Friday Night Football at Portland this week, and it’s yet another vital three points at stake as we welcome Largs down the coast to Portland Park for our 23rd WOSFL Premier Division match of the season.
⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Largs Thistle ⚽️
Friday 24th March 2023
PDM Buildbase WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 7.30pm
With Scotland playing on Saturday at 2pm, we get to enjoy some Friday Night Football this week, before enjoying the Scotland match in the clubhouse on Saturday!
Troon come into this weekend’s game in confident mood, hot on the heels of a great run of form.
Jimmy Kirkwood’s men are the division’s form side with six wins out of the last eight in the league, and with the supporters starting to look up the table the Manager is still cautious of getting ahead of ourselves and is targeting 3 wins out of our last 8 matches to secure our Premier Division status for next season.
Largs are bang on form as well right now, with 4 wins in their last 5 league matches as well. With Manager Stuart Davidson signing a new contract until 2025 & the Theesel sitting in a comfortable looking league position, level on points with ourselves, life is rosy up at Barrfields just now & we have all the ingredients for a cracker under the lights.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s match…
Darrell has been a busy man in the treatment room of late, with plenty of knocks & niggles to treat after a run of tough matches, but we look to be getting back to what resembles a full squad again. Or, as close to it as we can get at this stage of the season.
Dale Moore is in contention for a return this weekend, but Raymond Montgomerie’s ankle injury appears to be worse than first suspected & he may need minor surgery which would likely end his season. Ewan McLevy is still out with a knee knock, but he is hoped to return in the next week or two.
I’ve said a few times in the last couple of months that we were due to click & record a fantastic win, but I think it sums us up that we do it against the Champions! Really, really strong performance for 90 minutes on Saturday, I was absolutely delighted for all the boys & the supporters. It was a very good crowd on Saturday as well, not always in great weather either, so it was some feeling to hear the roar going up four times & then send them home happy. You all deserved that for sure.
Friday night football is tremendous, everyone is really looking forward to it. Get a game after a long week at work, few drinks in the bar after the match & then we can relax and watch the Scotland match in the club on Saturday.
Largs will present a very different challenge on Friday night, we’ve had some really good ding-dong battles against Arnie’s sides over the last few seasons. We were very poor at Barrfields in November & Largs quite rightly took all three points, the boys are quite determined to turn up & show the real Troon side this time out.
Let’s get another big crowd & cheer the boys on!
Jimmy Kirkwood (Manager)
| Full Name | Largs Thistle Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | Theesel |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Ground | Barrfields Park, Largs |
| Capacity | 4,500 |
| President | Ryan Scott |
| Manager | Stuart Davidson |
| Captain | Stuart Faulds |
| 2021-22 | WOSFL Premier Division, 10th from 20 |
⚽️️ STUART FAULDS ⚽️
A hugely underrated member of this Largs side, Stuart is an excellent midfielder & offers great protection to the defence.
Following the departure of several key players from Largs’ Scottish Junior Cup Final appearance of 2019, Stuart’s importance to this side is increasingly apparent & he leads by example as Club Captain.
⚽️️ WILL SEWELL ⚽️
A product of the youth system at Largs, Will’s 42 goals last season led to a big-money move to Stenhousemuir in the summer.
The 25 year old returned to Barrfields at the start of March, and has already struck up a great partnership with David Ramsay. His strength, direct running & great eye for a goal makes him the club’s dangerman, and he leads the line with distinction.
Images courtesy of Ryan Scott at Largs Thistle
Troon F.C.
| WON | v | Darvel | (H) | 4-1 | Saturday 18th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| LOST | v | Cumnock | (A) | 4-2 | Wednesday 15th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| WON | v | Petershill | (A) | 0-2 | Saturday 11th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| WON | v | Hurlford United | (H) | 3-1 | Saturday 4th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| WON | v | Arthurlie | (A) | 1-2 | Saturday 25th February | WOSFL Premier Division |
Largs Thistle
| WON | v | Irvine Meadow XI | (H) | 3-1 | Saturday 11th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| WON | v | Arthurlie | (A) | 1-2 | Saturday 4th March | WOSFL Premier Division |
| WON | v | Petershill | (H) | 4-0 | Saturday 25th February | WOSFL Premier Division |
| LOST | v | Clydebank | (H) | 1-2 | Saturday 18th February | WOSFL Premier Division |