New Coin Automatics West of Scotland Cup 1st round
Sat 15th October, Holm Park, Yoker
CLYDEBANK 1 (0)
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 (0)
Prior to kick off both sides and the match officials lifted aloft ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ cards as part of football’s committment, on and off the park, to combat racism in our society. This was followed by a minute’s silence in memory of Clydebank supporter Andy Logan who sadly passed away recently and was observed by supporters of both sides united in the appreciation of the loss a loyal club supporter.
Having lost twice in league matches to Clydebank last season Glenafton were clearly determined to put up a good show against the newly promoted Premier side and had them on the back foot in the early exchanges. In the opening minute Gareth Armstrong lobbed the ball into the Bankies’ box for Lewis Sloan to chase only for giant defender Barry Jones to intercept but his backward header was spilled by keeper Robert Hamilton, who quickly redeemed himself when he turned Sloan’s effort to lash the loose ball home out for a corner.
Two minutes later the keeper was glad to watch a diving header from Armstrong from 10 yards narrowly miss the target. On 10 minutes Paul McKenzie weaved his way to the goal line leaving a bunch of Bankies in his wake but former Glenafton defender Gordon Moffat and captain Ross Campbell combined to prevent the industrious Gareth Campbell drilling the cut back home.
The home side carved out their first chance in 15 minutes when a cute ball from Andy Paterson down the left released live-wire Darren McKinnon who fired the ball across the face of the goal for Stevie Dymock to set up Vinnie Berry but his powerful shot from close range pulled off a fine save from Ally Semple, the keeper getting both hands to the ball in a flash. The visitors responded with an equally fluent move down their right flank Craig McEwan finding Craig Potter on the edge of the box who rolled the ball back to Paul Murphy to fire it goalward from twenty yards out but on this occasion Hamilton held with a safe pair of hands.
On twenty minutes Potter dinked a delightful ball through the middle for Armstrong to chase and loft into the box over the heads of the back-tracking Ross Campbell and the outcoming Hamilton for Gareth Campbell who was bundled off the ball by Moffat, but claims for a penalty were muted by an offside flag. Three minutes later Campbell’s bravery saw off the challenge of Ross Campbell and Paterson to allow McKenzie to take the ball to the bye-line again but the cut-back was marginally behind Potter well placed on the 6 yard line.
Darren MacKinnon and Robbie Henderson
The home side began to put their own stamp on the match in the closing twenty minutes of the half as Berry, MacKinnon and Dymock began to take the pressure off their unsettled defence moving the ball about at pace and with some style. On 26 minutes Ian Gold nicked the ball from Murphy on the half way line for Berry to find the dynamic Dymock down the left who cut inside and squared the ball for Tommy Martin but his shot from 20 yards blocked by Potter sent the ball skywards only for MacKinnon to greet it on its descent with an audacious overhead kick which whizzed past Semple’s far post with the keeper beaten.
Despite their enhanced share of possession ‘blocked shots’ at the edge of Glenafton’s penalty box were more often than not the final outcome of some fast flowing football by the hosts, as the visitors rearguard stood firm. However on 38 minutes the Bankies breached the Glens’ defence and Dymock with Semple to beat was unfortunate to see his angled shot come off the base of the post and Graham Smith lacked the sharpness of thought to despatch the loose ball and McKenzie was on hand to clear and diffuse the danger. Bankies 0 Glens 0
Stevie Dymock celebrates the opener
The Bankies began brightly and on 56 minutes Semple did well to smother a close range Dymock header. Two minutes later Stevie Dymock made not mistake bulleting home a flashing header from a killer of a cross from the right by Smith who inevitably had been picked out by play-maker MacKinnon.
Gareth Armstrong and Gordon Moffat watch as Bo's header nestles in the net
As is their way the Glenafton head stayed aloft and they almost drew level immediately as Hamilton struggled to hold a cross from Campbell but Sloan’s attempt to net the loose ball was cleared off the line by Moffat. However, on 62 minutes the big defender was outjumped in the box by Gareth Armstrong and his looping header outfoxed Hamilton and the ball dropped unperturbed and nestled into the net at the back post.
Both sides went all out for the equaliser with the Bankies creating the better of chances danger man Dymock going close twice and a MacKinnon header flashing wide .
Paul McKenzie's strike from the edge of the box heads for the top corner
With 8 minutes to go Glenafton clinched it with quite a stunning goal. McEwan on the right picked out Sloan with a throw-in and slotted the return ball to Potter menacingly placed where the ‘D’ meets the 18 yard line, shielding the ball from Gold, he passed the baton to Paul McKenzie to force his way along the 18 yard line and on reaching midway unleashed a ferocious left foot strike that exploded into Hamilton’s top right hand corner. The celebrations that followed came close to matching the quality of the goal.
Winning goal celebrations
Five minutes later the visitors came close to doubling their lead when a Murphy header caused panic in the Bankies’ six yard box. Hamilton and Moffat combined to block Armstrong and then Jones and Paterson joined the fray to deny Gareth Campbell before the ball found its way back to instigator Murphy and his angled net bound shot bounced off the back of Moffat, as he rose from the ground, and over the bar.
In the final minute of regulation play a close range header from substitute Ross McPherson looked sure to take the cup tie to a penalty shoot-out but it skimmed over the Glens’ bar. F/T Bankies 1 Glens 2
Glenafton: Semple; McEwan, Menzies, Henderson, McKillen; McKenzie, Potter, Murphy, Sloan (Bell); Armstrong, Campbell.
Clydebank: Hamilton; Moffat, Campbell, Jones, Paterson; Smith, Martin, Gold, Berry; Dymock, MacKinnon
Full Report to follow
Glenafton Athletic 