Rossvale beat St Roch’s in junior derby clash

It should have been a different story as Vale should have been two up inside the first seven minutes.

Kirk Forbes missed from close in at the back post when he found himself at the end of an excellent cross from the left; then Liam McGonigle and Chris Duff broke through the St Roch’s defence with a neat one-two, but Duff’s final effort was knocked away by the feet of keeper James Scott.

Another chance came in the 14th minute when McGonigle crossed from the left and Duff headed down but there wasn’t a ‘Vale player close to enough finish it off.

Matt Niven was close on the half hour when he got his head to a McGonigle free-kick at the back post but his effort narrowly sneaked past the post.

At the start of the second half ‘Vale won a corner out on the right. Scott again came to St Roch’s’ defence by pushing away a McGonigle cross but it rebounded to Andy Johnstone who quickly fired it back in but again Scott saved the effort,

Two minutes later when yet another McGonigle corner found Duff at the back post unmarked and he made no mistake by shooting high into the net and leaving Scott with no chance and Rossvale deservedly one up.

It was mostly one way traffic for Rossvale in the second half as it was attack after attack and St Roch’s could only try and keep the Vale out.

But in the 73rd minute Ross Dickson found himself walking for a straight red card when Johnstone burst through the middle of the park and was crudely taken out by his two footed tackle to line up a direct free kick from just outside the box.

Johnstone took a nasty fall and had to be supported as he left the field and be substituted by Crichton.

After a lengthy delay due to the treatment of Johnstone, Bradley stepped up and fired an unstoppable thunderbolt around the Roch wall and into the net to increase Rossvale’s lead.