Darvel Match Preview – Troon Football Club

It’s another midweek away day, as we make the short trip to Darvel and Recreation Park for our 26th GreenVersity WOSFL Premier Division match of the season.

⚽️ Darvel versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Tuesday 22nd April 2025
GreenVersity WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 8pm

It’s the “Final Five” for us now this season, as the season draws to a close in typical manic fashion. Clydebank have been deservedly crowned Champions already & they look towards the Lowland League Play-Off in May. The battle for second is certainly hotting up though, with both Johnstone Burgh & Auchinleck Talbot in the hunt alongside ourselves. With Johnstone Burgh facing a points deduction, that would put us in the driving seat, but we need to chalk up the points to stay ahead of the pack. And I’m sure even Drumchapel & St. Cadoc’s haven’t written off their inclusion in that battle as well, even if they may look outsiders at the moment. Plenty of ups and downs still to come in this campaign yet!

Darvel had huge 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 a disappointing season this time out. Former Ashfield Manager Michael Oliver has not been able to make the difference he would have wanted, and he had had to wheel & deal all season in a bid to try & keep his side competitive.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Saturday’s match…

We are unfortunately looking at a few players having kicked their last ball for this season now.

Nathan Baird had to be helped from the pitch at Clydebank with a badly torn calf, while Jack Sherrie is also awaiting news on surgery for a hernia. Scott McLean is working through the lengthy rehabilitation following successful knee reconstruction surgery in early March, whilst Ewan McLevy is also working on his fitness after a knee injury sustained against St. Roch’s in October with a view to next season.

Stephen Bronsky & Jaime Gallagher sat out the draw at Shotts on Saturday, but that was more of a precaution with knocks than serious concerns.

It’s a busy few weeks for us, just what we’ve come to expect from this end of the season. The great Sir Alex Ferguson called this “squeaky bum time” and it’s certainly that part of the season where you learn a lot about players, Manager’s & teams. The pressure impacts on people differently, you want to see people standing up to be counted when it matters.

It’s a tough run-in for us, when you include Shotts on Saturday, Darvel this week, twice against Gartcairn (great planning, that is) & the the Talbot match they are all matches where there is everything at stake. Shotts were fighting for their lives, as we all saw, and we fully expect Darvel & Gartcairn to be exactly the same. We have to match that work-rate & desire as a minimum, then trust our quality will shine through from there. We all have to show patience, as we can’t expect some of the free-flowing football we saw earlier in the season, but get behind the boys & we might just see a bit of history before the end of the season.

Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)

Full Name	Darvel Football Club
Nickname(s)	The ‘Vale
Founded	1889
Ground	Recreation Park, Darvel
Capacity	2,200 (60 seated)
Club Secretary	Jim King
Manager	Michael Oliver
Captain	Ross Barbour
2023-24	WOSFL Premier Division, 7th from 16

⚽️️ SCOTT WALKER ⚽️

The 24 year old midfielder has been a key man for the ‘Vale this season, and his tenacity and composure in the engine room has really

Began his career with Partick Thistle, before spells with Airdrieonians, Stenhousemuir and Cowdenbeath. He moved to Recreation Park in December 2023 initially on loan, before making the move permanent last summer.

⚽️️ AIDEN GILMARTIN ⚽️

The 19 year old forward is certainly one for the future, but he has really been making an instant impact this season as well.

Began his career in the youth academy at St. Mirren, and he has enjoyed loan spells at Cowdenbeath, East Kilbride & Stranraer already in his young career before he signed up permanently for Darvel in August. His impact was such that big-spending Johnstone Burgh swooped in January to add him to their number, but he swiftly returned to Recreation Park on loan in March.

Quick & tricky, and with the ability to create something out of nothing, he’s certainly one for us to be wary of.

Darvel

LOST	LOST	LOST	LOST	WON
2-3	0-3	2-1	2-3	4-1
Drumchapel Utd (H)	Beith (H)	Hurlford (A)	Cumnock (H)	St. Cadoc’s (H)
Sat 19th April	Sat 12th April	Sat 5th April	Sat 29th March	Tue 25th March
WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier

Troon F.C.

DREW	LOST	WON	WON	LOST
1-1	1-2	3-2	0-3	1-0
Shotts (A)	Glenafton (H)	Largs (H)	Benburb (A)	Clydebank (A)
Sat 19th April	Sat 12th April	Sat 29th March	Sat 22nd March	Tues 18th March
WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	WOSFL Premier	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 BRAND NEW official Troon F.C. Twitter feed (I’m not calling it X yet)

Team news pre-match
Goal alerts
News flashes
Real time alerts

Make sure you follow our NEW feed!

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 Supporter’s Group chat

Vote for your Man of the Match
Info on functions & events
Book your seat on away buses
Discuss the match with fellow Troon fans!

It was 6 points out of 6 for the Seasiders in our league matches with Darvel last season, and was no more than Troon deserved in two enthralling encounters.

AWAY MATCH

Saturday 28th October 2023

Match Centre

DARVEL	WON	Recreation Park
TROON FOOTBALL CLUB	1-2	WOSFL Premier

The first encounter of 2023-24 was “doon the Vale” in October, and with Troon in inconsistent form and missing a few key bodies, expectations were low running into the match. However, the boys performed with no pressure on their shoulders & a Mark Shankland wonder free-kick on the half hour saw us lead at the break, then a Kyle Gilroy effort in the second half saw us comfortable winners. Stephen Bronsky’s injury time consolation brought the hosts back into things but David Syme’s red card almost immediately quashed any hope of a comeback.

HOME MATCH

Monday 13th May 2024

Match Centre

TROON FOOTBALL CLUB	WON	Portland Park
DARVEL	1-3	WOSFL Premier

Being the last match of the season had many labelling this match a dead rubber, but nobody told the players! Both teams served up an entertaining match at Portland, Kyle Gilroy again giving the hosts the lead on 14′ before Aldin El-Zubaidi doubled the lead 5 minutes later. Scott Walker halved the deficit on 31 minutes, and early in the second half Jordan Moore netted the equaliser. Substitute Dario Viviani settled the match in the hosts favour on 73′ with a lovely finish, and he was unlucky not to stretch the margin of victory even further before full-time.

(before this week’s matches)

	REFEREE:
	Keiran Trayner
Assistant Referee 1:		Assistant Referee 2:
Adam Holley		Chris Irving

Referee Observer:

To be appointed

For travelling supporters, follow the Google Map below for directions to Recreation Park.

🚌 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗦 🚌

There will be no supporter’s bus to this match, due to the close proximity of the opposition.

🚍 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗬 𝗕𝗨𝗦 🚏

To plan your journey from Troon to Darvel, visit the “Journey Planner” section of Stagecoach’s website.

🔗 STAGECOACH.com

🚝 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡 🚉

For train times from Troon to Darvel, or to book tickets, visit Scotrail’s website.

🔗 SCOTRAIL.co.uk

Tickets are available at the cash turnstiles at Recreation Park:

Adult:	£8
Concession:	£4

You can find out all about the match itself by visiting the match centre both before and 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.