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

Saturday 10th December 2016, Portland Park, Troon

TROON 0 (0)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1 (0)

The visitors created the first opening after Mick McCann laid the ball off for Ryan Borris to surge forward and slip the ball back to McCann to fire a shot from the edge of the box that sneaked past the far post.  Both keepers dealt comfortably with shots from distance from Dean Keenan and Borris respectively.

Glens began to a get a grip on the game and Darren McGill made excellent progress down the left flank, having collected the ball from Cairns and then playing a classy one-two with McCann, before squaring the ball into the box for Joe Andrew only for Keenan to get a foot in before he could shoot for goal. On the right flank Kyle McAusland and Borris combined to pick out Andrew in the box who rolled the ball back to Park and his goal bound shot was deflected past the post by Keenan.  The corner kick was floated to the back post where a McCann header sent the ball back across the face of goal to be gathered by Ryan McChesney only to be bundled of the ball by Gavin Collins and the danger cleared. A low driven free kick by Borris from the edge of the box caused a moment of panic in the Troon defence after Park dummied the ball and it then deflected off the boot of a defender before Semple did well to block and then hold at the second attempt. McAusland whipped a ball from wide into the six yard box where McCann got the jump on two defenders only for his header to crash off the bar with the keeper beaten.

At the other end in a rare Troon attack striker Adam Forsyth pounced on a through ball from Muir before holding of a defender to drill a low shot from 20 yards that lacked the power to test McGarrity. Back came Glens and after some good build up play McGill’s effort from distance trundled wide of the post. Soon after McGill gathered a great pass from Cameron Marlow then executed an excellent one-two with Andrew before tearing down the left-wing leaving Spence lumbering in his wake and bursting into the box only for an outstretched foot of Semple blocking his close range shot. H/T Troon 0 Glens 0

Both sides earned corner-kicks in the opening exchange with Troon’s causing little bother while Glens was met at the near post Ally Parke and his glancing header saw the ball flash across the face of goal and behind at the back post. The visitors made the breakthrough on 56 minutes after some determined build up play. McCann pounced on a weak headed clearance by Collins and then skipped past the same player before hurdling Keenan’s lunge and feeding Andrew to then play it into the path of Borris on the over-lap down the right where the midfielder advanced to the bye line before cutting the ball across the face of goal for Cameron Marlow to get the jump on a static defender and slam the ball home from a few yards out.

Two minutes later and the visitors were presented with a great opportunity to draw level. Forsyth whipped in a cross from the right which was cut out by the head of Craig Menzies at the near post sending the ball looping to the far end of the box where Evan Maley headed it high back into the air and as Jordan Muir and McAusland prepared to continue the game of head-tennis the pair clashed and the referee adjudged the Glens defender’s actions were worthy of awarding the hosts a spot kick and earning McAusland a red card. Once the stoor settled Chris McKnight stepped up and although he struck the ball well Brian McGarrity dived to his right and pushed the ball away for Park to clear the danger.

The 10 men gave as good as they got although chances were now thinner on the ground. The hosts enjoyed a good spell of pressure and pushed for a late equaliser. Ross Robertson skewed a header wide of the post and Keenan had a free-kicked punched cleanly away by McGarrity. In the last action of the game Troon won another free kick at the corner of the box. It appeared Keenan would try again but instead he left it for McKnight and although he struck the ball sweetly, McGarrity was more than his match again. F/T Troon 0 Glens 1

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Cameron Marlow 7. Ryan Borris 8. Ally Park 9. Mick McCann 10. Joe Andrew 11. Darren McGill Subs:  Subs used 12. David Gray 14. Dan Orsi 16. Chris Dallas Subs Not usedGK Scott Watson

Troon: 1. Ally Semple 2 Gareth Armstrong 3. Morgan Brown (17. Ross Barbour) 4. Dean Keenan 5. Gavin Collins 6. Scott Chatham 7. Dale Muir  (14. Ryan Nisbet) 8. Chris McKnight 9. Adam Forsyth 10. Ross Robertson 11. Evan Maley (15. Dale Moore) Subs not used: 12. Mark Curragh 16. Ross McCrea