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The first recipients of the Vaila’s Fund awards are Sophi Chapman and Lynda Flaws, both secondary six pupils at the Anderson High School.

The fund was established in memory of the late Vaila Mae Harvey, who died in May 2008 at the age of 16, to help young Shetland students pursue learning opportunities outwith the UK. Vaila had been very keen to study abroad but unfortunately illness prevented her from doing so.

Sophi recently took part in the Global Classroom event in the USA while Lynda, one of Shetland’s best young table tennis players, is about to embark on a study and sports scholarship in Denmark.

The fund will re-open to applicants in August. See vailasfund.co.uk for further details.

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The semi-finals of senior football’s Manson Cup see Scalloway taking on Spurs at Fraser Park on Friday evening and Whalsay hosting Whitedale at Harbison Park on Monday.

Manson Cup Group One

Thistle 1, Spurs 4

After a fairly even opening 10 minutes it was Spurs who created the first real opportunity when Shane Jamieson’s cross was met by Connel Gresham but his shot flew over the bar. The Jags responded and Stuart Smith’s 22-yarder fizzed past the post.

In the 25th minute the new Madrid Cup winners drew first blood. James Johnston pounced on a loose ball 25 yards out and when he wasn’t closed down he unleashed a ferocious drive which found the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

At the other end a Calvin Leask effort was parried by Spurs custodian Craig Dinwoodie before the ball was cleared at the expense of a corner. Dinwoodie then stood firm to block a Neil Laurenson shot before tipping Leask’s follow-up round the post. From the resultant corner Scott Anderson blocked Neil Riddell’s goal-bound attempt before Smith drove the rebound wide.

In the 52nd minute a totally bizarre and controversial moment occurred, one which it could be argued the final outcome of the match hinged. Anderson of Spurs appeared to handle the ball on the goal-line after a Dinwoodie parry and referee Steven Goodlad immediately pointed to the spot.

At the same time Dinwoodie spoke to Goodlad claiming that Anderson had not actually handled the ball and to the incredulity of both the players and the many onlookers present, the official reversed his decision and awarded a goal kick. Further weight behind the case for FIFA to introduce video technology for goal-line incidents?

Almost immediately further salt was rubbed into the Thistle wound when Connel Gresham seized on a through ball and finished with aplomb.

Thistle were thrown a life-line in the 67th minute when Smith was upended in the box by Sam Goudie and from the resultant penalty, Riddell sent Dinwoodie the wrong way.

With the home side requiring a win to be sure of progressing to the semi-finals they threw caution to the wind and began pushing more players forward but could not find the net.

As play entered stoppage time Thistle were hit by two sucker punches. First Scott Morrison capitalised on a defensive error on the halfway line and ran through unchallenged to score. Two minutes later Sam Goudie found himself in splendid isolation in the box and from a suspiciously offside position netted to give the final score-line a distorted picture.

Celtic 1, Whalsay 4

The points went to the Bonnie Isle but Celtic dominated the first hour and had they taken a couple of the chances created the outcome may have been different.

On a wet and fast surface Celtic were quickly into the pace of the game and passed the ball around well once the players had all got the measure of the speed of the ball over the ground.

Connor Regan let in James Aitken after 15 minutes but the young striker’s first touch was a little heavy. Next up was Daniel Johnston who just couldn’t get enough power behind his shot when good inter-passing between Tom Moncrieff and Joe Leask opened the door.

Whalsay had a first foray forward in the 25th minute when Richard Arthur saw his shot lift over the bar.
Celtic were almost gifted a goal when John Montgomery passed back to his keeper Grant Thomson, who took a fresh air swipe at the ball and the reds watched as it agonisingly rolled past the post for a corner kick.

Joe Leask should have perhaps done better with a central chance. He opened the body well but put his side-foot effort went past the post. Aitken put in his striking partner two minute later but Leask was unlucky with his attempt.

Thomson had another goalkeeping submission for “what happened next” with a spot of ball juggling, the ball squirming up and bouncing of his head at one stage but nothing would fall for the green and whites.

The second half started in similar vein with Celtic taking the game to the visitors. A good piece of play from Johnston saw the midfielder pass into the forward movement of Grant Wood but the full back’s effort was rising over the bar from the moment he connected.

Robert Smith connected well with an effort from all of 40 yards but Thomson got down well and tipped it away to the safety of his full back.

Regan joined the forward plays, swung in a good cross and Leask’s header came back of the post and a minute later saw another effort slip past the post.

The first goal came in the 65th minute. Bryan Irvine was strong in the box and got past John Simpson who brought down his man before he could shoot. Montgomery stepped up and slammed the spot kick into Paul Grant’s right corner.

Celtic were then guilty of switching off and lost another three goals in a crushing 10-minute spell thereafter.

