After a three week gap due to call-offs & Cup action, it’s a return to league duty this Saturday when we welcome our old friends Beith for our 17th WOSFL Premier Division match of the season.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Beith ⚽️
Saturday 10th February 2024
PDM Huws Gray WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm
Inconsistency may have plagued Troon earlier in the season, but some delicate surgery to the squad has given Manager Jimmy Kirkwood cause for optimism with us now into the second half of the season. A prolonged South Challenge Cup run will give the supporter’s a lift, likewise the players, but all focus shifts to the league now & securing the points that will push us up the table to safety.
Beith ran out quite convincing Champions last season after a stunning season at Bellsdale, and they were crowned after a 5-0 thumping of Kilwinning Rangers in April in front of their home supporters. This season has been a similar story, Chris Strain will take great delight at proving the doubters wrong once again as Beith sit 2nd in the table & within striking distance of leaders Clydebank. Indeed, they can go top again if they win their games in hand, so there will be no shortage of motivation within the visitor’s ranks this coming weekend.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
There’s a real feelgood atmosphere around the squad just now, with some of our missing players returning to training after injury and a number of our squad committing their future to the club with extended contracts.
Logan Smith joined Kyle Gilroy, Mark Shankland, Leyton Dunlop, Jack Sherrie, Ewan McLevy, Sam McCloskey, Ben Black & Dale Burgess in putting pen to paper on extended contracts, which is a massive boost for the side going into an important part of this season.
Top scorer Mark Shankland & Jack Sherrie both made returns last Saturday without any adverse reaction, and Ewan McLevy is fit to return this weekend for the first time this year following injury & a suspension last Saturday.
Mark Morrison has been recalled from his loan by parent club East Kilbride, which is a blow as he had performed well back at Portland Park, and Chris Millar misses out again after pulling a hamstring against Auchinleck Talbot a few weeks ago. Nicky Docherty is still awaiting a scan on his injured knee, after he was stretchered off in our home match against Hurlford with suspected knee ligament damage.
Big game for us this Saturday, it’s back to a focus on the league for a few weeks to get us up the table a bit. It’s great to get a Cup run, but the league is the bread & butter and that’s where we need to channel our efforts just now.
It’s fantastic to see what’s been happening at Bellsdale the last couple of years, you have to say hats off to Chris Strain for what’s been achieved. Some achievement to lift the title in an era when some teams are spending daft amounts like they are, to see them win it like they did on the pitch is great.
Delighted to get the win last weekend, a fantastic performance from the boys. Superior team for 90 minutes, Burgess only had one save to make the full match which tells the story of the match for me. 3-0 could have been more, but fantastic to go into the hat for the Quarter-Final.
What a support we’ve had at home the last few matches, everyone can see the difference it’s made to us on the pitch. Very vocal & great seeing everyone getting together and fighting in the same direction. Fortress Portland!
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Beith Juniors Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The Cabes or The Mighty |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Ground | Bellsdale Park, Beith |
| Capacity | 2,200 |
| Chairman | Danny Shearer |
| Manager | Chris Strain |
| Captain | Paul Frize |
| 2022-23 | WOSFL Premier Division, 1st of 16 |
⚽️️ CIARAN DIVER ⚽️
23 year old Ciaran has made quite an unbelievable impact at Bellsdale since signing from Renfrew in the summer, scoring a whopping 26 goals in 26 games already.
Began his career at Celtic, with loan spells at Edinburgh City & Stranraer, he joined Benburb & eventually Renfrew, scoring plenty of goals on the way. Ciaran is the son of former Ayr & Pollok striker Danny.
⚽️️ ANDY MONK ⚽️
Left winger Andy has been crucial to the success under Chris Strain at Beith, with some scintillating performances from the left flank where he is always good for a goal or an assist.
Began his career in the Lowland League with BSC Glasgow (now Broomhill), he had a spell in America before returning to Scotland with Benburb, Blantyre & then Beith. It’d need to be Berwick or Brechin next then, you’d expect.
© Thanks to our club photographer Graeme McKenzie for his photos – amazing, as always!
