By Jonathon Reilly

Bathgate Thistle FC and the Creamery Park today played host to the latest round of the Bathgate Primary Schools Football Festival series.

The 7-a-sides tournament – held on five occasions throughout the academic year at the Creamery Park and Bathgate Academy – is organised for primary six and seven pupils from the town’s Balbardie, Boghall, Simpson, St Mary’s and Windyknowe primary schools by Active Schools West Lothian and sportscotland.

The project’s main aim focuses on increasing the number of children and young people participating in school sport and the afternoon gave local kids the chance to show off their skills in a professional sporting environment.

With all of the teams playing each other once over the course of 10 action-packed matches, parents and coaches alike were treated to more than 20 goals over the course of the tournament, along with several fine strikes and many vital saves.

The table below shows just how close some of the fixtures were:

Boghall PS 1-0 Windyknowe PS

Simpson PS 0-1 St Mary’s PS

Windyknowe PS 2-0 Balbardie PS

Boghall PS 2-2 Simpson PS

Balbardie PS 0-1 St Mary’s PS

Windyknowe PS 4-1 Simpson PS

Simpson PS 1-1 Balbardie PS

St Mary’s PS 3-1 Boghall PS

Balbardie PS 0-2 Boghall PS

St Mary’s PS 0-1 Windyknowe PS

Bathgate Thistle FC would like to give credit to each player for the tremendous sportsmanship and effort they displayed on what was an enjoyable afternoon of grassroots football.

The club is looking forward to welcoming the teams back on Wednesday, March 9 for the next instalment of the Bathgate Primary Schools Football Festival series.