On the eve of Saturday the 14th April, Irvine Meadow XI sat in 4th place in the Stagecoach West of Scotland Super League Premier Division a full 12 points behind the league leaders, Petershill. The Peasy would complete their campaign at home to Ashfield while Medda faced an incredible 8 more league games. Yet tomorrow the 'Dow have the chance to win the title with a home game against relegated Largs.
That weekend Ashfield held their north Glasgow rivals to a 1-1 draw and Petershill finished with 43 points - a real turn around by the team who avoided relegation via the play off last year. At Meadow Park the home side thumped Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 6-1.
It would be a week until Irvine Meadow’s next match – which must seem like a distant dream to the Medda players who have since played at least 3 games a week. However it was Ashfield again playing a part in this title’s destination with a 3-1 home win against the Ayrshire challengers.
The first midweek game in this gruelling run of fixtures was a 2-1 home win against struggling Pollok on Wednesday 25th April. Three days later (Saturday 28th) and it was the New Coin Automatics Cup quarter final at home to Shotts Bon Accord – themselves victims of their cup success this year with a fierce run of league fixtures to make up. A 2-1 win saw another fixture added to Medda’s calendar.
Monday 30th April – and making a mockery of football fitness expert Raymond Verheijen’s call for longer rest periods (http://www.footyplace.com/news/verheijen-calls-for-longer-rest-periods/) - and it was back to league duty with a 4-2 home win over Kilbirnie Ladeside followed by one day off then a 2-0 win on the Wednesday over Ashfield at Meadow Park in the league. Medda were now only 1 point behind Petershill with 3 games to play.
Saturday 5th May – a merciful 2 days rest – and it was the semi-final of the New Coins Automatic cup away to Glenafton who were flying in the Super League First. A hard thought 4-3 win and Meadow were in the final.
No time to celebrate though as Monday 7th brought tough clash at Holm Park to a Clydebank side who had won their last 7 league games. Their 8th win in a row came courtesy of a 3-1 victory. Irvine Meadow XI picked themselves up and on Wednesday beat Maybole away 2-1 in the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup.
Their seventh game of the fortnight was the final of the New Coins Automatic Cup at Newlandsfield – home of Pollok FC - on Saturday 12th May. Ashfield were the beaten finalists as Medda lifted the trophy following a 2-0 win.
Game number eleven in this sequence was the quarter final of the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup on Wednesday 16th May against Kilwinning Rangers. Meadow Park bore witness to a 1-0 win for the ‘Dow to take the team into a semi final with Emirates Junior Cup finalists, Auchinleck Talbot.
And so Irvine Meadow XI face their 12th game in 36 days having reduced the gap in the league from 12 points to 1, won one trophy and reached the semi-finals of another. Saturday 19th May 2012 brings a home tie against Largs who are already relegated. If they don’t win or draw (Irvine’s goal difference is 5 better than Petershill) this game there will be the daunting prospect of going to Beechwood looking for something. Talbot might have the Junior Cup final on their minds but are unlikely to roll over for their fierce rivals. There is also the unscheduled semi-final also against Auchinleck to be fitted in so respite is unlikely.
The toll of a game every 3 days on average at the end of a long season must be hard on the players but will the glory of retaining their league championship be enough to drive Irvine Meadow XI on to be the best Junior team in the West of Scotland?
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