McBoookie.com West of Scotland League Super League Premier Division : Match 16

Saturday 23rd April 2016, Loch Park, New Cumnock

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1 (0)

PETERSHILL 0 (0)

Glenafton made a number of changes to the starting eleven that faced Ardeer Thistle in midweek. Back came Brian McGarrity in goal for David Buchanan and Joe Andrew replaced Chris Dallas upfront. In defence Jamie McGeoghegan, now working in London, made a surprise return to the club with Chris Meikle a late injury scare not making the line-up. Jamie partnered Ryan McChesney while Cameron Marlow filled the unfamiliar left-back slot and what a shift he put in.

The mid-week summer-like heat had been replaced with a cold sharp wind as the blue- shirted North Glasgow team kicked-off against the red tops of the New Cumnock side. A couple of half chances came and went at either end before the Glens were forced to make an early change after Mick McCann pulled up and was replaced with Chris Dallas after 10 minutes.

Two minutes later the visitors were unfortunate not to take the lead after great feet by Ciaran McElroy unzipped the Glens defence before he angled a cracking shot from 23 yards out only for the ball to thunder off the cross bar. Petershill retrieved the ball and Jordon Chisholm wide on the right whipped the ball across the face of goal and although Peter Bradley did well to connect with the ball first time his shot sailed high and wide of target.

Ciaran McElroy (No 7) hits the bar !

Glenafton hit the woodwork two minutes later after David Gray’s free-kick from 25 yard out on the right hand side of the box beat the wall but crashed off the post. On 16 minutes Dallas turned the Peasy defence before being brought down at the left hand corner of the box. The ball was clipped to the back post where Ally Park’s downward header was pounced on by Dan Orsi and from the tightest of angles his shot cannoned off the base of the aforementioned post. The home side kept up the pressure and Dallas picked out Craig McGuffie and his snapshot flew wide of the post.

Chris Dallas

Peasy applied a period of sustained pressure without penetrating their opponents’ box as the Glens back-line defended manfully. The game was punctuated with a series of free kicks at either end which failed to create any openings to seriously test either keeper.

On 25 minutes McChesney broke down a Peasy attack at the edge of the box and quickly released the ball upfield for McGuffie to gather and push forward to create a three v two situation with Joe Andrew and Dallas matching his run. The midfielder opted to go for goal and his curled shot from 20 yards pulled off a great save from keeper FrancisHughes who managed with an outstretched arm to thumb the ball wide for a corner kick that was eventually cleared.

Craig McGuffie

At the other end the ball fell to James Brough in space, deep in the right hand side of the box but his well struck his shot flashed well wide of the far post. Jordan Kennedy then tried his luck from 25 yards and although his shot was on target it lacked in power to bother keeper Brian McGarrity. The home side finished the half the stronger in terms of possession but in keeping with the rest of the game chances were thin on the groundwork.

H/T Glens 0 Petershill 0

The early encounters of the new half quickly adopted the pattern of its predecessor with each side enjoying pulses of pressure. Dallas’s mobility kept the Peasy defence on its toes while at the other Jordan Lynas and Stevenson combined to set up Michael Daly but his shot from close range was clutched cleanly by McGarrity. This proved to be last of the action for Lynas and he was replaced by Stephen McGladrigan.

Joe Andrew holds off Fraser Chisholm

On 58 minutes McElroy’s cross from the left into a packed penalty box was headed clear by Park who then combined with Marlow to switch the ball to Craig Menzies on the right to start a Glenafton counter-attack which ended with McGuffie winning a corner, which came to nothing.

Dallas never gave up the ghost to chase down a ball to the dead-ball line and loft it high into the box only for Hughes to leap and catch as Andrew and McGuffie closed in. McGarrity matched his counterpart with a good leap to gather the ball from the head of Daly. The keeper launched the ball upfield and after the bounce deceived centre back Fraser Chisholm the alert Dallas met it first time at the edge of the box to lash it goalward and Hughes did well to push it out for a corner. Although the kick was well defended Peasy, it was only partially cleared and Glens were now very much on the front foot with the visitors pegged back in their own half.