Keith Pearson made it two with an easy header from six yards then Richard Arthur wandered up from right back unattended and thundered home a great volley at the back post for a third.

Before Celtic switched on again the game was well and truly gone as Brian Henderson dispatched a Bryan Irvine cutback.

Henderson then saw red for a second bookable offence before Celtic scored their consolation goal, Smith playing in Aitken who deftly lifted the ball over Thomson as he came to close down.

Celtic’s Smith had possibly his best game of the season to date while Johnston and Regan did well in midfield and Leask and Aitken linked well up front.

Whalsay, as always, worked hard and captain Montgomery was always on hand to lift the team. Arthur did his bit in driving the team forward while Bryan Irvine is a real handful for any defence.

Group Two

Scalloway 2, Whitedale 3

Scalloway started in style by scoring straight from kick off, Jamie Allen weaved his way down the wing before cutting the ball back for Laurence Pearson to fire home.

Alan Davidson doubled the home team’s lead after he robbed the last defender of possession and placed the ball past the advancing keeper.

Whitedale came back in to the game and were unfortunate not to pull a goal back when Martin Clark’s long range effort hit to the crossbar. Eventually the pressure paid off when Jamie Wilson rolled the ball into the path of Paul Molloy and his shot found the bottom corner.

With half time approaching Whitedale were given the chance to equalise from the penalty spot but Malloy’s effort struck the post and rebounded to safety.

In the second half both sides passed up chances before Wilson raced on to a through ball and his effort was blocked by keeper Brian Johnson. However, Molloy attoned for his penalty miss by heading the ball into the net.

Needing a win to progress, Whitedale went for broke in the closing minutes and were rewarded when a free kick from the halfway line was headed into the net by Brian Duncan in the final minute.

Whitedale deserved their win and were perhaps the more hungrier of the two sides with Scalloway already guaranteed a semi-final spot.

Best for the visitors were Duncan Anderson, Brian Duncan and Jamie Wilson while for Scalloway strikers Alan Davidson and Steven Umphray were a constant threat and Andrew Flett had an outstanding debut in the centre of defence.

Ness United 1, Delting 3

A very young and inexperienced Ness side took on Delting, who were also missing some key players, in the last group game.

Delting created the first chance from a free kick with the midfielder heading wide at the back post before Ness fired just past the post. Delting were having more of the ball but Ness were keeping things simple at the back and were finding space in midfield.

A quick attack saw Sean Bell break through for Ness and he was unlucky not to open the scoring. Ness were forced to replace Steven Smith with Ewan Ellis and later was unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty.

Just before half time Delting missed a glorious chance as Ross Jamieson headed wide again from a free kick.

The second half began in a similar pattern to the first and with about 10 minutes gone Ness forced a few corners. A Delting defender was adjudged to have handled in the box and Ness were awarded a penalty. Craig Leslie smashed it into the net.

The young Ness team now had a real belief that they would take the points as they had been comfortable at the back.

Delting were pressing for an equaliser and threw on Danny Peterson and got the goal they were looking for with 20 minutes to go. A Ness defender was dispossessed, leaving the back line exposed, and the resultant shot from Peter Peterson was deflected past stand-in keeper John Robert Burgess.

Immediately afterwards a similar mistake saw Delting gain possession and in the second phase of play saw a shot brilliantly saved from Burgess but the ball was eventually bundled over the line by Ross McDougal.

Ness were not going to give up and a fine run and shot from Ellis saw his shot cannon of the bar before Alex White also fired just over.

Delting killed the game off when Ross Jamieson took a quick free kick in to an empty net as the Ness team set up the wall.

To make things worse the home side finished with 10 men as Martin Henderson limped of with a serious injury. All in all it was an encouraging performance by the younger Ness boys who handled themselves well.

G&S Flooring Premier League

Ness United 1, Whitedale 2

Ness welcomed back county goal keeper Erik Peterson and striker Ian Bray but were without influential midfielder Kieran Malcolmson. Whitedale too were missing some of the regulars but were looking to close the gap on the leaders.

The early stages were fairly even but the home side were dealt a blow when Whitedale were awarded an extremely soft penalty after just 10 minutes. Alan Johnson stepped up to take it and although Peterson guessed right and got a glove to the ball he was unable to prevent it squeezing in at the post.

The goal gave the visitors a boost and they pressed for the second, Peterson pulling off a wonderful save to deny Whitedale.

As the half wore on a fired-up Ness dug in and pushed on, and whenever the ball hit their front three they looked extremely dangerous. After a good build-up down the left Ness created a golden opportunity to square things but a first-time shot went wide when the player had more time than he realised.

The second half saw the home side take the game to the West Side boys as they pressed them back, with chances falling to Smith and Bray.

