Grades Results 26th April 2008

The clouds parted just in time to permit a virtually full opening programme of games in this season’s Thistle Sports Grades on Saturday.

While there were comfortable victories for last year’s Grade 1 top two, Cults and Bon Accord, over Mannofield and 2^nd Cults respectively, with Cults’ skipper Amol Saxena scoring an undefeated century, the two results which will probably attract most attention were at the Duthie Park, where newly-promoted Caledonian defeated Ellon, and Marywell Park, where Kintore were forced to play out time for a draw against Stonehaven.  Banchory beat Inverurie in the day’s remaining Grade 1 game.

In Grade 2 Academy had the better of a high-scoring encounter with Artisans, Sunny being another of the day’s centurions, while St Ronald took full points from their encounter with Queens Cross.  Of the promoted sides, Fraserburgh had a convincing win against Kemnay; but Crathie were less successful, going down to defeat by Grammar FPs.

In Grade 3 an opening-day hat-trick for Crescent’s Thiagarajah was not enough to see his side to victory over Stoneywood-Dyce, while 2^nd Banchory saw off Dunecht, and 2^nd Ellon defeated 2^nd FPs in a game between the two extra sides promoted from Grade 4 following the re-entry to the leagues of Huntly Highlanders and 2^nd Gordonians.

Those two sides were in competition at Countesswells, the home side emerging victorious.  Portcullis’s game against 2^nd Mannofield was postponed by mutual agreement – which was just as well as the Town only notified the Association Secretary at noon of Friday that, as well as the drainage issues at Links 5, only one square would be available at Sheddocksley for the first few weeks of the season.