Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round
Sunday 27th October, Rosebank Park, Lugar
LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE 0 (0)
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 (1)
Despite the atrocious conditions a good crowd turned up at Rosebank to take in the Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round tie between Lugar and Glenafton which had been put back to the Sunday in order to avoid a clash with the cup ties at nearby Auchinleck and Cumnock.
A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of former Lugar player Brian Gilmour, who also had played for the Glens, the two sides joined by the local boys’ team to pay their respects.
Jamie McKernon returned to the Glens starting line-up have recovered from injury and was soon in the thick of the action as the visitors went on to dominate the first half in terms of both possession and in the few clear cut chances that were created, the first of which came in 10 minutes. Aaron Connolly picked up the ball in the middle of the park before feeding Jamie McGeoghan who in turn picked out John Craig wide on the right to float the ball high into the box where Connolly pounced on an attempted clearance only for keeper Ally McInnes to pull off a fine save.
A minute later a fine passage of passing play initiated by McGeoghan deep in the right and finishing with Alan Cairns wide on the left lofting the ball into the box where it was met by the head of Findlay Frye at the back post before being instinctively punched behind by the keeper. McGeoghan drove forward again and a slick one-two between Connolly and Alain Kinney ended with the former’s low drive whizzing past the post. As the heavens opened the visitors’ pressure came to a head on the 26 minutes when a Connolly corner kick was met at the near post by the air-borne Alain Kinney and headed powerfully into the home net.
Alain Kinney heads home
Two minutes later McGeoghan launched the ball high into the box and although Cameron Marlow did well to chest the ball down his volley finished high and wide of target. Five minutes before the break the midfielder was denied by a timely intervention in the six yard box by Seamus McGeady to cut out a Connolly cut-back after good build up play by McGeoghan and Craig.
As the half drew to a close Lugar carved out their best chance 9since having won a corner kick in the opening minutes) when Steven Harris broke free down the right but his cut back was well blocked by the safe hands of keeper Brian McGarrity. In the last action Kinney conjured up a cute overhead kick that slipped just over the bar. H/T Lugar 0 Glens 1
The second half appeared to be going the way of the first as the Glens forced an early corner and Connolly’s header dipped over the bar. However, the home side’s half-time oranges kicked in and Lugar took the game by the scruff of the neck against a strong head wind. A determined run by Marti Watt had him advance deep into the Glens box with white (well nearly white) shirts in forlorn pursuit but the advancing McGarrity blocked his shot at goal. On 55 minutes the keeper was on top form again holding a Chris Todd drive through a ruck of players. Three minutes later Stuart Wark released Martin Reilly down the right into acres of space and yet again McGarrity came to the rescue, rushing to block the shot at goal and forcing Reilly to go wide to retrieve the ball , allowing Ryan McChesney time to get back and head the subsequent shot clear at the expense of a corner.
Clean sheet from Brian McGarrity
Soon after on 63 minutes and against the run of play, the visitors were presented the chance to double their lead from the penalty spot after Kinney was the filling in a Lugar sandwich in the box. However, Jamie McKernon spot-kick crashed off the outside of the post. Nevertheless, it heralded another turning point in the game as Glenafton began to get a foothold on the game, despite conditions underfoot. Marlow’s chip into the box was headed on by McKernon and as Kinney threatened to pounce McInnes and Craig Muir combined at the near post to usher the ball to safety. A Craig cross from the right whizzed across the face of goal but just out the reach of both Kinney and Marlow. At the other end an alert McGarrity prevented Todd from punishing a slack pass back and later stopped the same player’s angled drive with a fine save at the foot of the post.
A big hand for Alain
His counterpart McInnes then lost his footing and fell on his back as he prepared to catch a long ball lofted into the box; amazingly he kept his cool and caught the ball safely with outstretched arms – howzat! The keeper then blocked a Marlow drive in a more conventional fashion but minutes later as the midfielder drove into the box he was brought down unceremoniously by an exasperated Martin Reynolds. Penalty duties handed to Alain Kinney, who duly thumped the ball home to effectively seal the tie with six minutes to go – with his sixth goal of the competition – and send the Glens into the draw for the third round. F/T Lugar 0 Glens 2
Lugar Boswell Thistle : McInnes, McGeady, Frame, Reynolds, Muir, Harris, Watt, Cuthbertson, Wark, Todd, A.Paterson. Subs – Reilly, Black, Sloan, Stevenson, I.Patterson.
Glenafton Athletic : McGarrity, McGeoghan, McChesney, Menzies (McEwan), Cairns; Craig, Frye (Miller), McKernon, Marlow; Connolly (Brown), Kinney. Subs, Dimilta, , Maltoni.
Glenafton Athletic 