With the home side now winning the lion’s share of the territory and possession their supporters must have thought it was only a matter of time before they equalised but it was the visitors who extended their lead.

A quick counter attack resulted in a corner and after a prolonged goalmouth scramble Duncan Fraser poked the ball over the line.

Ness continued to press and pulled a goal back through Ian Bray. They dominated the tempo but in the latter stages were vulnerable to a counter attack as they pushed on relentlessly for an equaliser.

Substitute Flaws had a great chance as he cut in from the left and lifted the ball over the Whitedale keeper but agonisingly it landed on the roof of the net. Peterson then had to save brilliantly after a counter attack late on.

It was a much-improved performance by Ness who must be bitterly disappointed not to have gained at least a point. There were good performances all round and particularly from Burgess and Kevin Smith, while Jamie Wilson played well for Whitedale.

• For fixtures and tables see The Shetland Times on Friday.

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Senior football’s first cup final of the season takes place tomorrow with Delting and Spurs battling it out for the Madrid Cup at Gilbertson Park. Last year’s finalists Spurs will be hoping to win the trophy this year and forget the result last year which saw Whalsay come from behind to win it. Delting will be looking to get their hands on Shetland football’s oldest silverware after a fighting comeback against Celtic in the semi-final saw them book their place in the final.

Manson Cup
Group One

Celtic 0, Thistle 3

Thistle pushed off their Manson Cup campaign with a far more structured and familiar team than of late and put Celtic to the sword with a comfortable win at Clickimin.

Thistle chose to play with the gale force wind in the first half and quickly mastered the conditions, keeping the ball grounded and passes shorter. It was clear from the outset that the wind-assisted side would hold the upper hand and the team hemmed in would have to rely on counter attacking with pace and low passing to relieve the pressure.

Paul Grant was a busy man during the first 45 minutes, tipping a goal-bound Neil Riddell free kick over the bar as early as the fifth minute.

Stuart Smith and Craig Gerty were carving open some good space with tight and precise inter-passing, causing Celtic problems down the inside channels, but it was a poorly defended set-piece which provided the first goal.

A corner on the left was swung into the box and the Celtic defence simply stood and watched as Neil Laurenson, making his debut for Thistle, tapped the ball past the unguarded Grant in the Celtic goal.

Stuart Smith was then rewarded for a fine first-half display, curling the ball beyond Grant from 12 yards for goal number two after controlling a fine Gerty cross.

Celtic’s only effort on goal during the half was a Joe Leask header which ghosted past the far left upright after he got on the end of a Sam Wood cross.

At only two behind Celtic would have hoped to turn the deficit around, but to do so they would have to master the conditions as Thistle had.

But sadly for the green and whites they managed just two tame efforts at goal throughout the second half. They did not press Thistle when they were in possession and the Jags actually managed to break out and create a few openings themselves.

Thistle put the icing on the cake with a third goal, the ball was played into the box and Richard Manson having two snaps at the ball before placing it past Grant.

It was a fully-merited three points for Thistle with a good team performance and Stuart Smith, Kevin Teale, Craig Gerty and Neil Laurenson standing out. The only Celtic player who could feel he had done a night’s work was keeper Paul Grant.

Whalsay 1, Spurs 1

Two understrength teams battled out a largely scrappy draw in a game played in almost gale force conditions.

Spurs certainly had the better of the first half and went close early on through Sam Goudie whose goalbound effort from just inside the box was turned round the post by Grant Thomson.

Spurs took the lead on the 20-minute mark when a sloppy defensive mix up allowed Danny Finnie time and space to fire the ball into the empty net from just outside the box.

The town side almost went two up when a cross was turned against his own post by Joe Pottinger with the ball rebounding into the greatful arms of Thomson.

The second half saw Whalsay come more into the game with the home side exerting pressure on the Spurs defence.

Following some sustained pressure Whalsay equalised with 20 minutes to go when a corner kick fell to Brian Irvine at the back post and he fired the ball through a sea of legs on the goal line.

The remainder of the half saw some scrappy play with Whalsay continuing to edge it int erms of possession but without creating many clear cut chances and a draw was probably a fair result.

Thistle 0, Whalsay 4

A calm peaceful evening at Seafield on Monday night, with not a vuvuzela to be heard, saw the home side looking to build on their victory over Celtic the previous Friday.

The initial stages saw Thistle exert some early pressure and the game was barely two minutes old when a cross to the far post found Kevin Gifford in splendid isolation but his shot flew harmlessly over.

Five minutes later a well flighted free-kick from Neil Laurenson found Gary Teale but the big centre half’s header was easily dealt with by Whalsay custodian Grant Thomson. Thomson was again called into action when he he tipped a net-bound header from Craig Gerty rouud the post for a corner.

