McBoookie.com West of Scotland League Super League Premier Division: Match 08

Saturday 12th November 2016, Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow

POLLOK 1 (1)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 (2)

Glenafton completed the league double over Pollok with a well-deserved 2-1 at Newlandsfield with man-of-the-match Ryan Borris scoring his first goal for the club.

The New Cumnock side were quickly on the front foot with Ryan Borris setting up a couple of chances. Firstly for Ally Park only for his snapshot to fly wide of the far post and then for Joe Andrew his shot from the corner of the box pulling off a good save by keeper Jordan Longmuir, getting down low to smother the ball at the near post. Joe Andrew gathered a short throw in on the bye-line before rolling the back to Darren McGill to quickly square the ball for Park in the box and although his shot had the keeper rooted to his line the ball ended inches wide of the post.

Colin Williamson’s glancing header from a free kick whipped into the box suffered the same fate. The former Cumnock midfielder’s half-hearted claim for spot kick was waved away after his cut-back was fired against the arm of Park and the ball deflected wide for a corner, from which Paul Gallacher came within a hair’s breadth of heading home.

Glens soon were back on the front foot and a break upfield ended with Borris’s cross from the night being headed clear by Gary McCann as McGill looked set to pounce. The resultant corner was only partially cleared and snapped up by McGill only for his shot from distance sail over the bar. Another shot from the same player from a similar distance finished the same way as did an effort from Cameron Marlow. A slick passing move ended with Andrew collecting the ball centrally at the edge of the box with his back to the goal before swivelling and pulling his shot just wide of target.

On 33 minutes the visitors’ pressure was rewarded with the opening goal. McGill’s free kick from wide on the left just inside the Pollok half was floated into the far corner of the box where Ross McCabe’s weak headed clearance was snapped up at the edge of the box by Ryan Borris (right) with his back to goal. After wheeling round and giving Williamson the slip his low drilled shot from 22 yards deceived Mark Sideserf and his attempted clearance on the six yard line finished with the ball in the net sparking special celebration for Borris’s first goal for the club.

The Glens continued to press and Borris’s curled free kick was cleared by both fists of Longmuir and the ball recovered McGill and fed to Kyle McAusland on the overlap down the right to fire a cross deep into the six yard box where it was headed clear by Tam Hanlon as Mick McCann threatened.

Some respite for Pollok as a free kick into the box ended with McCabe’s header looping over the bar. Back came the Afton and McGill’s free kick into a packed box was killed instantly by Andrew and in a flash he spun and lashed the ball goalward only for Longmuir to push it wide of the post. Borris chipped the corner deep beyond the back post for the intended target Park to loop a header back into the danger area that dipped beyond McCabe’s attempt to head clear and fell for Mick McCann (left) to nick between two defenders and hook the ball into the net.  Glens 2-0 up with 38 minutes gone.

In time added on the visitors mopped up a Pollok attack to break upfeld only for possession to be lost inside the hosts’ half where Williamson gathered the ball and clipped a cute pass down the left flank for Allan McKenzie to get the jump on the back tracking Glens defence. He picked out David Winters and with time and space to pick his spot the hitman gave McGarrity no chance and halved the deficit to take some of the sting out the half-time oranges. H/T Pollok 1 Glens 2

Glens were first to threaten when McChesney’s headed from a corner-kick flashed wide of the post. Borris’s free kick from 30 yards was well held by keeper Longmuir. The visitors continued to press and create the best of the half chances in the opening spell of the half.

For the hosts Liam Rowan’s free-kick into the box was partially cleared before being fired back into the box where Gallacher’s effort was blocked by Chris Meikle. Back came Glens and McGill robbed Hanlon deep on the right flank and quickly passed to Andrew and although his lob from 30 yards beat the keeper, who had wandered off his line,  the ball dipped over the bar.

Pollok pressed for an equaliser and back-to-back corners concluded with substitute Michael Daly’s at the back post crashed off the self-same post. Rowan’s header from Sideserf’s cross looked goal-bound only for McChesney’s goal-line header to send the ball over the bar.  Keeper McGarrity then pushed close-range header from Gallacher round the post before plucking the corner-kick that followed cleanly out the air. The final chance fell to Daly but his header from 10 yards out looped well over the bar. F/T Pollok 1 Glens 2

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Craig Menzies 4. Chris Meikle (14. Daniel Orsi) 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Cameron Marlow (12. Chris Dallas) 7. Ryan Boriss (15. Conor Lynass) 8. Ally Park 9. Mick McCann 10. Joe Andrew 11. Darren McGill Subs. 16. Alan Cairns 17. Kieran McAnespie

Pollok: 1. Jordan Longmuir 2. Tam Hanlon 3. Mark Sideserf 4. Paul Gallacher 5. Ross McCabe 6. Liam Rowan 7. Gary McCann 8. Colin Williamson 9. David Winters (15. Michael Daly) 10. Allan McKenzie (14. Chris Walker) 11.  Kieran McAleenan ( 16. Del Hepburn) . Subs 12. Grant Evans GK Ben Lawton