Sat 10th Nov 2018 KO 2:00pm
Ardagh Group West of Scotland Cup | 1st Round
Loch Park, New Cumnock
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 7 (3) MARYHILL 2 (0)
Prior to kick-off a minute’s silence was held to mark Remembrance Day and tomorrow’s 100th Anniversary of the signing of the Armistice.
The minute’s silence also served as a mark of respect for the recent passing of Mr Freddie Duda who had run the Maryhill Club for many years and was a big friend of Maryhill FC.
Glens gave a first league start to striker Kit Cummins with top goal-scorer Chris taking his place in the bench while captain Craig Menzies was rested. The visitors’ top goal-scorer Tam McGaughey was also missing from their line-up.
The rain synchronised with kick-off and for only brief spells during the game did it relent. Despite the conditions both sides were committed to a passing game that ensured an entertaining encounter. Like the rain the Glens were relentless in attack carving our 7 goals while Maryhill kept their heads up and were duly rewarded with a brace of their own.
Leon Murphy was giving the visitors a hard time down the left flank before the home side forced a couple of corner kicks. The first decent chance fell to Findlay Frye on 6 minutes when his close-range header, from a Dan Orsi cross from wide on the right, dipped over the bar. However, it was Frye that fashioned the Glens opener on 14 minutes. As the visitors tried to play the ball out from the back Alan Cairns intercepted Ali Crawford’s pass to Jack Easdon before cutting inside to pick out Frye at the edge of the “D” and after a thundered a low shot home from the 18-yard line.
Two minutes later the visitors won a free kick well inside the Glens half. Lively playmaker Dale Clark floated the ball into a crowded box where a late run by the bustling Ciaran O’Donohue saw him win the header only for it to sail well over the bar.
After a fine break up the left by Cummins he squared the ball inside for Orsi who drifted wide to edge of box before his low angled shot was deflected wide by defender Marty McNichol. Cummins connected with Leon Murphy’s corner-kick at the near post only for his effort to be well blocked by O’Donohue with the Glens striker taking a sore one on the back of the heel. The big man appeared to have shaken it off as a minute later following a sublime one-two by Orsi and Joe Andrew on the right-hand side of the box, he got on the end of a cross from the latter only for his header to loop over the bar.
Midway through the half Cairns played a lovely 20 yard pass to Andrew in the box who in trademark fashion with his back to goal held off defender Scott Edgar to allow Cairns to complete his dash into the box before rolling the ball into his path only for defender’s dink to be clutched clearly by keeper Wallace.
Maryhill responded with a quick break through O’Donohue releasing Easdon down the right to drive for the bye-line before whipping a wicked ball into the danger area for the incoming Brian Ashe but his timing was off and he scooped his shot from 8 yards well over the bar.
Frye’s tenacity saw him eventually dislodge the ball from the possession of the equally tenacious Clark in the centre circle before threading a long low into the box for Cummins to chase down and fire a low angled shot that beat Wallace at full stretch only to slip inches wide of the back post. Orsi then picked out the striker in the box with a peach of a pass and as Cummins teed up the shot Gavin Naismith made an excellent goal-saving intervention.
Maryhill countered with an excellent passage of play beginning with Crawford deep in his own half who dinked the ball upfield to O’Donohue who turned the defender and fed the overlapping Easdon to take the ball to the corner, where having seemingly painted himself in as Glens defenders closed in, he rolled the ball back to the advancing Crawford to whip the ball to the back post where Darren McLean beat Ashe to the jump at the expense of a corner. The kick from the left was taken short to Clark to thunder a low shot the flew wide of the far post.
At the other end Andrew slotted a cute pass into the box and although Cummins got in between two defenders to engineer a shot at goal it was well blocked by the keeper rushing from his line.
On 36 minutes Cummins then turned provider after his exquisite back heel from a McLean slide-rule pass took out a defender allowing former Maryhill player Joe Andrew to run on to the ball and crack a fierce shot past the keeper from inside the “D”.
Glens continued to press with Frye and Dale Moore winning the midfield battles and feeding both flanks. Frye slotted a ball up the right that was flicked on by Andrew and gathered by Cummins to hit a thundering shot from the corner of the penalty box that Wallace did well to push wide with both hands. The kick was partially cleared and the Glens soon recovered the ball allowing Ryan McChesney to drive to forward and with a slick reverse pass picked out Murphy on the left hand side of the box to immediately lay the ball off for Cummins in space to pick his spot from 14 yards . Glens 3-0 up with 41 minutes gone and the big striker clearly to open his Glens account.