Against the run of play Whalsay broke upfield and a mistake within the Thistle rearguard presented Keith Pearson with a golden opportunity. However, with the goal gaping he somehow contrived to fire his shot high over the bar.

Thistle responded and Laurenson stung Thomson’s palms with a fierce drive after twisting his way past several Whalsay defenders.

With the game drifting into the stoppage time referee Derrick Bradley had added on at the end of the first half the men from the Bonnie Isle took the lead with a well-taken goal. Erik Thomson received the ball at the edge of the box and curled his shot into the top corner.

As the second period progressed Whalsay began to take control and it was no real surprise to the many onlookers present that they increased their lead. In the 70th minute, following the proverbial penalty-box stramash, Geordie Irvine rammed the loose ball into the net.

Ten minutes later victory was secured when a chipped through ball found Thomson, who skillfully lobbed it over the advancing Thistle goalie John-Scott Cluness.

Thomson turned provider in the 84th minute when his cross found the unmarked Ian Simpson who neatly headed home.

The final score was perhaps a little harsh on Thistle who battled manfully throughout and continued to show improved signs of recovery.

Spurs 3, Celtic 2

Celtic got into their stride quickest with Joe Leask in particular looking very lively up front. Spurs were finding it difficult to get their passing game going due to the fact that Celtic were working really hard off the ball to close them down.

The deadlock was broken after 20 minutes when a good move involving several players was finished superbly by Joe Leask.

The goal seemed to really lift Celtic and if not for some good goalkeeping by Bobby Wiseman they could have been two or three up.

With 10 minutes remaining in the half Spurs found themselves level against the run of play. A good move found young Sam Goudie in the box who turned his man and poked the ball home with the aid of a slight deflection.

Spurs started the second half much better with James Johnston getting more of the ball down the flank. Celtic were now camped in their own half and they had Paul Grant in goal to thank on a couple of occasions, most noteably from a Dominic Mann header which he clawed around the post.

Spurs made a substitution, bringing on Connel Gresham for Goudie, and the striker had only been on the park 10 minutes when he headed his team in front after a great cross from Scott Morrison.

The introduction of Gresham was proving to be a good one as his pace was causing all sorts of problems for the Celtic defence and he was unlucky to see a shot go wide of Grant’s goal.

With 15 minutes remaining Spurs were reduced to 10 men when referee Robbie Leask sent Morrison off for a second bookable offence which means the player will have to sit out Saturday’s cup final.

Gresham then turned provider when he outstripped the Celtic defence to unselfishly square it to fellow substitute Alan Page to blast home from 12 yards to all but wrap up the three points.

Celtic did get a consolation goal deep into injury when Sam Wood prodded home from six yards out, but referee Robbie Leask blew for full time before the game could be restarted.

Best on the night for Celtic were veteran John Simpson at the back and Paul Grant in goal. For Spurs Lewis Kay and James Johnston were pretty faultless with Bobby Wiseman in goal was worthy of a mention with a couple of great saves.

Manson Cup
Group Two

Scalloway 6, Ness United 2

The home team got off to a flying start when Laurence Pearson raced on to a cross ball and sent a looping header inside the far post.

Scalloway extended the advantage when Steven Umphray weaved his way down the left wing before cutting the ball back for strike partner Alan Davidson to score from close range.

The visitors almost pulled a goal back but Ian Bray’s netbound lob was acrobatically cleared from the goal line by defender Magnus Henry.

Scalloway were unlucky not to extend their lead with Robert Garrick hitting the upright and Grant Gilfillan with a snap shot. In the closing minutes of the half Scalloway added to their tally when an excellent cross from Pearson was sent crashing into the net on the volley by Davidson.

Early in the second half Ness United pulled a goal back when Barry Martin latched on to a defensive error on the halfway line and carried the ball through on goal before finishing in the bottom corner.

Scalloway responded immediately when a front post flick on was rocketed into the roof of the net by Garrick and minutes later a push on Davidson allowed Garrick to score his second from the penalty spot.

Substitute Gary Burns made an instant impact when his excellent cross found Davidson in space and the in-form striker completed his hat trick with a delicate lob.

In the closing minutes Ness pulled another goal back with an excellent headed goal from John Rosie and were unlucky not to add another when Bray’s effort cannoned off the bar and bounced on the wrong side of the goal line.

It was a disappointing night for the visitors who have enjoyed a recent run of impressive results but were perhaps stung by the loss of early goals. Scalloway appear to be finding some form and had a number of fine performances with midfielder Duncan Cumming a clear choice for man of the match.

Whitedale 1, Delting 2

With a strong wind blowing down Strom Park the chances of good football being produced were slim. Whitedale played with the wind advantage in the first half and a Jamie Wilson goal was all that separated the sides at half time, the home side unlucky not to be more comfortably ahead having missed some good chances.

