme Ogilvie saw us got what we truly deserved, nothing.


Church House away
4th February 2008
This week we take on Division 2 side Church House in the Consolation Scoreboard Sports Cup. This, of course, is the competition which we won back in 2006 and it would be great to see the Fire lads hit a vein of form and head for another cup final. First thing's first though, we have a tough opening match away to one of the league's newer sides. We know nothing about Church House and vice versa so it will be interesting to see the two sides scope each other out.


GSAFL Div. 1 Result - EK Fire 6 v 3 West End United
3rd February 2008
We finally hit some sort of form as we stormed to three points on the plastic pitch at Ballerup. Goals from Dallas, Dreghorn, Knox (2), Campbell & Graeme Ogilvie gave us victory in a game where we should have hit double figures. The performance here was the most important thing as we got the ball down and used the width of the large pitch. Debutant David Anderson put in a Man of the Match performance at sweeper and looks like he could be a real asset for us. Kevin MacFarlane was happy to return to management with a win but will no doubt be concerned that we lost 3 sloppy goals. If we can keep playing this type of football and shore things up at the back, this could well turn out to be a better season than most of us would have anticipated at Christmas.




 

 

 

Date	Opposition	Venue
6/5	Auld Firm Utd	Home
11/5	Vale of Leven	Home
18/5	Laurel Park	Home

 

 

 

Greenhills Bar