Sat 4th MAY 2019 KO 2:00 pm
Ardagh Group West of Scotland Cup | Semi-final
Bellsdale Park, Beith
Beith Juniors 0 (0) Glenafton Athletic 0 (0)
Beith win penalty shoot-out 4-2
Glenafton and Beith met for the third time this season and for the third time the game ended all square after 90 minutes. Unlike the previous two league games this match ended goal-less and went to a penalty shoot-out to determine which side would progress to the funal of the West of Scotland Cup. It was the home side that triumphed through scoring 4 out of 4 while Stephen Grindlay saved two of Glens spot kicks. On the bright side was the performance of Glenafton’s young stand-in goalkeeper Craig Burns who was outstanding throughout the 90 minutes.
Craig Burns
The Glens began with same defensive line-up that drew with Largs last week while the middle three were Findlay Frye, Dale Moore and Ally Park with a front three of the Joe Andrew, Dan Orsi and Leon Murphy.
Beith kicked off down the Bellsdale bank and were immediately on the front foot. Darren Christie cut into the right-hand side of the box before drilling a low angle shot that keeper Craig Burns did well to get down low and push the ball wide for what would be the home side’s first of corner-kicks in the opening quarter of an hour. The kick was headed clear by Ryan McChesney and the ball recovered by Beith to set up Christie with a shot from 18 yards that deflected off a defender and gathered by Burns.
Joe Bradley broke down the left before cutting inside to play a one-two with Keir Milliken in the box and curling a shot for the top corner that was deflected wide by McChesney. The corner kick that followed eventually fell for Peter Haggarty in the six-yard box but his header was blocked by Alan Cairns at the expense of another corner which was headed clear as was the third that followed in quick succession. Milliken tried a shot from distance but again Burns came out on top with another fine save.
Dan Orsi and Steven Noble
The Glens had created a couple breaks through Dan Orsi and Leon Murphy during the hectic opening spell but were now growing into the game and enjoying much more possession. On 19 minutes the Glens made good progress up the right before Kyle McAusland’s ball into the box was met by the head of Ryan Docherty sending the ball high into the air forcing keeper Stephen Grindlay to push it away on its descent before gathering the loose ball on the ground. A minute later Findlay Frye slipped the ball through the middle to Orsi who then wrong-footed Conner McGlinchey before setting up a shot from 22 yards out that sailed wide of target.
Glens continued to press and Murphy earned a free kick wide on the left 16 yards from the goal-line. Alan Cairns clipped the ball short into the box where if fell for Dale Moore to try and lob the keeper only for the ball to bounce off the top of the cross before dropping wide.
Leon Murphy and Conner McGlinchey
Midway through the half good work by Bradley down the left won another corner kicked that was headed clear at the back post by Ally Park. Soon after Christie whipped a wicked ball from wide on the right into the six-yard box but the incoming Haggarty came within a hair’s breadth of getting his head on the end of it.
On 27 minutes the visitors won their first corner-kick of the match after McAusland’s attempted cut-back from the bye-line was deflected wide however it came to nothing. Back came Beith and Bradley’s dangerous ball into the goalmouth was cleanly clutched by Burns. Christie and Paul Frize then combined to set up Milliken from 18 yards but the striker scooped the ball over the bar.
Glens had the better of the chances in the closing ten minutes of the half. From deep on the left Cairns floated a free kick to the right-hand corner flag for McAusland to whip the ball into the box and although McChesney couldn’t get his header on target Murphy cut in from the left to fire a shot from a tight angle that Grindlay held firmly at his near post.
Joe Andrew goes close
Joe Andrew came within a whisker of getting on the end of another great ball into the danger area by McAusland only for John Sheridan to clear the danger at the expense of a corner. This was played short to Craig Menzies to clip the ball into the six-yard box which following a scramble Grindlay managed to push it away from the head of McAusland and then quickly recover it. Moore then burst up the right to break into the box and his glorious ball into the six-yard box was missed by two defenders and Andrew sandwiched in between them. The visitors won back-to-back corners; the first cleared and the second headed wide by Orsi.