The second half saw Delting taking more advantage of the conditions and scored twice in quick succession through Robert Balfour and Peter Peterson.

Leighton Flaws was solid at the back for the Delts while Duncan Fraser stood out for the home side.

Delting 1, Scalloway 5

Ross Jamieson notched a penalty for Delting while Scalloway’s goals were scored by Alan Davidson, Steven Umphray, Laurence Pearson and Scott Henderson (2).

Ness 1, Whitedale 4

Ness took on Whitedale minus goalkeeper Eric Peterson and striker Ian Bray and were soon under pressure from a powerful West Side team.

Stand-in keeper John Robert Burgess reacted well to block a powerful strike early on but Whitedale took a deserved lead when Duncan Anderson fired into the corner, giving the keeper no chance.

Ness conceded another just before half time when Richard Sinclair waltzed through the home defence to make it 2-0.

The second half saw two good chances wasted by the home side before Ness were forced to make more changes due to injury. Jamie Wilson fired home a third for the visitors before adding a spectacular fourth, running from left back to the by line before crossing from a tight angle, beating Burgess and flying into the top corner.

Burgess then pulled off a penalty save after a harsh handball decision before a great ball from substitute Kyle Malcolmson enabled Craig Leslie to head home to make it  4-1.

Ness will be disappointed not to have made more of their chances but it was a deserved victory for the West Side men.

• See The Shetland Times on Friday for Reserve League scores, tables and fixtures.

Lizzie Poleson Cup
(semi-finals)

Burra 3, Spurs 0

Both teams starting with a lot of determination and great end-to-end play. Pressure was applied on Burra goalkeeper Sarah Couper but Spurs could not get the ball past her.

Brilliant play from Joyce Adamson, Sarah Young and Karen MacKelvie in midfield resulted in a rebound for Adamson to flick past the Spurs keeper in the 14th minute. Both teams’ defences were being tested but Spurs’ Susan Morrison and Burra’s Melanie Couper would not let anything past them.

The second half started with some great play from Spurs and excellent runs up the left wing from Sarah Grogan supported by Fiona Shearer.

Burra picked up their game with Kristan Robertson, Lori Robertson, Josie Jamieson applying pressure to the Spurs defence which resulted in Kristan Robertson striking in a fantastic goal.

This did not deter Spurs who came back fighting with great play from Gayle Henry, Emma Gray and Gayle Johnson but again could not get the ball past the Burra defence. MacKelvie followed on with a superb goal in the 33rd minute.

Players of the match were Susan Morrison for Spurs for her great defending and Burra’s Sarah Couper who played a storm.

Whalsay 2, Delting 0

Both teams were eager to get off to a good start and Whalsay did just that when they took the lead within minutes, Nicola Duthie slotting home after a goalmouth scramble.

Delting regrouped immediately and pressed to attack the Whalsay goal with Julie Kirkness making some searching runs and looking to set up Linda Gunn at every opportunity but the Whalsay defence stood strong.

Maggie Irvine was always a threat going forward for Whalsay, linking with Victoria Duthie who combined well with Shelley Sandison down the right wing. It was Delting who made the stronger finish to the first half, almost snatching an equaliser in the last minute.

The second half saw more of the same end-to-end play with Delting trying to claw back the deficit and Whalsay aiming to stretch their slender lead.

Delting’s Jill Hibbert moved into a more advanced position and held the ball up well to release Jillian Copland on a number of occasions whose composure in and around the D gave Whalsay many problems throughout the match, but they were still unable to find that elusive goal.

Whalsay had some chances to take the game beyond Delting but staunch defending from Nicola Blance quickly broke up any advancing play. Maree Simpson worked tirelessly for Whalsay, making some crucial tackles and was always dangerous on the counter attack.

In the last quarter Whalsay doubled the ead through Shelley Sandison who received a pass from Maree Simpson to send it past the keeper.

Delting continued to try to salvage from the game right up to the final whistle but in the end Whalsay hung on to their lead which means that they face Burra in the final on Thursday 8th July.

Players of the match were Maree Simpson for Whalsay and Nicola Blance for Delting.

• For fixtures and league table see The Shetland Times on Friday.

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Shetland won the overall junior-intercounty sports competition on Monday by a resounding 214 points to Orkney’s 163.

In doing so they retained the Stuart Cup for the third successive year and edged ahead 32-31 in the overall table for previous winners. The joint Shetland captains were footballer Allan Johnston and hockey player Rhiannon Inkster.

The action began on Sunday morning with the swimming at the Clickimin pool, and Shetland scored an emphatic victory by 63 points to 31, with all but two inter-county records broken.

