Well, here we are with another exciting contest beginning! First, I must apologise for not turning up at Denfield last Tuesday night to collect money and hand out booby prize money to the winners. I bet you all came with pockets bulging with cash for nice Uncle Jimmy!
This week, we start again, and find two punters with 5 goals to take a narrow lead from Gavin Gray on 4. I am delighted to say that the joint leaders at this early stage are none other than husband and wife team Roy and Sonia Ness! BUT - there is a long way to go!
I will be at Denfield on Tuesday night.
JWA

Todays East Central League fixture between Kinnoull and Kirkcaldy YM has been postponed for a second time. Match referee Michael McIvenney made two pitch inspections this morning the latter at 11am to give the Tulloch Park surface every chance, but eventually the deep freeze did not thaw enough.

Well, Ian Lally was so near, but he was overtaken on the home straight by a late surge from Ramsay Budd, a man who is no stranger to prize winning!
The booby was shared by three lucky gents - Messrs Chris Burt, Jason Quinn and Roy Ness who have each lifted £7.00.
No a lot I will grant ye, but Jason, my son - it is better than ye got last season!
Keep payin the money lads! Cheers!

As we approach the final sweep weekend, let us have a peep at the Leader Board and see who is closest to wining that magnificant sum of money.
Aha! I see it is none other than Ian Lally, sitting on 12 goals after 3 weeks. Ian will be hoping for a few goals on Sunday to ensure victory. But the race is not yet won, for there are contestants lurking not far behind Mr Lally, with 8 or 9 goals who will all hope to pip the leader at the post. It all makes for an exciting finish does it not!
At the other end of the scale, the booby prize favourite has to be Jason Quinn with 1 goal. All Jason has to do is to record a zero score in the Sunday Mail and he is home and dry with a crisp £20.00 tucked away in his pocket. Behind Jason are a bunch of folk on 2 goals, including Arran MacDonald, Chris Burt, Blair Smart, Ryan McNeill, Roy Ness and Rab Bowie.
Roll on Sunday!!

Any lingering hopes of winning the Central League title evaporated today at Coronation Park, as Bankfoot claimed the three points. YM did not play badly but in the end it was the home side who were the more hungrier.
After a good opening twenty minutes for the YM the homeside came more into the game and went ahead through David Fyfe in 36 mins. The lead only lasted 3 mins when a corner kick from Kevin Masson was turned into the net by Arran McDonald to level the scores.With only 2 minutes to play of the first half, Bankies regained the advantage when Blair Smart tripped a home player just inside the box. Danny Dobie scored from the resultant penalty despite the efforts of Jason Curran to keep his shot out. YM were struck a killer blow only a minute into the second period, the defence failed to clear allowing Sean Fergus to put his side three ahead. That man David Fyfe then broke clear to score his own second and his sides fourth goal. At this point in the game the conditions prevailed, very heavy rain making it difficult for both sides to pass the ball. Whether the conditions in any way played a part in the YM reducing the leeway will remain a doubt, however in bizzare fashion, a home defender headed against his own bar, and the ball then fell and hit the home keeper and ended up in the net. With only 15 mins left on the clock, there was still time to retrieve something more from the game, but as always the chasing side fall to the sucker punch. With only 4 mins left David Fyfe completed his hat trick to complete the scoring.
Final Score Bankfoot Athletic 5 Kirkcaldy YM 2

Kirkcaldy YM continued their losing run today and exited the East of Scotland Cup at the hands of Haddington Athletic. The first 20 minutes were fairly even with both clubs having chances to open their accounts, but it was the visitors who went ahead in the 21st minute. A great move down the visitors left hand side resulted in Sean Conachan driving the ball into the top corner to put his side ahead. It took the YM until 4 minutes before the interval to equalise, and it was Scott Orrock making his return to the side who shot home, to send the sides in level at the interval.
Athletic then went ahead for a secon time 5 minutes into the second half, a corner kick was met unchallenged by Matthew Lynch and he headed home. The lead was short lived as 3 minutes later at the other end a YM corner was bundled into the net by Blair Smart.
Just when it look like the tie would go to penalties Haddington substitute Ross Ferguson scored with only 3 minutes remaining on the clock. To add to the YM woes in the final minute of the match Gavin Gray was givin his marching orders following following an incident with Athletics Derek Slight. The latter who had earlier been cautioned stayed on the park.
Final Score Kirkcaldy YM 2 Haddington Athletic 3

Happy New Year to anybody who reads this. Just a wee reminder that the sweep starts again this weekend with brand new numbers which you can find by clicking on to GOAAAALS in the column on the left. Some folk have fallen a wee bit behind, but we can soon catch up with that - Nae bother eh! Don t forget the scores are taken from the results section in the Sunday Mail (home scores only)
See you Saturday!
JWA

Kirkcaldy YM Junior Football Club wish all our friends, supporters and followers a Happy New Year. We hope to see you all at Denfield Park on Saturday 7th January for our East of Scotland Cup tie against Haddington Athletic. Kick Off for this game is 1.30pm.

