Stagecoach West Region Premier Division

Saturday 25th August , Loch Park, New Cumnock

POLLOK 0 (0)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0 (0)

POLLOK SNUFFED OUT GLENS LOCKED OUT

Glenafton gained their first Premier point after a goal-less draw at Pollok but will feel that after restricting the Glasgow side to one decent chance were denied all three points thanks to a series of super saves from home keeper Steven McNeil.

The Glens made the trip from New Cumnock to Newlandsfield minus the services of top goalscorer Gareth Armstrong (suspended) and in came John Paul Boyle to partner John Dempster up front.  Paul Murphy returned to the midfield after missing many of the Ardagh Cup games due to work commitments while trialist Paul Byrne was introduced at left back.

Robbie Henderson

The visitors started brightly and in the opening minutes a penalty appeal was dismissed after a tackle in the box on Paul McKenzie. Pollok responded well and enjoyed their best spell of the game during which they carved out their best chance on 16 minutes only for Ally Semple to pull off a peach of a point-blank save from Brian McGinty.  There endeth the keeper’s involvement in the game in terms of serious shot-stopping as the Glens defence, well marshalled by Robbie Henderson and Glen Mitchell, snuffed out the’ Lok as they huffed and puffed.

Gareth Campbell, in the unaccustomed position of right back flashed a shot beyond the Pollok posts’ post. Boyle limped off to be replaced by summer signing Scott McManus (making his first appearance of the season) and the striker proved to be a thorn in the side of the home.

Meanwhile Murphy took control of the midfield and traffic to goal took on a distinctly one-way look as the Glens pushed forward. Stevie Reilly, a former loan player from Queens Park at Loch Park,  was having a fine game at the heart of the host’s defence and yet was outshone by his keeper Steven McNeil. The stopper denied Murphy twice and then Dempster with some quite stunning saves leaving the visitors with their hands on their heads.   McManus slipped the ball through to Bobby Colligan wide on the left where his pace then seemingly unpicked the Pollok defence only for Paul Lovering to dash the visitors’ hopes of breaking the deadlock with a deftly timed and expertly executed last ditch tackle.

Pollok: McNeil  Dunlop  McBride  Reilly  Lovering  Brady  Mills  McGinty  (Docherty) Sawyers  (Hepburn) Monti Fraser  subs  Carter McQuillen

Glenafton: Semple; Campbell, G.Mitchell, Henderson, Byrne; McKenzie, Potter, Murphy, Colligan; Boyle (McManus), Dempster. Subs McKillen, McChesney, McEwan, Dunsmuir (gk)