Tuesday, 30 November 2021

West Region Fixture Preview - 4th December 2021


In West 1 last week, results went pretty much to league form, however this week we have a number of contests between Clubs who are closesly competing in either the ptomotion and relegation battles.

The big West Region game this weekend takes place at the Bearyards in Bishopbriggs when West 1 leaders host 2nd placed Garnock.

4th December Fixtures


Glens are unbeaten on 44 points, Garnock have lost one and are on 35 points, but have a game in hand.  The game Garnock lost was when the pair met on the first game of the season, with Glens taking the victory 38 - 29.  

Garnock are scoring plenty of points, but Glens are scoring more.  It's a must win for Garnock if they want to win the championship, but Glens are strong, very strong at home.

Third-placed Stewartry are away at 3rd bottom Irvine, but their league position is probably a bit false as they have several games in hand.  Like Glens and Garnock, Stewartry are scoring plenty of points, but they also have the leagues tightest defence having conceded only 64 in 8 games. They are only one point behind Garnock, so still very much in the title race.

Our dig in the video archive brings us this game from 2019.  This was a big win for Irvine, in fact more than Stewartry have conceded in all their games so far this season.


 

At Torrance House we have East Kilbride (fourth) hosting Annan (sixth).  There are only five points between them, but Annan do have a couple of games in hand.  East Kilbride have home advantage and a better points difference, but will that be enough to take the victory?

There are only five points between the two at Torrance House, and there are only five points between Lenzie and Kilmarnock who are meeting at Viewfield.  They've conceded a similar number of points, but Kilmarnock are scoring more. This is another one that could go either way.

Note: Niall M pointed out an error in the original article.  We'd forgotten that National 3 was now a league of 10, and not 12, so there's only one relegation place from National 3.  Due to West 1 currently being a league of 11, there will be two Clubs relegated from West 1 to West 2.

West 1

Played W L D Diff TB LB Points
Allan Glen's 9 9 0 0 390 8 0 44
Garnock 8 7 1 0 184 7 0 35
Stewartry 8 7 1 0 197 5 1 34
East Kilbride 9 5 4 0 78 4 1 25
Kilmarnock 9
4
5 0 -6 4 1 21
Annan 7 4 3 0 13 4 0 20
Carrick 10 3 7 0 -256 4 1 17
Lenzie 9 3 6 0 -52 3 1 16
Irvine 5 2 3 0 -112 2 0 10
Strathendrick 8 1 7 0 -267 1 1 3
Cambuslang 7 0 7 0 -169 2 1 0

The final West 1 game of the weekend sees the bottom two meet up at Coats Park with Cambuslang hosting Strathendrick. Between them, they have one victory this season which came in the reverse fixture on the first day of the season - but it was close at 23 - 22.  They've scored a similar number of points, but Endrick have conceded quite a few more.  


West 2 

Cumnock lead West 2 by 11 points, but with two games in hand, Strathaven are still very much in the Championship contest.  Strathavens game against Dalziel has been re-arranged, so they won't be closing that gap this weekend.

This weekend Cumnock will therefore be looking to increase their lead when they visit Uddingston.  Uddy are struggling to score points (only 141 in 10 games), whilst Cumnock are piling them on (516 in 10), and are miserly in defence.  Cumnock put 90 points past Uddy when they met earlier in the season, so all the stats are in the visitors favour.

Third placed Wigtownshire visit fourth placed Oban Lorne which should be a cracker.  They're averaging a similar number of points for and against, but Shire have 5 bonus points to Obans two.  If Oban win this one and their game in hand, then they could move into third place.  

The final two games could be classed as relegation battles, especially considering that both ARdrossan and Greenock are in the National 3 relegation fight. 

Note: Niall M pointed out an error in the original article.  We'd forgotten that National 3 was now a league of 10, and not 12, so there's only one relegation place from National 3.  Due to West 1 currently being a league of 11, there will be two Clubs relegated from West 2 to West 3.

With only three points, Waysiders Drumpellier look most likely to go down, but a win last week against Uddingston, and now a visit to ninth placed Clydebank then a game against Dalziel next week, and we could be looking at a very different proposition (especially as WD have games in hand).

When WD and Clydebank met earlier in the season, it was a big win for Clydebank.  Neither are scoring many points, but Clydebank are averaging a few more.  The stats show little between them so it's looking like a close one.

In the final game we have Paisley hosting Helensburgh in a sixth v eigth contest.  There's four points between them (Burgh have a game in hand) and they both have a points difference of -127. Again, it's looking like another close one. 

There's potential two relegation spots in play, and we currently have six Clubs involved in that battle.

West 2

Played W L D Diff TB LB Points
Cumnock 10 9 1 0 417 9 0 45
Strathaven 8 7 1 0 120 5 1 34
Wigtownshire 9 6 2 1 87 5 0 31
Oban Lorne 8 5 3 0 64 2 2 24
Dalziel 9 3 6 0 -23 2 3 17
Paisley 9 4 5 0 -127 1 0 17
Uddingston 10 3 7 0 -185 1 2 15
Helensburgh 8 2 5 1 -127 2 1 13
Clydebank 9 2 7 0 -92 1 2 11
Waysiders/ Drumpellier 6 1 5 0 -134 0 2 3
 

West 3

Glasgow Uni Medics continue to lead the way in West 3, four points ahead of Cumbernauld (who have played a game more) with Lochaber are another 12 points behind (but they have two games in hand on the leaders).  With four only games remaining, Medics are favourites for the title.

Medics have no game this weekend, so the challengers have a chance to close that gap, but as fate would have it, Cumbie and Lochaber face each other on Saturday.  

Cumbie had a big home win against Moffat last week, but Lochaber lost a bit of ground losing 13-10 against Bishopton.  

 
Highlights: Cumbernauld v Moffat

They've both lost two games this season, they're both scoring loads of points and conceding few (Lochaber have only conceded 40 in six games).  It's probably a big ask for either of them to catch Medics, and whilst there might not be much between them in this game, come 5 pm on Saturday, at least one will surely be out of the title race.

Bishopton are on the same points as Lochaber (but have played a game more) travel to Lanark on Saturday - Lanark have played only one game so far this season, so difficult to make any comparisons.

Another point behind we have Birkmyre and they travel to Moffat who are three points further behind.  Moffat have had a number of close games at home this season, so will be looking to recover from their defeat at the weekend, but we think Birkmyre will be too strong for them.

Our final game of the weekend has sixth placed Loch Lomond visitng Clydesdale. Loch Lomond defeat against Leaders Medics last weekend was only their second of the season. Neither Lomond nor Clydesdale are scoring many points, but Loch Lomonds defence has been solid, whilst Clydesdale has been a bit more open.  If results go their way, Lomond could find themsleves a few more places up the league table.

West 3

Played W L D Diff TB LB Points
Glasgow University Medics 8 8 0 0 217 6 0 38
Cumbernauld 9 7 2 0 273 5 1 34
Lochaber 6 4 2 0 189 4 2 22
Bishopton 7 5 2 0 32 2 0 22
Birkmyre 7 4 3 0 106 3 2 21
Loch Lomond 7 5 2 0 -13 1 0 18
Moffat 9 3 6 0 -105 5 1 18
Shawlands 7 1 6 0 -91 1 2 7
Clydesdale 5 2 3 0 -147 2 0 7
Isle of Mull 5 1 4 0 -57 1 0 5
Hyndland 8 1 7 0 -287 1 0 5
Cowal 5 1 4 0 -76 1 1 3
Lanark 1 0 1 0 -41 0 0 -7

 

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