Super League 1st Division

Sat 19th November , Loch Park, New Cumnock KO 2pm

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC v CUMBERNAULD UNITED

Bo at Guy's Meadow

Glenafton welcome back top goalscorer Gareth Armstrong who  missed last week’s draw at Lanark due to a hamstring injury picked up during the defeat at Girvan. Bo has scored 14 goals in 16 starts this season and opened the scoring in the 3-0 friendly win over Kello last night.

Paul Murphy, after a loan spell from Stranraer, has now signed for the club and its good to welcome Paul to Loch Park on a more permanent basis.

This week’s visitors Cumbernauld United may have struggled in the league so far but came within a whisker of claiming the scalp of the mighty Beith in the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup 2nd Round. In an extraordinary game at Bellsdale the visitors were 2-0 down within 10 minutes  and yet with six minutes to go they led the Premier side 5-3, with goals from Danny Burns, Johnny Boyle, Kenny Jarvis, Jim Steele and Gary Gibson. But Beith hit back with two goals to force the replay. The First Division side more than held their own at Guy’s Meadow but deep into injury time Kenny McLean went down in the box , picked himself up and slotted home the spot-kick to secure their passage into the next round.

Glenafton and Cumbernauld have only met once in the Scottish Junior Cup, back in 1967/68 with United winning 5-2 in the 3rd round at Loch Park.

Last Season’s Encounters

Jim Wilson at Guy's Meadow

The two sides met for the first time on league business last season. Indeed the opening game of the season saw the Glens travel to Guy’s Meadow to face newly promoted Cumbernauld. A hat-trick from Jim Wilson help secure a 3-1 win and the three points for the visitors. In the corresponding fixture at Loch Park, Cumbernauld played with some style and thoroughly deserved their 1-0 win to end the Glens 5 game winning streak in the league – without conceding a goal.