We’re back into this season with a bang! Our 3rd WOSFL Premier Division match game in 7 days sees us welcome Ayrshire neighbours Darvel to Portland Park.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Darvel ⚽️
Saturday 3rd August 2024
Greenversity WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm
It’s the second home match of the new season, and the new season confidence continues!
The opening match last Saturday against Pollok was a stuffy affair, but Wednesday’s match at St. Cadoc’s was an enthralling, free-flowing match that had everyone entertained, so hopefully it’s a repeat of the latter rather than the former this weekend.
Darvel had Cup success in both the West of Scotland Cup & the holy grail at our level, the Scottish Junior Cup last season but they have had another summer of transition, and they welcome in former Ashfield Manager Michael Oliver to take the helm and oversee the introduction of a number of new players. They haven’t started the season the way they would have wished with defeats to Glenafton Athletic & Auchinleck Talbot, so they’ll be determined to get on track as soon as possible.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…
Jimmy Kirkwood’s new look squad has really taken shape during pre-season, and there are a few new faces for supporters to familiarise themselves with!
New signing Nathan Baird made his competitive debut for the club on Wednesday as a second half substitute after attending a family wedding on Saturday. Attacker Scott McLean will have to wait for now to make his second debut for the club as he is still recovering from a knee injury sustained last season, while Ben Black is edging closer to a return after a groin injury sustained at the end of last season.
Life is never boring at our club, and I think the last two matches have summed that up perfectly!
Saturday was frustrating, we should have taken something from that game against Pollok, but I think it went a little into perspective when you watch their match against Gartcairn on Wednesday. It was very much the same in terms of patterns of play, so we were maybe focussing too much on ourselves after last Saturday & not giving enough credit to the opponent. Looks like we’ll see that a lot from Pollok this season, it works.
Wednesday was excellent, it showed the very best our side & what we can do. St. Cadoc’s have been rightly getting plaudits all last season for how well coached they are & how much they analyse what they’re doing, you see that from all the cameras & drones they use, so to see us go up there & express ourselves the way we can was very pleasing for us as a coaching team. In the end we should have won by a greater margin, but maybe that’s being greedy.
This league gets tighter every season, and it’s one hard game to another. Michael Oliver already has a 100% record at Portland from when his Ashfield side blew us away in the West of Scotland Cup a few years ago, we have to be ready for them this week.
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Darvel Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | The ‘Vale |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Ground | Recreation Park, Darvel |
| Capacity | 2,200 (60 seated) |
| Club President | John Gall |
| Manager | Michael Oliver |
| Captain | Jordan Allan |
| 2023-24 | WOSFL Premier Division, 7th from 16 |
⚽️️ ANDY WILSON ⚽️
Goalkeeper Andy is finally getting his chance between the sticks after joining last summer from Cambuslang Rangers, but he spent a year of watching & learning from Andy Leishman before his summer departure to Clydebank.
The 24 year old began his career with Alloa Athletic as a youth, before loan spells at Cumbernauld Colts & Petershill and he joined up at Somervell Park in July 2021. The towering goalie was a commanding, unflustered presence at the back for the Lang in their title winning season, and he has impressed in the Premier Division so far.
⚽️️ AARON BLACK ⚽️
23 year old forward Aaron was a young promotion hero at Blantyre, after their campaign in 2019/20 ended with the Vics controversially sharing the title with Darvel. He joined the Recreation Park side that summer, but returned to the KG Stadium on loan in October to get more game time before heading to Govan & back to East Ayrshire this summer.
Quick & tricky, and with the ability to create something out of nothing, he’s certainly one for us to be wary of.
© Thanks to our club photographer Graeme McKenzie for his photos
Troon F.C.
| WON |