HT Beith 0 Glens 0
The Glens came close to breaking the stalemate in the opening minute of the new half. The ball was played back to Cairns from the kick-off to clip the ball to the edge of the box where Andrew killed it with his left foot before looping the ball high into the box with his right, only for Jamie Wilson to intercept but his touch was poor and Frye stole the ball to break into the six yard box, skip past the keeper but Sheridan saved the day after he nicked the ball and booted it clear of the goal.
Findlay Frye denied by John Sheridan
Cairns floated a free-kick into the box and after some head tennis the ball dropped for Moore to manufacture a fine volley that flew wide of the target. It was Moore that won Glens a corner which Grindlay saved cleanly under the bar as Andrew challenged.
On 53 minutes Beith brought on John Middleton for Jamie Wilson.
Bradley burst up the left flank before cutting into the box and drilling a low shot that lacked the power to test Burns. Christie picked up the ball in the middle of the park and surged forward before being brought down by McChesney on the outskirts of the box, earning the big defender a yellow card and a sore one in the process. Although Milliken’s free kick beat the wall the ball sailed well over the bar; meanwhile McChesney limped off the park. Burns then did well to grab a ball fired in from wide on the left by Christie as Haggarty threatened at the near post.
McChesney hadn’t recovered and on 62 minutes he was replaced by forward Mick McCann forcing a reshuffle with McAusland moving into the centre of defence and Orsi taking up the right back position.
Craig Burns saves
The Glens had faded as an attacking force while the home side continued to press. McGlinchey fired a cracking free kick from just outside the left-hand corner of the penalty box that pulled off a great save from Burns, pushing the ball away at full stretch. The corner that followed was headed clear by McAusland as too was the one that followed soon after.
Leon Murphy goes close
On 71 minutes the Glens won a corner and although it was headed clear by Sheridan it marked the return of the visitors as an attacking force. Andrew switched play from the right by hooking the ball infield over the head of two defenders and into space for Murphy to give chase before hitting a diagonal shot on the run that drifted wide of the far post with the keeper beaten.
With 10 minutes to go Glens brought on Davie Winters for Dale Moore.
Fin’s header dips over the bar
Andrew trapped a throw in from the left on his chest before hooking the ball over to the back post where the incoming Frye leapt high in the air to send a looping header that dipped inches over the bar.
On 82 minutes the home side replaced Peter Haggarty with Nicky Docherty, his first action to win a disputed free-kick some 30 yards or so from goal. McGlinchey’s effort was effortlessly held by Burns in a flawless performance by the young keeper. At the other end Nicky Docherty brought down Murphy and McAusland’s free-kick from 25 yards was blasted into the wall.
In the closing minute Christie “won” a free kick close to the bye line having already lost his balance before trying to evade a tackle from Cairns that didn’t materialise. Bradley whipped the ball into the goalmouth where Menzies got the jump on Nicky Docherty to clear the danger. Soon after the same scenario played out as Menzies cleared another Bradley free-kick in the last action prior to the penalty shoot-out.
FT Beith 0 Glens 0
Penalty shoot out
Findlay Frye
- Frye scored for the Glens and McGlinchey equalised for Beith
- Grindlay save Murphy’s kick and Frize put Beith 2-1 ahead
- Andrews scored for the Glens and Bradley put Beith 3-2 ahead
- Grindlay saved McAusland’s kick and Christie scored for Beith to win the shoot-out 4-2
Joe Andrew
Glenafton Athletic: 1. Craig Burns 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies 5. Ryan McChesney (12. Mick McCann) 6. Ally Park 7. Findlay Frye 8. Dale Moore (14. Davie Winters) 9. Joe Andrew 10. Dan Orsi 11. Leon Murphy. Subs: 15. Cameron Marlow 16. Craig Potter 17. Kit Cummins
Beith Juniors: 1. Stephen Grindlay 2. Conner McGlinchey 3. Steven Noble 4. Ryan Docherty 5. John Sheridan 6. Jamie Wilson (12. John Middleton) 7. Darren Christie 8. Paul Frize 9. Keir Milliken 10. Peter Haggarty (15. Nicky Docherty) 11. Joe Bradley Subs: 14. Kevin Green 20. David Miller (gk)
Glenafton Athletic 