PDM HUWS GRAY	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 26
Beith Juniors	9 (5)	Diver 3, Docherty, Monti, Monk, Rough, Wilson, Findlay
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Sat 27 Apr 2024	KO 2:00 pm	Bellsdale Park, Beith

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against Troon last Saturday with Ollie Rowe (unavailable), Cammy Ross (injured) and Hugh Kerr (injured), while top goal scorer Michael Moffat was also unavailable and Scott McLean remains on the long-term injury list. In came Alex McWaters and Liam Caddis along with young Harvey Gilmour, making his Glenafton debut.

The two sides met 11 days ago and shared the points in a goal-less draw on the floodlit Loch Park. In stark contrast today’s match on the sun-lit Bellsdale Park saw league leaders Beith live up to their name of ‘The Mighty’ as they put Glens to the sword, bagging nine goals (five down the hill and four up the hill) while keeping a clean sheet at both ends!

Captain Paul Frize kicked off and a minute later he was in the heart of the Glens box to meet Andy Monk’s pass squared in from the left only to scoop it high over the bar. The visitors responded and manage to push up the slope without testing the keeper.

Back came Beith in lethal fashion finding the net on five occasions in a torturous twelve-minute spell for the Glens.

The first came on the 10^th minute after Andy Monk, from the left, whipped a ball into the box which Alan Docherty trapped before turning to crack a seemingly net-bound shot from 12 yards only for keeper David Markey at full stretch to pull of a great save and although he pushed the ball wide of goal the alert Ciaran Diver chased it down and hooked it into back into the net.

Two minutes later Declan Hughes from tight on the right curled a ball into the box where Alan Docherty’s downward header from the six-yard line smacked of the shins of defender Lyall Holding marking Monk and popped up kindly for Docherty to stretch a leg and divert the ball into the net.

On 15 minutes play-maker Carlo Monti picked up a pass on the right 10 yards inside the Glens half and pushed forward at a pace before unleashing a vicious dipping shot from 25 yards that beat Markey rooted on the six-yard line.

A short spell of respite for the Glens as they enjoyed some possession in the Beith half but again without breaching their box.

However, Beith were soon back on the front foot with Monti, on the right touchline, picking up a great pass from Frize before cutting inside along the touchline and slipping the ball to Diver breaking into the six-yard box only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Paul Paton. The ball eventually fell for Caddis to hoof it up field to trigger a chase up the slope only for keeper Owen Stott to rush from his box and launch it high into the air back down the slope way over the heads of black and red shirts alike and as the ball re-entered the earth’s atmosphere to splash down on the Glens 18 yard-line it was met by the quick-thinking Docherty who had been tracking its trajectory. Although his first touch sent the ball to right hand side of the box, he quickly gathered it five yards from the bye-line and whipped it back toward the near post where the incoming Ciaran Diver with the neatest of touches clipped the ball with the outside of his bootguiding itbetween Markey and Paton into the net. Beith 4-0 up on 21 minutes. 

A minute later Monti weaved his way down the right touchline to the corner before clipping a ball into the six-yard box over the head of Paton while behind him Ciaran Diver leapt high to bullet a powerful downward header into the far corner of the net to complete his hat-trick, 3 goals in 12 minutes.

The game settled into a pattern of back and forth with few clear-cut chances on show during which tie Evan Dunne had taken a knock and was replaced by Martin Findlay.

On 33 minutes Cammy Crooks had Glens first attempt on goal only for his shot from 30 yards or so to fly wide of the post. Soon after the visitors won a corner on the right that Harvey Gilmour pinged it low into the box where Caddis met hit first time only for his shot to sneak wide of the post.

Just before the break Carlo Monti appeared to crash to into one the advertising board and was clearly in some distress and unsurprisingly was replaced by Aaron Mason.

HT Beith 5 Glens 0

Glens made two changes at the break with Sam McKee and Alex McWaters making way for Ryan Sinnamon and Dylan O’Kane.

The home side added to their tally on 54 minutes after Andy Monk picked up a pass from Aaron Mason pushed forward and from 22 yards curled a shot through the space between Craig Pettigrew and Michael McMullin and beyond the reach of Markey on his six-yard line.

A few minutes later Beith won a corner on the right that was played low to the front post where O’Neill stooped down low on the six-yard line to line only for Holding to block it on the line.

The home side continued to press and on 58 minutes Mikey McWilliams driving to the edge of the box was brought down by Michael McMullin, earning the defender a second yellow card and an early bath. Diver’s free-kick curled over the wall and wide of target.

On 64 minutes O’Kane broke the down the right and his cross out for a corner. Gilmour floated the kick into the box where it went beyond Caddis possibly because Findlay had a fistful of the Glens striker’s shirt, in front of the referee, but no action taken!

Back Beith and Findlay was in the thick of the action with an accidental clash of heads with Gilmour, happy to say after some retreatment he was able to play on. Soon after Glenafton’s fortunes went from bad to worse with Lyall Holding shown a straight red card. A ball had been played up the left wing for Docherty to chase but Holding was first to reach it, only to mistime his clearance allowing the ball to run on into box and as Docherty tried to push his way past there was some grappling but which time the ball was safely in the hands of Markey. The young defender was left distraught and Glens were now 6-0 down and down to 9 men on 69 minutes.

Although the 9 men were being pegged back and defending stoutly inevitably Beith increased their lead after Mason curled a free-kick, from wide on the left about 12 yards from the corner-flag, to the near post where Scot Rough headed home to make it 7-0 on 76 minutes.

Two minutes later Mason made a great run down the left and on reaching the touch-line cut the ball back to Docherty at the corner of the six-yard and from here he rolled it to Ewan Wilson to drill a low diagonal shot into the far corner of the net.

On 82 minutes the scoring was completed after Mason floated another free kick from the left touchline to the edge of the six-yard box where Martin Findlay leapt to flash a header in to the same far corner of the net.

The home side remained hungry for a tenth but the beleaguered defence held on and saw off a penalty claim after substitute Victor Emordi was booked for a blatant dive and roll in the box under pressure from Crooks.

FT Beith 9 Glens 0

A tough day for Glenafton against a very good Beith side and the focus no is about picking themselves up for more important games that lie ahead.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 14. Lyall Holding 6. Paul Paton 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 3. Michael McMullin, 10. Alex McWaters (11. Ryan Sinnamon)15. Cammy Crooks 8. Gary Fraser 7. Sam McKee (19. Dylan O’Kane) 12. Liam Caddis 17. Harvey Gilmour Subs Not Used: Ally Semple (gk).

BEITH JUNIORS
1. Owen Stott 2. Evan Dunne 3. Ewan Wilson (12. Martin Findlay) 5. Daniel O’Neill 4. Scot Rough (14. Victor Emordi) 7. Carlo Monti (16. Aaron Mason) 6. Declan Hughes 8. Paul Frize (captain) (17. Kian Burns) 10. Alan Docherty 11. Andy Monk 9. Ciaran Diver (15. Mikey McWilliams). Subs Not Used: 20. Scott McLellan 18. Steven Noble 19. Andrew Lind