The home side’s dominance was such that Orkney only recorded one individual victory, by Morna Brown in the girls’ 50 metres butterfly.

Shetland record breakers were Callum MacGregor in the boys’ 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle, Amy Harper in the girls’ 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle, Felix Gifford in the boys’ 50m backstroke and Andrea Strachan in the girls’ 50m breaststroke.

Moving on to the athletics competition on the Clickimin track, Shetland were victorious by 107-87, which meant a virtually unassailable 52-point lead with only two of the sports completed.

The football match, played at Gilbertson Park in front of a large home support, saw Shetland win 2-0 when the overall dominance of play possibly would have merited more.

The first 40 minutes saw some good football with the home side just shading the exchanges. The second half, however, belonged to the blues. James Aitken put them ahead in the 55th minute and they didn’t take a backward glance from there.

Daniel Johnston added the second seven minutes later to put to rest any doubt. Scott Wilson between the Orkney sticks pulled his team out of trouble on many occasions as the home side pressed for more.

It was worthy win for the home side and a third straight event success for the young Shetlanders in pursuit of the overall prize.

The final two sports both went the way of the visitors, the Orkney girls winning the netball 40-34 and an Emma Kirkpatrick strike enough to see off Shetland in the hockey.

• See The Shetland Times on Friday for full reports and more photographs.

The six common seals or harbour seals, a protected species, were found washed up on the shoreline at Bridge of Walls earlier this month. They included two females pregnant with pups.

Now People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says it hopes to bring whoever was reponsible for the deaths to justice. It goes as far as to suggest that humans may even be in danger from the perpetrators.

Spokeswoman Suzanne Barnard said: “The term ‘common seal’ is misleading, as the species has seen a rapid decline in number across many areas of the UK. June is the time of year when the seals are actively breeding and having pups. Local authorities now fear that more dead seals might be found in the coming days.

“PETA is urging local residents to keep a watchful eye for anything suspicious in the area. Because animals cannot report their own abuse and can do little to fight back, they are the perfect ‘practice’ victims for people who tend towards violence.

“Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often go on to commit violent acts against their fellow humans. As long as the perpetrators of this crime are at large, other animals in Shetland – and even human residents – might be in danger.

“Animal abusers are cowards. They take their issues out on the most defenceless beings available to them.”

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the animal helpline of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on 03000 999 999, the Shetland Wildlife Rescue Unit on (01595) 840321 or the local police on (01595) 692110. All information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Ness United had their best few days in senior football for some time with wins over Lerwick sides Thistle and Celtic in the GS Flooring Premier League. They comprehensively defeated a struggling Thistle 6-0 on Friday and followed it up with a 2-0 victory against Celtic on Monday, the green-and-whites having gone off the boil somewhat after a bright start to the season. Elsewhere former champions Delting again found the going tough, drawing at home with league leaders Whalsay and then going down to Whitedale.

G&S Flooring
Premier League

Delting 3, Whalsay 3
Both teams served up an entertaining game with the points shared. Whalsay took the lead early in the first half when Erik Thomson cut in from the right and fired a fierce shot past the Delting keeper.

Delting got back into the game when Robert Balfour prodded the ball home from close range after a corner. Whalsay regained the lead when Thomson found himself unmarked at the far post and he headed the ball into the empty net.

Leighton Flaws brought Delting level with a superb free kick from 25 yards and then just before half time Danny Reid saved a penalty from Thomson.

Whalsay started the better in the second half and again took the lead when Thomson completed his hat trick by outstripping the Delting defence to shoot past the keeper.

Delting never gave up and Stuart Lavender equalised with minutes left.

Ness United 6, Thistle 0
Ness welcomed back some of their first team regulars and started brightly against the town visitors.

Some quick passing saw Ness break down the right and when the ball was cut back to the on rushing midfielder it looked like an early opener but unfortunately the home side blasted over the bar.

Similar chances ensued before Kieran Malcolmson stroked the ball into the far corner of the net from 15 yards.

Ness continued to press the visitors but Neil Riddell was looking sharp up front and the Ness defence had to be wary of the counter attack. Ness had another good opportunity when Ian Bray found space in the box and smashed a shot just over the keeper’s near post but it remained 1-0 when the half time whistle blew.

Ness came out in the second half looking for goals to kill the game off but to fair to a young Thistle side missing four of their most senior players they made Ness work for it until Ness were awarded a penalty.
Craig Leslie dispatched the spot kick which relaxed the home side and further goals came from Kevin Smith and then a lovely move was finished well by Scott Ferguson.

Thistle threw players up from the back and Ness seemed to lose their shape a bit and for about 10 minutes Thistle had decent territory. However, Tomas Smith scored the fifth and then sent a great cross to the back post for Kevin Manson to head back across the keeper into the far corner of the net for the sixth.

