• Sat 05 OCT  2019 KO 2:00 pm
• McBookie.com West Region Premiership| Match 11
• Loch Park, New Cumnock
• Glenafton Athletic 4 (0) |Orsi 2, Moore, Frye
• Beith Juniors 1 (0) |Frize

Glenafton made two changes to the eleven that started against West Calder last Saturday with Alan Cairns and Cameron Marlow replaced by Edward Campbell and Ally Park.

Although the first half was played at a lively pace there were few clear-cut chances on offer to break the deadlock. Beith looked the more lively in the early exchanges with the best of the chances falling to Paul Frize the first of which saw the midfielder force his way deep into box before firing wide and the second his powerful run through the middle ended with his equally powerful shot from 22 yards whizzing inches wide of the post.  The Glens showed their teeth later in the half with Dan Orsi cutting in from wide on the right before curling a shot from the corner of the box which bulged the side netting while Lee Gallacher’s free-kick from the edge of the “D” beat the wall before dipping inches over the bar.

HT Glens 0 Beith 0

The home side made the breakthrough on 51 minutes after Dan Orsi (above) gathered the ball and with defender Conner McGlinchey on his tail drilled a low angled shot from 22 yards out, beyond the outstretched arm of diving goalie Stephen Grindlay and into the corner of the net.

With their tails up the Glens played some wonderful stuff turning defence into attack with slick and timely passing. Craig Pettigrew cut out a ball on the edge of his own box before driving forward and threading a long upfield pass to Joe Andrew to touch back to Findlay Frye who quickly played it forward to Dale Moore for the midfielder to brilliantly disguise a dummy and let the ball run on for Lee McCulloch bursting down the right on the overlap and into the box only for his final ball, aimed for Orsi, to be cut out by the keeper.

Soon after Kyle McAusland, deep in his own half, nicked the ball from the lively Joe Bradley and the loose ball gathered by Frye who played it down the right for McAusland on the overlap and in turn he picked out Gallacher who with quick feet  bamboozled two defenders before completing his one-two with McAusland for the defender to whip a wicked ball into box which the alert Grindlay safely held as the incoming Frye threatened.

Some respite for the visitors as Kier Milliken’s perseverance on the left hand side of the Glens box saw him hold defenders off before hooking a high ball over to the far side of the box where Darren Christie let it take a bounce before cracking a powerful net-bound volley only for Edward Campbell to make a brave block.

Play continued at a frantic pace. Back came the Glens through McAusland’s long clearance down the right wing for Gallacher to hunt down then drive into the box, hold up the ball before squaring it for the inrushing Frye only for Grindlay to push his shot wide of the post.

The relentless attacking play paid off on 56 minutes when Dan Orsi doubled the home side’s lead after holding off defender Ryan Docherty at the right hand corner of the penalty box before turning and unleashing another powerful low drive that flew past the diving Grindlay and into the same corner of the net as his first goal.

Beith halved the deficit on 67 minutes after McGlinchey’s free kick from deep in his own half into the Glens’ box was chased down by substitute Kenny McLean to cut it back to Bradley on the left who lofted a great ball into the box for Paul Frize to leap and bullet a header into the far corner of the net.

The home side restored their two-goal cushion four minutes later. Gallacher holding up the ball wide on the right and timing his short pass inside for McAusland to take a touch or two before sending a peach of the ball from the right hand corner of the penalty box to the left hand corner of the six yard box for the unmarked Orsi to send a perfectly cushioned header square across the face of goal for Dale Moore to meet on the drop and give the keeper no chance from close range.

Beith had a couple of chances from set pieces but both headers, one from Sean McIroy and the other from Kevin Green were off target.

As the game drew to a close chances were thinner on the ground. Campbell kept his cool to break broke down a Beith attack on the outskirts of the box and send the ball upfield for Andrew to lay off to Frye in the centre circle. The midfielder clipped a ball to substitute Ryan Nisbet wide on the right to cut inside and force his way to the outskirts of the box and slip the ball through for the inrushing Findlay Frye (left) to take a touch with his left to set up a shot with his right which he fired past the advancing Grindlay to put the Glens 4-1 up on 83 minutes.

FT Glens 4 Beith 1

Glenafton Athletic: 1. David Wilson 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Edward Campbell 4. Craig Menzies 5. Craig Pettigrew 6. Ally Park 7. Dan Orsi 8. Findlay Frye 9. Joe Andrew 10. Dale Moore 11. Lee Gallacher (12. Ryan Nisbet). Subs 14. Ryan McChesney 15. Alan Cairns 16. Craig Burns (gk)

Beith Juniors: Stephen Grindlay 2. Conner McGlinchey 3. Ryan Docherty 4. Kevin Green 5. John Sheridan (15. Lawrence McMahon) 6. Jamie Wilson (14. Darren Ramsay) 7. Darren Christie 8. Paul Frize 9. Sean McIlroy (16. Kenny McLean) 10. Keir Milliken 11. Joe Bradley