- ETHX Scottish Junior Cup
- 4th Round
- The Showpark, East Kilbride
- Saturday 28th January 2017
- EAST KILBRIDE THISTLE 0 (0)
- GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 4 (4)
- Chris Dallas, Cameron Marlow, Darren McGill, Joe Andrew
Glenafton travelled to face East Kilbride Thistle in the Scottish Junior Cup 4th round. Leading Thistle’s line was former Glens striker Aaron Connolly and a member of Scottish Junior Cup final side of three years ago.
However, it was former Thistle striker that grabbed the early headlines Chris Dallas giving the Glens the lead on 2 minutes after he got the jump on a defender to guide a low driven corner kick from Ryan Borris into the net from close range.
Glens continued to press and a couple of good chances in difficult conditions went a-begging. Midway through the half keeper David Miller, making his debut, pulled off a fine save after Darren McGill curled his free kick from 20 yards round the Jags wall.
Luck deserted the hosts on 27 minutes when a free kick floated into the box and headed back out was met by Barry Devine to lash a low drive that thundered off the base of the post the shock wave ridding the goal net of its host of raindrops – but they would return!
Cameron Marlow
Glenafton responded with a special goal both in terms of build-up play and in finishing. Borris deep in his half launched the ball upfield where Joe Andrew headed it down into the path of Dallas who quickly supplied Kyle McAusland on the overlap wide on the right. Although his cross from the dead-ball line was headed clear at the near post the ball was killed on his chest by Cameron Marlow on the 18 yard line, flicked over his head with his left foot and after doing an about turn killed the ball again on his left thigh before swivelling and lashing a left foot volley beyond the reach of the keeper and into the corner of the net. Glens two up on 28 minutes.
Three minutes later it was 3-0 following a superbly struck free-kick by Darren McGill sending the ball well wide of the left hand-side of the wall before curling violently into the right hand corner of the net giving the keeper no chance of getting a hand to it.
On 35 minutes the Glens extended their lead with another cracking goal. McAusland deep in his own half fired a long ball up the middle of the park where Joe Andrew sandwiched between two defenders trapped the ball and turned one defender and before the other could close him down cracked an unstoppable shot from 18 yards out that threatened to uproot the net from its hooks. H/T East Kilbride 0 Glens 4
Credit to Thistle they continued to plug away at the Showpark. Miller made a splendid one-handed save from Dallas and although the Glens recovered the ball and presented the striker with a second bite at the cherry he was flagged offside as he slipped the ball into net. At the other end a Ross Gillan header tested keeper Brian McGarrity before Aaron Connolly’s free kick from distance whizzed over the bar.
Thistle were reduced to 10 men on 68 minutes after Ryan Carnwath earned a second yellow card and yet they continued to give a good account of themselves and fashion some decent half chances.
Glens too created some good chances Marlow was deemed offside when he headed home a McAusland from close range and the same player got on the end of David Gray’s ball into the box only for the header to go inches over the bar. Gray then rifled a free kick just wide of the post. F/T East Kilbride 0 Glens 4
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.Chris Dallas (12. Mick McCann) 10. Joe Andrew (15. John Carter) 11.Darren McGill (14. David Gray). Sub Unused: 16. Dan Orsi
East Kilbride Thistle: 1. Miller 2.Sloan 3. Brown 4.Boyle 5. Gillan 6. Devine 7. Gibson (12. Faulds) 8. Carnwath 9. Connolly 10. McFadden 11. McLaughlin. Subs Unused: 14. Edgar. 15. McCluskey.
Glenafton Athletic 