VIDEO

Jolly Cup Final - 26th August 2008

The Jolly Cup is for the Orkney teams which make it to the open draw of the Highland Amateur Cup. This year's final was between the newly crowned "A" League champions Rovers and Dounby. These two sides have very different styles of play with Rovers arguably the best passing side in the county against Dounby who play the long ball game utilising the kicking ability of the excellent Erlend Poke to find striking partners Steven Poke and Marcus Wood.  From the start Rovers had a lot of possession and controlled the midfield. However Dounby were working hard to get an opener but in the early stages it did look as if Rovers were the most likely to score. A turning point in the game came late in the first half when Steven Tulloch took down Brian Garson, denying him a goal scoring opportunity and thus receiving the mandatory red card from referee Norquoy. However for the remainder of the half and on into the second part of the game Rovers still competed well with ten men and only lost the cup to a late goal from Steven Poke.

Dounby Squad

Rovers squad

Officials and captains

Dounby contemplate second-half

Rovers comtemplate second-half

Liz Johnston presents cup to Dounby captain Scott Flett

Winners celebrate

Jolly Cup Final video (Part 1)

Jolly Cup Final video (Part 2)

Jolly Cup Final video (Part 3)

Jolly Cup Final video (Part 4)

Orcadian Parish Cup - 9th August 2008

The 2008 Parish Cup Final was contested by two of the most successful teams in the history of the competition. The weather was poor and this probably was part of the reason for a much smaller crowd than we have come to expect in recent years.

Both teams employed the same 3-5-2 formation but despite this the strengths of the two sides were very different. St Ola were a mobile, mostly young team who tried to pass the ball but lacked experience and did not have enough of a cutting edge in the final third to convert their long periods of possession into goals – this must have been a concern to the St Ola management as Sandwick looked as though they had the potential to get something on the break against the run of play. However it never looked as though this would be a high scoring game with both sides having compact, strong and experienced defences - plus very good goalkeepers. And so it proved with the only goal scored a far post header from a set piece resulting in St Ola deservedly claiming the cup for the 10th time in their history.

Sandwick squad

St Ola team

BBC commentary team - Jockie Wood, Dave Gray and the excellent Martin Emmerson

St Ola squad celebrate their 10th Parish Cup win

Orcadian Parish Cup 2008 video (Part 1)

Orcadian Parish Cup 2008 video (Part 2)

Orcadian Parish Cup 2008 video (Part 3)

Orcadian Parish Cup 2008 video (Part 4)

100th Milne Cup - 26th July 2008

Orkney hosted the 100th Milne Cup against Shetland on a beautifully prepared Pickaquoy pitch with good overhead conditions for football. Shetland have dominated this annual derby for too long but Orkney are working hard at closing the gap that has existed between the sides. Things looked bad when Shetland took an early lead after some hesitant defending was punished. Despite this early setback Orkney took the game to Shetland. There was not a lot between the teams and it seemed just when Orkney scored an equalizer, ending the half on level terms. In the second half another piece of poor defending gifted the visitors a second goal, and despite putting a lot of pressure on the Shetland rearguard there was to be no further scoring and the Milne Cup headed north for another year. 

Squads are piped into Pickaquoy

 Players line up for photographs before the match

Captains Kevin Groundwater and Merv Jamieson shake hands as referee Shane Stanger and his assistants prepare for the start of the match

Graham Johnstone presents the Orkney Player of the Match trophy to Robbie Balfour, who also scored the Orkney goal

Former Orkney county stalwart Colin Kirkpatrick presents the overall Player of the Match trophy to Shetland midfielder, James Johnstone

Shetland players celebrate another Milne Cup win

100th Milne Cup video (Part 1)

100th Milne Cup video (Part 2)

100th Milne Cup video (Part 3)

ROSS COUNTY VISIT - July 2008

Ross County, who were promoted to Division 1 of the SFL for 2008/2009 visited Orkney as part of their pre-season - the visit arranged through contacts at Holm FC as part of the official opening of their new football pitch and changing facilities. They played Holm FC on friday and an Orkney select on saturday.

Having a visit by a team who play to a vastly higher standard is good for all Orcadian football players and fans, being able to see how the game should be played. Unsurprisingly Ross County won both games very easily, in the process entertaining spectators and hopefully educating players. 

ROSS COUNTY starting eleven for Orkney game

ORKNEY squad and officials

Video of the Orkney v Ross County friendly

"B" LEAGUE - 28th June 2008

The race for the "B" League seems to be developing into a three way battle between Accies, Holm and Westray - all of whom were undefeated before today's game where Accies hosted Westray where arguably the away side's need for points was the greater. Accies started well enough and took the lead but Westray finished the stronger and claimed all three points courtesy of a 2-1 win.

Gary Farquhar scores opener for Accies

Colin Risbridger equalizer for Westray

ORCADIAN PARISH CUP - 25th May 2008

Holm had won and scored four away goals in the first leg of this Parish Cup tie so it was a tall order to expect South Ronaldsay to overturn this with at least four goals in the second leg. As it transpired, both teams were evenly matched on the day and a draw was a fair result. Dearness opened the scoring for the home side and Mathieson scored the equalizer for South Ronaldsay. Holm played much of the second half with ten men when the Holm goalie was red carded for striking a South Ronaldsay forward who had made a late challenge on the keeper.  

John Dearness scores opener for Holm

Neil Ewing forces save from 'Hope keeper

Holm goal under pressure

Mathieson is foiled as Kevin MacKenzie saves well

Ewing shot strikes South Ronaldsay crossbar

Mathieson scores equaliser

ORCADIAN PARISH CUP - 24th May 2008

St Andrews hosted Sanday for a first round, second leg Parish Cup match having scored two away goals in first leg in a 2-2 draw a week ago. St Andrews started brightly on the rather bumpy pitch and put a lot of pressure on the visitor's defence without giving Muir in the Sanday goal too many problems. Sanday were never out of it though and competed well for every ball during the match. In the end last year's beaten finalists shaded it 3-2 on the day and 5-4 on aggregate and probably deserved to go through to the next round.

Sanday free kick forces save from Norquoy

Graham Reid opens scoring for St Andrews from close in

Sanday equaliser from Ivan Leslie (just out of shot)

Sanday own-goal puts home team in driving seat

Neil MacDonald scores from the penalty spot 

Douglas Drever scores fine consolation goal for 3-2

Players shake hands after even and competitive match

HIGHLAND AMATEUR CUP - 17th May 2008

Rendall hosted Stromness at Firth in a first round replay in the above competion. As in the first game Stromness were quicker out of the blocks and went on to take the lead with a goal from the prolific and hard working Marc Boal. This lead was cancelled out by an Alec Rutlidge header later in the half. There was no further scoring during the ninety minutes so extra-time was required to decide who would progress to the second round . Rendall took control during this period - eventually running out 4-1 winners. Three of the goals can be seen via the links below.

Alec Rutlidge header for Rendall to level the match at 1-1

James Pickles heads in Darren Heddle's cross to give Rendall the lead

"B" LEAGUE ACTION - 10th May 2008

I am experimenting with video for the website and took some footage at the recent Firth v Westray game in the "B" League and was lucky enough to catch some of the goals. You can watch them via the links below. The videos were shot in 16:9 but they have come out in 4:3 - so the players are actually "less lean" than they appear to be in the clips!

Neil Aim scores after namesake Gary hits the post  

Colin Risbridger scoring one of his three goals 

Kevin Clouston goal with a diving header! was part of the Firth second half revival