The best effort in this this period came courtesy of McGuffie on 65 minutes with a diagonal shot from outside the box that whizzed past the post. Two minutes later Dallas was clearly struggling and left the field to a great reception by the home support and was replaced by John Paul Boyle.

Dan Orsi

Boyle was soon in the thick of it and after gathering a Marlow throw on the left switched the ball to Orsi on the right who cutely rolled the ball in the box for the incoming Park but his pop at goal skewed wide of target. At the other end former Glenafton player Chris Malone lobbed a neat ball to the back post for Daly only for Menzies to win the aerial battle and McGarrity scoop up the loose ball.

The keeper launched the ball up the park and Andrew with Brough in close attendance headed it back to Orsi who took a touch or two before returning it Andrew, now advanced to the corner of box with his shadow Brough still attached. After hooking the ball to Boyle, lurking in the D, he shook of his shadow before gathering the return pass, that had taken  out three defenders, and squared the ball across the face of goal which although was out of the reach of Orsi was met at the back post by John Paul Boyle to guide home from 3 yards. An excellent move just rewarded to give the Glens the lead on 77 minutes.

John Paul tees up the goal

Tails up the Glens pressed forward and McGuffie slipped the ball into the box for Andrew who guided it into the danger area for Boyle but Malone was well placed to marshal the ball to safety.  Gray then gathered the ball deep In the Peasy half before breaking forward and driving a low shot from 25 yards inches wide of the post. The midfielder then picked up the pieces of another Peasy attack broken down by McChesney and McGeoghegan and drove up the midfield only to be upended by a two footed challenge by Fraser Chisholm. The defender’s pleas that he won the ball, which he did, were not enough to avoid the straight red card for the severity of the challenge.

Davide Gray with Chessy & Zee

Two minutes later the impressive Bradley clipped a free kick from the left hand corner of the penalty box to the back post for Daly and although McGarrity crouched to get the ball it slipped momentarily from both hands before he got a stronger hand to it, every blue shirt in the vicinity claiming the ball had crossed the line; the red shirts claiming otherwise. To add to the confusion there was a pause in proceedings, however the ball was considered to be still in play.

Peasy appeal

As play resumed Orsi gave McElroy the slip on the half way, line tight on the touchline, to open up a free run on goal and perhaps frustration clouded McElroy’s decision making as he clearly gave up the chase and from behind swiped the legs from Orsi.  A melee followed and when the dust settled the referee had no option but to send McElroy packing. He then flashed a yellow card to both Menzies and Stevenson – a second yellow for him – and so the red card followed quickly and Petershill were down to 8 men.

Brian clutches Daly’s header

When play resumed Petershill were first to test the keeper with Daly’s looping header held by McGarrity. At the other end Park thundered a shot just wide of target and Orsi’s cut back across the face of goal had just a touch too much pace to connect with Boyle or Andrew.

F/T Glens 1 Petershill 0

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Craig Menzies 3. Jamie McGeoghegan 4. Ryan McChesney 5. Craig McGuffie 6. Ally Park 7. Dan Orsi 8. David Gray 9. Joe Andrew . 10 Mick McCann (12. Chris Dallas (14. John Paul Boyle )) 11. Cameron Marlow Subs. 16 Jamie Hay 17. David Buchanan (gk)

Petershill: 1 Francis Hughes, 2. Jordon Chisholm 3.Chris Malone, 4. James Brough, 5. Fraser Chisholm, 6. Jordan Kennedy 7. Ciaran McElroy 8. Tony Stevenson 9. Michael Daly, 10. Connor Lynas (15. Stephen McGladrigan) 11. Peter Bradley Subs: 12. Fraser McGhee 14. Chris Kettterer 16. Martyn Shields

More photos here