No blunders as Grove grab points

Nov 20 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Strathearn Herald

Meigle 1 Strathearn Grove 2

GROVE made heavy weather of overcoming their lowly opponents, but came away from Meigle with three crucial points.

The Crieff side went into their latest third division fixture on the back of a heavy defeat at Rattray in their previous outing, so knew they couldn’t afford another slip up if they were to keep their promotion hopes alive.

With strikers Ali Grant and Darren Beattie restored to the starting line-up by bosses Alan Hendry and Dave Webster, Grove opened with a series of raids that had the Meigle defence on the back foot.

But when the chances arrived, too often the visitors failed to test the home goalkeeper.

Beattie looked certain to score when he ran on to a Donald Crerar through ball but, after taking an excellent first touch, the youngster harmlessly lobbed wide of the target.

The same player was presented with the best opportunity to break the deadlock when the referee awarded a penalty after Mark Fyfe went down under what looked like a perfectly timed challenge inside the box.

However, teenager Beattie went for power and ended up blazing his effort high over the bar for the latest in a string of spot-kick gaffs by Grove players this season.

Coupled with other spurned opportunities, it proved a costly miss when Meigle went ahead midway through the first half following some hesitant defending from the Braidhaugh outfit.

However, Grove rallied after the break and a series of promising moves culminated in a breakthrough on the hour mark.

Keeping up his recent goalscoring form, it was midfielder Gavin Jack who popped up inside the box to stab a close range equaliser into the back of the net following good play from Campbell Dewar.

Grove continued to dominate both possession and force a succession of corners over the following 25 minutes but couldn’t add to their tally.

They were almost punished when a Meigle player headed over at the other end from six yards with an open goal gaping.

But with the clock ticking down, Grove substitute Mark Buckley provided a low centre that led to a scramble six yards out.

As Meigle failed to clear, Jack stuck out a leg and glanced the ball home with the faintest of touches off his studs for his own second and Grove’s winner.

The home side broke upfield and looked certain to score right at the death when a low cross fell to their centre forward, but Crieff keeper Barrie Chiverton made a superb block at point-blank range.

It was enough to secure the points for Grove and set them up for a home clash with free-scoring Letham Lads on Saturday.

Grove: Chiverton, Gregor Walker, McLean, Jack, Crerar, MacKenzie, Fyfe, Dewar, Grant, Henry and Beattie. Subs: Gray, Roberts, Buckley, Welsh and Carter.