Maryhill continued to plug away and O’Donohue tried a long-range effort that whistled wide of the post. In the last chance of the half Wallace made an excellent job on a difficult surface to get down low and hold McLean’s pile driver of a free-kick from all of 30 yards .
HT Glens 3 Maryhill 0
Kit Cummins earlier knock took its toll and he didn’t reappear after the break with Chris Dallas taking his place.
Maryhill started with vigour and Fraser McLaughlin showed good skill to cut infield from the left and picked out the ever-willing Clark to have a go at goal from 20 yards only for his shot to dip over the bar. Glens responded with a quick break that ended with Moore driving into the box to fire a shot that was well saved by Wallace and the attempt by Dallas to bury the rebound blocked on the line by an alert Crawford.
On 52 minutes McLean from inside his own half played the ball forward to Moore who quickly curled a pass to Andrew at the edge of the box and in turn he rolled the ball into the box to match Leon Murphy’s run for the youngster to slot past the advancing goalie for his first league goal for the club.
Celebrations and handshakes followed and as the Glens players made their way back to their own half for the re-spot the referee had a discussion with his assistant; the goal was disallowed and bizarrely the Glens were awarded a free kick in their own half!
Undeterred back came Glens and Wallace pulled off another good save from Moore. Minutes later Kyle McAusland’s fine floated ball from the half-way line found Andrew in the box with his back to goal and as he tried to turn was clipped by Edgar and a penalty was awarded. Chris Dallas drilled the spot kick past the luckless Wallace to make it 4-0 on 55 minutes.
Maryhill brought on Kyle Robertson for Brian Ashe as the Glasgow side continued to make the most of the adverse conditions and score-line. McLaughlin weaved his way in from the left to the outskirts of the box but his shot lacked the power to test McGarrity.
On 64 minutes Dallas on the left cut the ball infield for Orsi to play a short pass for Andrew on the left-hand side of the box and spotting Dale Moore’s blistering run into far side of the box squared the ball for the midfielder to blast home an unstoppable shot from six yards out.
The Glens brought on Cameron Marlow and Mick McCann for Findlay Frye and Leon Murphy.
With 10 minutes to go Clark played a neat one-two with Robertson before breaking into the box where his run was impeded by Marlow. Clark picked himself up and coolly slammed home the spot kick.
Glens restored the five goal lead two minutes later after Andrew gathered Moore’s pass in the box and swiveled to lash a stunning angled volley that found the net via the underside of the bar.
Tracey came on for O’Donohue who left the field with a final dose of good-natured banter with the home support.
A fantastic break upfield by Robertson ended with him picking out Tracey at the edge of the box and claims that his shot struck Marlow’s hand en-route to McGarrity pulling off a fine save to push the ball wide of the post. Although the corner kick was headed well clear of the box the ball was snapped up by Luke Running to drive back into the penalty area where a nudge from McAusland earned Maryhill another spot-kick. Clark did the business from 12 yards to make it 6-2 on 88 minutes.
However, it was the Glens that had the last word. Orsi won a corner kick on the left which was punched away by Wallace only for the hosts to recover the ball. McCann forced his way to the bye-line and although his cut back was palmed away by Wallace the loose ball bounced up for Dallas to knee it into the empty net.
FT Glens 7 Maryhill 2
Glenafton Athletic: 1. Brian McGarrity 2. Darren McLean 3. Alan Cairns 4. Kyle McAusland 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Dale Moore 7. Dan Orsi 8. Findlay Frye (17. Cameron Marlow) 9. Joe Andrew 10. Kit Cummins (12. Kit Cummins) 11. Leon Murphy
Maryhill: 1. Wallace 2. Ali Crawford 3. Luke Running 4. Marty McNichol 5. Scott Edgar 6. Naismith 7. Jack Easdon 8. Ciaran O’Donohue 9. Brian Ashe 10. Dale Clark 11. Fraser McLaughlin 12. Tracey 14. Kyle Robertson 15. Kyle McQueen 16. Lewis Tobin
Glenafton Athletic 