Sat 20th Oct 2018 KO 2:00pm
McBookie.com West Region Premiership | Match 11
Abbey Park, Kilwinning
KILWINNING RANGERS 4 (0) GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 3 (2)
The Glens made two changes to the starting eleven that defeated Auchinleck Talbot at Beechwood with Cameron Marlow and Dale Moore coming in for Ryan McChesney (injury) and Alan Cairns (holiday).
The visitors were first to show on 4 minutes with Leon Murphy breaking into the box before his run was blocked by keeper Chris Strain on the six-yard line sending the ball spinning into the air which was met by the head of David Syme and the ball falling kindly into the welcoming arms of the grounded goalie. At the other end it was Glens keeper Brian McGarrity that had to block a shot on his line before Kyle McAusland followed up by blocking Michael Wardrope’s attempt to bury the loose ball.
On 10 minutes Syme lost his footing as the persistent, if not heavy, rain-soaked the Abbey Park surface allowing Dale Moore to steal the ball before feeding Chris Dallas to drive into the box and although his low drilled shot ended in the back of the net it did so via a gap in the side netting – which was promptly pegged down before play resumed.
Dale Moore and Sam McCloskey
Syme was soon in action at the other end only for his looping header from a free-kick floated into the box to drop safely into the hands of McGarrity. Back came the visitors through Dallas with a run deep into the box but his cut-back into the goal mouth to be cleared.
A good spell of pressure from the visitors ultimately produced the opening goal on 21 minutes. It began with a McAusland free-kick into the box which saw the ball eventually fall for Findlay Frye with his back to goal and in a flash the midfielder turned to lash a shot from 16 yards that was deflected wide of the post. The resulting corner-kick was headed clear of the box and the ball snapped up by Leon Murphy to whip a wicked ball from the left into the goalmouth where Chris Dallas got the jump on Syme to bullet a header home from 8 yards out.
Chris Dallas heads home the opener
Glens were now well on top and continued to threaten but McGarrity had to be alert on the half-hour mark after a quick break down the right ended with the ball being played to the near post for the incoming Ben Lewis only for the keeper to dive bravely at his feet and gather the ball.
On 34 minutes Moore nicked the ball from Wardrope in the centre circle and as both sides strived to recover the loose ball McAusland was adjudged to have impeded Lewis before Wardrope appeared to lash out with a boot; outcome free-kick to Buffs and Wardrope fortunate so see the official flash a yellow card instead of red.
It was Wardrope that carved out the next chance with a cute curling shot from outside the box which was well held on the line by McGarrity. Glens responded through Dallas with a determined run down the middle and into the box forcing the keeper to rush from his line and perfectly judge the striker’s attempted chip to pluck the ball out of the air. At the other end Carlo Monti fashioned a shot from outside the box that lacked power to test the keeper.
Mick McCann celebrates at 2-0
On 44 minutes as Glens pressed a ball from the left to the near post was miscued by Craig Pettigrew and the alert Mick McCann kept his cool to guide a looping header over keeper Chris Strain rooted to the spot and into the net.
H/T Buffs 0 Glens 2
The Buffs brought on Bryan Boylan and Ryan Nesbit and started the second half brightly in the descending gloom and looked much livelier up front. On 57 minutes the home side halved the deficit after a break down the left saw former Glens midfielder Wardrope advance to the corner of the six yard box where his cut back across the face of the goal was diverted into his own goal by former Buffs player Frye.
An O.G. halves the deficit for Buffs
Five minutes later following a break through the middle McCann squared the ball to Dallas to take a touch before rifling an unstoppable shot from 25 yards to restore the Glens two goal cushion.
Chris Dallas bags his brace to make it 3-1
The celebrations had all but subdued before the Buffs pulled one back from the restart with another break down the left that ended with substitute Ryan Nisbet scoring from an acute angle.
Glens brought on Conor Lynass for Leon Murphy as the Buffs pressed for the equaliser. Although Monti had another shot at goal that failed to test the keeper his distribution of the ball was causing the visitors all sorts of bother
On 72 minutes Kilwinning squared the match after full back Sam McCloskey broke down the left before drilling a low cross to the near post which seemed to be covered by Brian McGarrity only for the ball to squirm out the keeper’s hands and into the net.
Sam McCloskey makes oit 3-3
With their tails up Buffs continued to press and another penetrating run by Wardrope ended with his shot hitting the side netting. Glens rallied and after a powerful run through the middle by Moore he slipped the ball to Lynass who in turn picked out Dallas to roll the ball back into the path of Moore to break into the box only for Pettigrew to time his slide tackle to perfection. He along with fellow centre-back were now looking more assured and the pair combined to clear a corner kick after Dallas’s header had been pushed wide of target by Strain.
On 80 minutes Glens brought on Joe Andrew for Mick McCann and soon after replaced Dale Moore with Dan Orsi as they tried to find a foothold in the game. However with five minutes to go the Buffs completed their unlikely come-back after Ryan Nisbet broke into the left-hand side of the box to lash a shot from the corner of the six-yard box past the advancing keeper.
Ryan Nisbet bags the winner
The Buffs far from content to defend their lead continued to threaten a rattled Glens and Kyle McAusland was in the right place to clear an effort to find an empty goal after McGarrity had been forced to leave the box to sweep up another attack. With a minute to go Dallas was denied his hat-trick after Strain showed a safe pair of hands to clutch the striker’s close-range header from a corner-kick. At the other end McGarrity pulled off a stunning save from Carlo Monti as the Buffs looked to extend their lead.
Brian McGarrity saves from Carlo Monti
F/T Buffs 4 Glens 3
Glenafton Athletic: 1.Brian McGarrity 2. Ally Park 3. Cameron Marlow 4. Craig Menzies 5. Kyle McAusland 6. Findlay Frye 7. Dale Moore (15. Dan Orsi) 8. Dean Hawkshaw 9. Chris Dallas 10. Mick McCann (14. Joe Andrew) 11. Leon Murphy (12. Conor Lynass)
Glenafton Athletic 