Kirkcaldy YM were well beaten today in the Fife & Lothians Cup by a much superior Linlithgow Rose outfit. The difference of two leagues between the clubs showed as Rose completely overwhelmed a YM side who well and truly underperformed. YM were missing a few players through work, injury and centre Gavin Gray was already cup tied in the competition, however this was no excuse for the poorest performance of the season.
The hosts led by four goals at the interval from Callum Smith (16mins), Stuart McArthur in (23 and 31 mins), and Smith again after (36mins). YM\'s best efforts in the first half fell late on to Andy Wilson who steered the ball wide of Allison in the home goal and Arran McDonald who saw his header go narrowly past.
The second half followed a similar pattern with two early goals, first Callum Smith completed his hatrick on (47mins) and Andrew Shirra added a sixth two m inutes later. Both sides through on substitutes and it was two of Roses men that completed the scoring through Stephen Manson in (70mins) and Colin Strickland in (75mins).
Final Score Linlithgow Rose 8 Kirkcaldy YM 0

Kirkcaldy YM exited the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup today after a spirited performance against their more illustrous opponents Cumnock. The game nearly did not start as match Referee Stuart Hodge from Glasgow, had a good look at the pitch which was a gluepot, before finally declaring it playable an hour before kick off. Despite the difficult conditions underfoot this proved to be an exciting cup tie as you will see with eight goals for fans who turned up. YM had the better of the opening exchanges, but it was Cumnock who raced into a three goal lead after twenty five minutes played. The first came on the quarter hour mark when Brian Miller pounced to score after a brilliant one handed save from Jason Curran in the YM goal. Fifve minutes later the home side struck again, this time it was Arron Connolly who scored after the YM defence failed to clear. A third came in twenty five minutes and it was Connolly again who shot low into the net to put his side three goals in front. Just when it looked like YM had settled, Cumnock scored a fourth and it was that man Connolly who completed his hat trick. Kirkcaldy had a couple of good chances to reduce the leeway towards the end of the first half with firstly Arran McDonald just heading wide with only the home keeper to beat, and then Gavin Gray was sent clear only to see his shot smothered by Watterson the Nock keeper.
One can never tell what is said to a team four goals down at half time, but YM came out for the second half a completely different side. They started to create a few goos chances and it was ineveitable that a goal would come. It did in the sixty second minute when a pass from Gray found Ian Lally who took his chance brilliantly. Kirkcaldy were now in the ascendency and it was no surprise when they scored again through Captain Tommy Carr after sixty nine minutes. The home supporters were now getting twitchy as they saw their side being dominated by a lively YM who were creating a number of chances. Watterson in the home goal saved superbly a Gavin Gray effort. In the final ten minutes Cumnock rallied and scored a further two goals both coming from corner kicks. Firstly defender Aliatair Patrick was lucky as the ball hit his knee and just crossed the line, and with time running out Brian Miller completed the scoring with his second and his sides sixth.

Full Time Cumnock 6 Kirkcaldy YM 2

Team: Curran, Burt, Giove, McDonald, Ness, Carr, C Smith, Lally, G Gray, Masson, Westwater. Subs, R Smith, McNeil, S Gray, R Ness

Kirkcaldy YM is now on facebook, check out our page at www.facebook.com/Kirkcaldyymjfc

Online bookies McBookie are this years new sponsor of the East Region Central League. They will provide latest odds on all games throughout the season. For the latest odds on all the games check out their website www.mcbookie.com
The latest odds on this Wednesdays game are,
Home Win Kirkcaldy YM 19/5
Away Win St Andrews United 2/5
Draw 4/1

They have also produced odds for the outright winners of this seasons East Central League, which are as follows,

Kinnoull 3/1
Dundonald Bluebell 7/2
Kirkcaldy YM 7/2
Thornton Hibs 11/2
Jeanfield Swifts 13/2
Bankfoot 11/1
Lochgelly Albert 16/1
Lochore Welfare 25/1
Steelend Victoria 25/1
Crossgates Primrose 40/1
Newburgh 40/1
Rosyth 50/1
Scone Thistle 66/1
Luncarty 100/1