Scalloway 4, Whitedale 3
The two sides have a history of competitive encounters and this game was to be no exception.

Whitedale opened the scoring on 12 minutes from a corner with Jamie Wilson’s flick to the far post being met by Brian Duncan who side-footed the ball into the net. Moments later Duncane had to leave the field after a collision left him with a nasty eye cut.

Scalloway also suffered a blow when centre back Darren Thompson fell awkwardly and suffered a shoulder injury.

In the 27th minute a moment of indecision in the Whitedale defence allowed Steven Umphray to nip in and grab the equaliser. Three minutes later Whitedale took the lead again when a high lob from Piotr Drozowski caught the keeper off his line.

In the 40th minute a through ball from Kevin Nicolson found Wilson who outpaced his marker and side-footed past the keeper to give Whitedale a deserved 3-1 lead at half-time.

Whatever was said in the Scalloway dressing room certainly had an effect as a fired-up side started to take the game to Whitedale. On the hour mark they got a goal back after Laurence Pearson’s shot was saved by Martin Young but in the scramble the ball came of Duncan and into the net. Soon after Umphray grabbed the equaliser to send the game into a tense last 10 minutes.

For the first time in the half Whitedale showed a little desire to win with Kevin Nicolson and Allan Johnston creating chances. But in the final minute slack defending from the home side allowed Alan Davidson the simplest of finishes to give the villagers a hard-earned victory.

Ness United 2, Celtic 0
Celtic started without a couple of key players who were sidelined with injuries and a raft of juniors unable to play before the junior inter-county on Sunday.

Ness could have opened the scoring in the first minute if Barry Martin had got more power behind a low shot from 12 yards which was easily smothered by Paul Grant in the Celtic goal.

The visitors were dangerous down the left flank and could well have taken the lead had Jordan Hunter not put in a well-timed block to deny Ian Bray from close range. In the 10th minute Alex White blasted a half chance over the bar.

Celtic weathered this early pressure and could have taken the lead themselves but Sam Wood’s effort from the edge of the box was deflected high and wide. On 20 minutes Justin Watson got on the end of a corner but his downward header was scrambled off the line to safety.

John Simpson and Lowrie Simpson had further efforts for the home side but never troubled Eric Peterson in the Ness goal. Scoreless at the break was probably a fair reflection of how the game had gone.

Kieran Malcolmson forced a good save from Grant early in the second half and minutes later the best chance of the game fell to John Rosie who should have done better after good work down the left by Kevin Smith left him a clear opportunity.

On the counter attack a mazy run from Lowrie Simpson took him to the edge of the six-yard box but his shot was angled wide. Jordan Simpson then came on for impressive Celtic youngster Glenn Henderson and immediately got involved but will be disappointed he did not hit the target after Joe Leask set him up with a well-weighted pass across the box.

Ian Bray proved a constant threat for the Celtic defence and after 25 minutes was unlucky not to give Ness the lead when his effort was deflected over the bar. Five minutes later, however, the Celtic defence was breached and the visitors were ahead as Bray ran on to a loose ball and slotted home past the advancing keeper.

Celtic pushed hard for an equaliser as the game went into added time. This left them more exposed at the back and Kieran Malcolmson took full advantage, albeit with a little luck on his side, as his shot deflected of a Celtic boot and gave Grant little chance.

Best for Ness were the central defence pairing of Leigh Smith and Craig Leslie with Ian Bray always dangerous in attack. Colin Grant and John Simpson for Celtic played well in the heart of the defence.

Whitedale 5, Delting 1
Both teams were missing players for this important league fixture.

Delting took the lead with a goal from Lee Jamieson and this seemed to spur Whitedale into action and they equalised with a well-struck shot from Piotr Drozdowski.

Whitedale had a goal blitz at the start of the second half with a Jamie Wilson hat trick and a strike from Duncan Anderson to round off a comfortable win.

Spurs 3, Scalloway 1
A strong second-half performance from Spurs was enough to see off an understrength yet determined Scalloway.

The first half was a fairly even contest with neither side able to convert any of their chances into goals. The best opportunities for the visitors saw Connell Gresham and Scott Morrison both places shots wide of the target.

Scalloway’s best chance came when Laurence Pearson got behind the Spurs defence and his powerful volley was tipped over the bar by keeper Craig Dinwoodie.

Spurs made the breakthrough early in the second half when Sam Goudie squared the ball to Gresham who powerfully finished into the cornert.

Poor defending at a free kick saw an unmarked Scott Morrison volley home a back post cross from Josie Kay for number two.

Determined play from Laurence Pearson resulted in a goal for Scalloway as he tracked back to win possession before charging forward and playing Alan Davidson through on goal, the striker finding the net despite a valiant attempt from keeper Dinwoodie.

