JOHN McNAUGHT
reports from
Trammondford Park


This was all put right at Trammondford on Saturday, though - when they made light work of a stuffy Mid-Annandale side.
There was almost a good start for the visitors when Wigtown keeper James Parlane failed to hold an effort but Mids' Adam Smith was slow to react and an early chance was lost.
The game did not need to wait long for a goal.
A long through-ball found Alan Johnstone unmarked to run in on keeper Gillespie and when the striker controlled the ball there was only one place that it was going - into the net to give Wigtown the lead.
The home side dominated for long periods in the early part of the game but in the 22nd minute Mids could have drawn level when striker Adam Smith's shot from 12 yards was straight at the keeper, who saved with ease.
Ross McCrindle thought he had scored when his shot from close in came back off the upright but somehow it was defended well and after a scramble at the base of the post the ball found its way to safety.
Wigtown's relentless pressure did pay off in the 31st minute when Stuart Cluckie headed home at the back post. The move came from a corner on the left which was played back to player-manager Micky Dougan, who placed the ball on Cluckie's head for a well-worked goal.
Right from the re-start, Wigtown won the ball and a punt upfield found striker McCrindle who turned two defenders before turning the keeper twice to give himself enough room to slide the ball into an empty net.
Instead of the Mids' players heads going down, they reacted positively and had their best spell of the match during which they managed what turned out eventually to be merely a consolation goal.
Greig Wilson found space on the left to swing the ball in where it was met with a glancing header from Scott Martin.
It looked as though this was a game which still had goals in it and that's the way it turned out - with the home side bagging another three before the end.
Mids did start the second period the livelier of the two but failed to breach a solid Wigtown defence. Bit by bit, Wigtown hauled themselves back as they started to dominate play again.
McCrindle eventually beat the offside trap in the 58th minute. A superb pass from George Wilson found the striker inside the 18-yard box and, after taking time to steady himself, he rifled the ball past keeper Gillespie from 12 yards to put the result beyond doubt.
Eight minutes later, McCrindle claimed his hat-trick with a volley from the edge of the box which whistled across the outstretched arms of keeper Gillespie for goal number five.
Wigtown were now very much in command but couldn't find the net again until seven minutes from time when player-manager Dougan scored direct from a corner on the right with the ball going in at the near post.

This was a good performance from the home side, with McCrindle up front a thorn in Mid-Annandale's side and Stuart Cluckie and Scott Forrester solid in defence, with player-manager Dougan driving his side forward at every opportunity.

The Trammondford Park side thoroughly deserved their victory and are showing form which suggest that they may well yet be a force to reckon with as the season progresses.

Wigtown and Bladnoch: Parlane, Wilson, Drysdale, Whyte, Forrester, S. Cluckie, Dougan, McColm, McCrindle, Johnstone, McMillan. Subs: Fiskin, Kennedy, and Marshall.
Mid-Annandale: Gillespie, M.Henderson, Rogers, Wilson, S. Henderson, A. Sloan, Rennie, Ally Sloan, Smith, Kuklinski, Martin. Subs: Notman, Robison, Pringle, and Murray.
Referee: Derek Stokes.