• McBookie West Region Super League Premier Division
• Match 05
• Loch Park, New Cumnock
• Saturday 30th September 2017
• GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1 (1)
  • Ryan McChesney
• POLLOK 1 (1)
  • Adam Forde

Glenafton’s hopes of repeating last season’s league double over a Pollok side which introduced a host of new faces during the close season suffered a blow on 28 minutes when midfielder David Gray was shown a red card for a late challenge of Ross Brash on the outskirts of the box. The home side had enjoyed much of the play and the better of the chances created up until that time.

Nevertheless the 10 men were coping admirably when the visitors took the lead on 40 minutes through former Kilbirnie striker Adam Forde. A cross deep into the box from Mark Siderserf saw keeper Brian McGarrity and two players from each side attempt to win the aerial battle for the ball only for it to break free and spark a goal-line scramble of bodies at the near post that ended with Ryan McGregor releasing it to Forde for a tap in at the far post.

Courtesy of Glenafton TV

The tenacious ten squared matters a minute late. Jamie McKernon floated a corner kick to the outskirts of the penalty box for Kyle McAusland to send a header deep into the box where keeper Jordan Muir could only punch a few yards clear into the path of Ryan McChesney who killed the ball on his right knee before lasering a left footer home from 10 yards.

H/T Glens 1 Pollok 1

Longmuir’s punching was more effective after the break when he got both fists to McKernon’s vicious corner kick to clear it from under the bar.  The keeper then pulled off another fine save after some excellent build up play by McAusland and a dummy by Dale Moore ended with a curling shot from Joe Andrew being pushed away by Longmuir who stayed alert to force Mick McCann to fire the rebound wide of target.

At the other end McGarrity pulled off the save of the match. Forde with his back to goal killed Evan’s knock-on dead on his chest before hooking a flashing shot over his shoulder which forced the keeper at full stretch to push the ball onto the post which was them cleared for a corner.

The ten men continued to look comfortable in possession and create chance with Andrew’s angled shot from the left-hand corner of the box whizzed wide of the post.

At the other end the ball fell for substitute Del Hepburn on the outskirts of the Glens’ box and although he curled his shot between two defenders the ball crashed off the base of the post.

Back came Glens and McAusland’s howitzer of a free-kick from 30 yards out thundered past Longmuir’s post. Lok responded through Evans with another dangerous cross deep into the box and although Stuart McCann’s header ended in the net the goal was disallowed for impeding keeper McGarrity as he jumped to gather the ball.

In the closing minute the ten men were still pushing for a winner only to lose possession allowing the visitors to break upfield release Hepburn for a free run before the back-tracking McChesney tripped him before he breached the Glens’ box. A straight red card reduced the Glens to nine men. Wharton’s attempt to curl home the free kick for a certain winner was headed clear by McAusland who then cleared the resulting corner-kick in the last action in an eventful match.

Full time Glens 1 Pollok 1

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Jamie McKernon 7. Conor Lynass (14. Ryan Borris), 8. David Gray 9. Mick McCann (12. Chris Dallas), 10. Joe Andrew 11. Dale Moore. Subs Unused: 15. Iain McKnight 16. Craig Potter, 17. Scott Watson (gk).

Pollok: 1. Jordan Longmuir 2.  Grant Evans 3. Mark Sideserf 4. Bryan Wharton 5 Paul Gallacher 6. Paul Brash (15. Derek Hepburn) 7.  Gary McCann 8. Ryan McGregor 9. Adam Forde 10. Niky Little (16. Stuart McCann) 11. Bryan Young. Subs Unused: 12. Ross McCabe 14. Paul Byrne, 17. Nicky Prentice.