Spurs made sure of the points when James Johnston won possession and allowed Alan Page the chance to fire the ball inside the keeper’s near post.

In the closing minutes Scalloway keeper Bryan Johnson pulled of a fine save from a Shane Jamieson free kick from distance.

Spurs fully merited their win with Shane Jamieson deserving mention for some timely interceptions and tackling throughout. Scalloway will take encouragement from the solid performance of central defenders Liam Macgregor and Magnus Henry while Laurence Pearson also impressed on the left flank.

Whalsay v Thistle
Thistle were unable to field a team and Whalsay were awarded a nominal 2-0 win.

For Reserve League results, league tables and fixtures see Friday’s Shetland Times.

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The BP Sullom Voe Shetland Rugby Midsummer Sevens tournament gets under way at 7pm on Friday with the traditional family touch rugby matches.

All senior, junior and female players, along with supporters, are welcome to come along for a run about, which is aimed to enable novices to have a try at the non-contact form of the game and for players to hone their skills before the tournament proper tomorrow. The barbecue will be fired up and the beer tent available for liquid refreshments.

On Saturday registration for the main sevens competition is at 11am sharp. Any players keen to play for a team are welcome to come along at this time to register and be slotted into a squad.

The tournament begins at noon with eight teams vying for the impressive BP Sullom Voe Cup, won last year by the Arbroath Smokies, from the Royal Marines. Arbroath are back this year to defend their title, with runners-up Shetland Select hoping to go one better this time.

Winners of the Murray Anderson Cup for best local team, the Shetland Barbarians, are also back, as are last year’s winners of the 125 Shield, Aberdeenshire.

Other teams are the ever-popular Shetland Recreational Trust, some of whom have just returned from an intensive training camp in Tenerife. The Shetland Colts includes many of the young members of the club who broke into the senior team last season, so could be a team to watch.

The Delting side have, apparently, been holding secret training sessions since March, so it will be interesting to see if that tactic pays off. The final team has been dubbed the “Misfits”, which could be construed to mean that sevens isn’t strictly their game. However, from previous tournaments, their style has had good results for them and could do some damage.

After the tournament there is a meal at the Clickimin Centre, followed by a tour of the local establishments, taking in the carnival atmosphere. As is the norm, players and supporters will adjourn to Posers for the traditional cheesy 70s, 80s and 90s disco, which is always exciting for those young enough to remember those days. As places are limited, all players are reminded to arrive well before midnight, or they may not be admitted.

Sunday is for the survivors and those who wish to get together and relive the heroics of the previous day on the field and in Posers afterwards. Bacon rolls will be on the go for brunch and the “court of session” will no doubt be called into action.

For further details visit the Shetland Rugby website at www.shetlandrugby.com where people can leave a message on the guestbook or visit the club group on Facebook. For more traditional methods of contact, training continues on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

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Shetland Islands Council convener Sandy Cluness has been made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Mr Cluness, 68, who has led the SIC for the last seven years, received the award for services to the community in Shetland.

A former trainee journalist, solicitor, procurator fiscal and reporter to the children’s panel, Mr Cluness has been a councillor on and off since the 1970s.

He was returned unopposed for the Lerwick North Central ward in May 2003 and defeated Bill Manson by 14 votes to eight to become convener.

At the last SIC election in 2007 Mr Cluness was one of the three councillors elected for the Lerwick North ward, along with Allan Wishart and Caroline Miller.

He was unanimously re-elected convener and said recently he intended to serve the full term, which ends in 2012, and then retire. Mr Cluness’ second period as convener has coincided with one of the most turbulent times in the council’s history.

Mr Carmichael said the Tory/Lib Dem coalition government was committed to boosting renewable power. With development of the west of Shetland gas fields now under way, the changes being seen in the UK energy industry provided a fantastic opportunity for Orkney and Shetland.

He said: “The Northern Isles will be at the heart of this vital sector for many years to come.”

Mr Carmichael and Mr Huhne discussed a range of issues relating to the energy industry in the Northern Isles, including grid strengthening and transmission charges. The minister was said to have recognised the importance of the energy sector to Orkney and Shetland and stressed his desire to work closely with Mr Carmichael.

Mr Carmichael said: “Though Chris has been a friend and colleague of mine for many years, this was our first official meeting since he took up his new role.

“His willingness to listen to the concerns I raised was a refreshing change from the attitude of the last government to the needs of people in Orkney and Shetland. It was clear that he shares my commitment to supporting the energy industry in the Northern Isles.

“I will continue to work closely with Chris and his department and look forward to welcoming him to the Northern Isles in the near future.”

Anti-windfarm group Sustainable Shetland have demanded a meeting with Mr Huhne when he visits.