Super League 1st Division

Sat 8th October Loch Park, New Cumnock KO 2pm

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC v GIRVAN

Gareth Campbell and Nikki Smith

Weather permitting Glenafton will host Girvan in a league match at Loch Park this Saturday. The Seasiders are the only side to have beaten the Glens so far this season when the two sides met in the Ardagh Glass Sectional League Quarter-Final.  Stevie O’Donnell had put the visitors ahead after only 4 minutes before Gareth Armstrong struck back with a trade-mark free kick some twenty minutes later.  Girvan goalie Darren Johnson saved two of the home side’s spot-kicks in the 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph to set up a semi-final with Talbot at Beechwood; the Auchinleck side having been trounced 4-1 by the Glens on the same ground in the section match earlier in the competition. Although an Iain Fulton header gave Girvan the lead the Talbot hit back twice and it is they that will face Irvine Meadow in the final at Beith this Sunday.

Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Shotts made it three out three draws in the league for Glenafton and although it’s disappointing to drop home points one positive feature is that in all three games the team has fought back from a losing position. The big positive of course is that the Glens 100% away league record with four wins out of four has them well positioned in the league, in second place, one point leaders Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

Girvan are no strangers to draws too with their first three league games all ending with a share of the points Whitletts (A), Dalry (H) and Thorniewood (A). The sequence was broken with the visit of Winton Rovers who hit Girvan for eight, the Hamilton park side finishing with that number of players. The Seasiders steadied the ship the following week and recorded their first league win of the season with a 1-0 win at Lanark. Last week’s home game against Kilsyth Rangers was a victim of October’s wet welcome.

As a full SFA member, Girvan also compete in the William Hills Scottish Cup but in a disappointing game the lost out 1-0 in the first round away to East of Scotland league side Vale of Leithen.