- Scottish Junior Cup
- Round 2
- Abbey Park, Kilwinning
- Saturday 4th November 2017
- DALRY THISTLE 1 (0)
- Dylan Stevenson
- GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 5 (3)
- Mick McCann 3, Dale Moore, Ryan McChesney
MICK’S THE MAN AS HOLDERS ADVANCE IN THE SCOTTISH
Glenafton began their defence of the Scottish Junior Cup with a 2nd round tie against Dalry Thistle at Abbey Park the home of Kilwinning Rangers over concerns that Thistle’s Merksworth Park would be unplayable; the tie having been called off the last week.
The two sides have met twice before in the competition and both games like today’s in the 2nd with Glens winning 4-1 in 1935/36 and underdogs Dalry triumphant more recently in 2008/09 winning in a penalty shoot after two 1-1 draws.
In the Dalry starting eleven were goalkeeper Blair Lochhead who joined the Merksworth side from the Glens in the summer after a loan spell last season and former Glens striker Ian Cashmore. Meanwhile Thistle’s manager Gavin Friels opened the scoring for the Glens in their Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round replay defeat against Lanark United back in 2006/07 in what was his only appearance for the club during a short spell on loan from Ayr United. Currently his side are unbeaten in the Ayrshire District League with 4 wins and a draw from their 5 games.
A minute’s silence was observed prior to kick-off.
Within a few minutes of the kick-off the New Cumnock side found themselves playing into the driving rain as Kyle McAusland broke down the right-wing to whip the ball heart of the penalty box where the unmarked Mick McCann met it first time only to lash the high over the bar. On 5 minutes McCann, at the left-hand corner of the penalty box, gathered a throw in from Alan Cairns and with a defender at his back took a couple of touches before wheeling round to curl a vicious shot through the gap in a clutch of Dalry defenders which saw the ball bounce off the soaking surface before accelerating into the net beyond keeper Blair Lochhead at full stretch.
Mick floored as his shot finds the net
Two minutes later the Glens doubled their lead with a beautifully worked goal. Ryan Borris wide on the right picked up a pass from McAusland to push forward into the Dalry half and playing a quick one-two with McCann. Collecting the ball with his left foot Borris cut inside to slip a superb defence splitting ball with the outside of his right foot for Dale Moore to chase down in the box and with Kyle Cumming closing in the midfielder kept his cool to drill a low shot beyond the keeper for the ball to smack of the base of the inside of the post before ending in tent.
Dale Moore shoots, he scores !
Although the rain relented the Glens never took their foot of the gas with Jamie McKernon and Ally Park controlling the middle of the park and looking to use both flanks to build attacks. Lochhead did well to cut out a Borris cross from the right as McCann hovered with intent. Moore fired a shot from 20 yards that whizzed wide of the post and on 30 minutes Ally Park thundered a shot from the right-hand side of the box that cracked off the self-same post. A minute later Joe Andrew after combining with Moore on the left forced his way into the box to fire a shot from a tight angle that the keeper did well to get down and block with his knees before the loose ball was quickly cleared.
Dylan Stevenson and Craig Menzies
Cairns deep in the left sent a ball over the top of Dalry’s defence for Moore to hunt down and whip the ball across the face of goal for McCann at the back post only for full back Kyle Lochhead to intervene and send the ball sailing high into the sky and behind for a corner kick. McKernon’s kick was partially cleared by Chris McGowan and recovered by Borris who clipped it down the right flank for McKernon to float the ball into the six yard box where Ryan McChesney pounced on a defensive slip and kept his cool to slam home a left-footed shot home from 8 yards out as defender John Monan and keeper closed in. The holders now 3-0 up with 34 minutes gone.
Ryan McChesney makes it 3-0
Five minutes later McCann slipped the ball to Moore and as the midfielder tried to round the advancing keeper the ball was bravely stripped from his feet by the keeper.
A defiant Dalry ended the half, the park now bathed in sunshine, with a flurry earning a corner-kick that was headed clear by McAusland and the ball quickly returned to the heart of the box where captain Craig Menzies made a timely tackle to deny the forward a shot at goal. Glenafton had the last say as Andrew picked out McCann deep in the box only for Lochhead to pull off what proved to be his best save of the match.
H/T Dalry 0 Glens 3
The second half began how the first had finished after Lochhead denied McCann with another decent save but any thoughts of one-way traffic were quickly dispelled. Monan launched a seemingly hopeful ball through the middle which however eluded the Glens defence presenting Dylan Stevenson with a free run at goal with McAusland on his heels. On reaching the 18 yard line having drawn keeper Brian McGarrity from his line the former Talbot forward fairly lashed the ball into the net to pull one back from 48 minutes.
Dylan Stevenson fires home
Thistle took heart and veteran defender McGowan had a shot blocked by Park and later McGarrity held another sizzling shot from Stevenson on the hour mark. A clever ball over the top by Jordan Stuart for Stevenson caught McChesney on his heels forcing McGarrity to rush from his line and dive at the feet of the striker to snatch the ball cleanly.
Brian McGarrity foils Dylan Stevenson
A minute later the stuffing was knocked out of Dalry’s revival when McCann extended Glenafton’s lead. A McKernon corner kick from the left was cleared at the expense of another corner from the right which McKernon pitched into a packed six-yard box where McCann arrived late to bullet home an unstoppable header. Glenafton 4-1 up with 63 minutes gone.
Mick McCann heads home for 4-1
The holders brought on fresh legs with Chris Dallas replacing Joe Andrew followed soon after by a double substitution with Dale Moore and Ryan Borris making way for Conor Lynass and David Gray.
Craig & Cashy keep their distance 🙂
Play was punctuated with a number of petty fouls and fewer not so petty as the game drew to conclusion with clear-cut chances thin on the Abbey Park ground. With a minute to go however McAusland won the ball wide on the right and clipped it over the top of the Dalry defence for Dallas to gather and drive to the bye-line before cutting the ball back for McCann to complete his hat-trick from close range.
Conor and Chris with Mick completing his hat-trick
F/T Dalry 1 Glens 5
Glenafton Athletic: 1.Brian McGarrity 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Jamie McKernon 7. Ryan Borris (14. David Gray) 8. Ally Park 9. Mick McCann 10. Joe Andrew (12. Chris Dallas) 11. Dale Moore (15. Conor Lynass) Subs not used. 16. Iain McKnight 17. Scott Watson (gk)
Dalry Thistle: 1. Blair Lochhead 2. John Monan 3. Kyle Lochhead 4. Lewis Kirkwood 5. Chris McGowan 6. Jordan Stuart 7. Kyle Cumming 8, Jamie Anderson 9. Ian Cashmore 10. Dylan Stevenson 11. Sean Lavery. Subs. 12. 14.Craig Marshall 15. Mark Archdeacon 16. Paul Lawrie 17. Paul Byrne 18. Barry Fleeting
Glenafton Athletic 