Troon F.C.
| WON | DREW | LOST | LOST | WON |
| 3-0 | 2-2 | 3-2 | 0-2 | 3-4 |
| Caledonian Braves (H) | Cumnock (H) | Auchinleck Talbot (A) | Hurlford United (H) | Largs Thistle (A) |
| Sat 3rd February | Sat 13th January | Sat 6th January | Fri 29th December | Sat 16th December |
| South Challenge Cup | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier |
Beith
| WON | LOST | DREW | WON | WON |
| 2-1 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 1-3 | 0-5 |
| Clydebank (H) | Cumnock (H) | Hurlford United (H) | Yoker Athletic (A) | Irvine Meadow XI (A) |
| Sat 3rd February | Sat 27th January | Sat 13th January | Sat 6th January | Sat 16th December |
| WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Premier | WOSFL Cup (Round 3) | WOSFL Premier |
If you can’t make it along to the game, you can keep up to date with all the latest info via the club’s social media channels:
Live updates from the official Troon F.C. Twitter feed (I’m not calling it X yet):
- Team news pre-match
- Goal alerts
- News flashes
- Real time alerts
Match news via the official Troon F.C. Facebook page
- Team news pre-match
- Half-time score & update
- Full time results
All news on the club FIRST via the official Troon F.C. WhatsApp channel
- Team news pre-match
- Half-time score & update
- Full time results
- Info on functions & events
- Book your seat on away buses
It was a win apiece in the league encounters last season, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the tale of the two in 2022-23.
Beith were visitors to Portland Park in January for a mid-week game under the lights, and a 2nd minute “squiggler” (remember them?) from Carlo Monti was enough to give the Champions-elect the 3 points, despite Troon looking far the more likely side for 90% of the match, peppering Owen Stott’s goal. If anyone ever asks what the key was to Beith winning the title last season, it was their fantastic ability to walk away from games like that with 3 points, a very admirable quality.
The return leg in April came amidst a high-spot of form for the Seasiders, and on a Saturday where Beith were hoping a win and results elsewhere could crown them Champions. Troon hadn’t read that script however, and overpowered their hosts throughout, running away convincing 4-0 winners in a scintillating display. Fortunately, Beith regrouped & secured the title the following Saturday.
(before this week’s matches)
| REFEREE: | ||
| Gary Hanvidge | ||
| Assistant Referee 1: | Assistant Referee 2: | |
| Lewis Webster | Lewis Brown |
| Referee Observer: | To be appointed |
Tickets are available at the turnstiles at Portland Park:
| Adult: | £8.00 |
| Concession: | £4.00 |
| Under-16: | FREE |
Season Tickets are valid for this game.
A detailed match report will be posted in the match centre after the game, with the team line-ups, scorers & bookings on the specific match page for the fixture.
To visit the match centre, CLICK HERE.
The social club at Portland Park will be open early from 12pm ahead of the 2pm kick-off, and supporters of both clubs are very welcome.
And, indeed, neutrals!
📺 Come early & enjoy the football on the big screen! 📺
| ⏰ 12.30pm | Man City v Everton | (FA Premier League) ⚽️ |
| ⏰ 5.30pm | Rangers v Ayr United | (Scottish Cup 5th Round) ⚽️ |
The bar will close following the 5.30pm televised match.
Scott will be selling tickets for our half-time draw at the gate before kick-off, and inside the ground throughout the first half for just 50p a ticket.
Our local resident food truck, SCRAN have our hungry supporters covered with their own take on “Football Food” – highly recommended!
They will be open from 10am on Saturday & will be open right through the match til the evening, selling a variety of hot food & drinks as well as cold drinks.
⚽️ Bonnyton Thistle versus Troon Development Team ⚽️
Friday 9th February 2024
WOSFDL Conference D
Synergy Arena, Kilmarnock
Kick-off 8pm
Head along & support the Troon stars of tomorrow!
⚽️ Gartcairn versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 17th February 2024
PDM Huws Gray WOSFL Premier Division
MTC Park, Airdrie
Kick-off 2pm