There has been plenty of change surrounding North East juniors side Stonehaven in recent months, but it finally seems to be paying off for Martyn Rollo and his side.
A difficult start to the season saw Stoney sitting near the foot of the league, with a few difficult to take loses.
Two league wins in a row has the team on the verge of the top half of the McBookie Junior’s SuperLeague and this past weekend Stoney beat Culter 4-0 to progress to the third round of the Junior Cup.
Club manager Martyn Rollo spoke to NE98 this past week:
“That’s us four months into the job now and it has been a rebuilding job at the club both on a playing front and behind the scenes.”
“I feel we are now getting to a place where we are competing much better in all our games.”
Rollo admits there had to be a turnover in the squad to put in place a new system but believes it has had a positive effect overall.
Rollo said:
“The atmosphere at the club is very positive and the players have embraced a new style of football that at times has been easy on the eye.”
“We are now four home wins on the bounce”
Rollo also spoke of what sounds an exciting development in the clubs connections with local amateur sides:
“We are also doing work behind the scenes to strengthen ties with the local amateur teams and the impressive Stonehaven youth set up. It’s all small building blocks in the process.”
Next up this weekend for Stoney is what has the potential to be a tight fixture, a home game against Bridge of Don Thistle. Stoney are behind Thistle in the league on goal difference, so a win will project them above their opponents.
Amateur Sides
Two local sides were in Aberdeen FC Trophy second round action.
Both AC Mill Inn and Bervie Caledonian progressed to the next round.
Inn won a tight clash against Westdyke 3-2, meanwhile Bervie beat Monymusk 3-1.
Bervie will keep up the cup fever this weekend as they face off against Edinburgh outskirts based side Murieston United. That tie is a third round fixture in the RJM Sports Scottish Amateur Cup.
Mill Inn are back in league action. Sixth placed Inn are set to host second bottom Beacon Rangers in the Division One East at Jim Glennie Park, Stonehaven.
Laurencekirk based St Laurence put space between themselves at the team directly behind them last Saturday. A 3-0 win for the team promoted to the Premier Divison last season over Stoneywood East End has helped further secure seventh spot to an extent – with four points between the two sides now.
St Laurence will have a reprieve from league duty this weekend however, facing MS United in the Kintore Trophy Centre Association Trophy second round.
Their Premier Division Mearns rivals Cowie Thistle had a weekend off this past Saturday, but they return to league action hosting second placed Woodside this weekend. A win for Cowie will propel them above their opponents.
Division Two North side Stonehaven Athletic have the weekend off. The club might be quite thankful for that after an 8-1 humbling this past weekend at the hands of Kemnay.
The club’s Facebook page described the result as “A quite simply shocking performance”. The result was one that certainly came as a surprise to many. Athletic sit second, and have been one of the favourites for the league title.
That’s all the action in the Mearns for this week.
NE98 