New Coin Automatics West of Scotland Cup 3rd round

Sat 27th April, The Clyde Gateway Stadium, Rutherglen

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN 1 (1)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1 (0)

• Glenafton win 4-3 penalties

The meeting of the Glens at the Clyde Gateway Stadium went to the wire with the side from New Cumnock at the Gateway to Ayrshire, claiming the spoils in a penalty shoot-out.

Glenafton made one change to the starting eleven that defeated Arthurlie last week with Glen Mitchell rested and Ryan McChesney making a return to the centre of defence after a lengthy absence through injury. Rutherglen, after their tremendous run in the Scottish Junior Cup only to be denied a place in the final by the narrowest of margins, began with former Glenafton defenders Willie Galloway at full back and Andy Ward on the bench.

The visitors were first to threaten when Robbie Robertson punished some slack play and sent Ryan Millar through the middle but his effort went wide of target. Ten minutes later the hosts’ best chance of the half fell to Ross Ballantyne, after good build up play, only for keeper Ally Semple to force his angled shot over the bar.

Soon after Andy Ward came on to replace Brian Eadie who had to leave the park with a badly gashed eye. The big defender’s name was soon in the book and quickly followed by those of McChesney and Robertson.  The cup-tie was evenly matched although goal-scoring chances were thin on the ground. Corner kicks came and went for both sides without causing any real damage, until time added on before the break, when Joe McCalpine’s corner was guided home by Mark McCarry at the near post.  H/T Rutherglen 1 Glenafton 0

Ryan Millar – opens his Glens account

The teams exchanged half chances in the opening encounters of the new half. Semple saved comfortably from McCarry while at the other end Millar’s header went narrowly wide. The visitors stepped up a gear and on 64 minutes the pressure paid off . A quick throw from Craig McEwan was gathered at the goal line by Robertson and cut back for Ryan Millar who took a touch or two before firing past keeper Kevin Bell from 12 yards out to open his account for Glenafton. Both sides introduced fresh legs to try and force a winner and although all were at the heart of half chances – Burke for the home side and Dempster, Armstrong and Colligan for the visitors – the game concluded with no further scoring. F/T Rutherglen 1 Glenafton.

Glenafton gained an early advantage in the shoot-out when Semple saved kicks 2 and 3 to put the visitors 3-1 ahead. Kevin Bell threw his team a life-line with a fine save and with one kick remaining the score was tied at 3-3; up stepped Gareth Armstrong to blast home the winner.

Rutherglen Glencairn: Bell, Galloway, Neil, Muir (McClay), Eadie (Ward), Donaghy, Ballantyne, McGuire, McCarry, Hamilton (Burke), McAlpine. (Subs not used – Simpson, Colquhoun (gk).)

Glenafton Athletic:  Semple; Potter (Colligan), McKillen, McChesney, McEwan; McKenzie, D. Mitchell, Steele, Cochrane; Millar (Armstrong), Robertson (Dempster) Subs not used – Menzies, Eaglesham.

Video highlights (courtesy of http://www.freewebs.com/rutherglenglencairn/) ….  here

League Scores: Auchinleck 2 Cumnock 0, Kirkintilloch 0 Irvine Meadow 6