- Sat 12 OCT 2019 KO 2:00 pm
- McBookie.com West Region Premiership| Match 12
- Loch Park, New Cumnock
- Glenafton Athletic 1 (0) |Pettigrew
- Rossvale 2 (2) |McGonigle, S. Higgins
A GAME TO DRAW A VALE OVER FOR GLENS
Prior to kick-off both teams joined in the centre circle to show their support for the “Show Racism the Red Card” campaign as part of Junior football day of action.
With Kyle McAusland and Joe Andrew unavailable for selection Glens made two changes to the eleven that started against Beith last week bringing in Ryan McChesney and Ryan Nisbet.
Glenafton welcomed Rossvale to Loch Park in the first ever meeting between the two clubs, the Bishopbriggs side now managed by former Glenafton player David Gormley.
Visitors Vale got off to a flying start with a goal on 2 ½ minutes after Joe Slattery broke down the right to pick out Sean Higgins in the box who quickly squared the ball for Liam McGonigle. He took a touch to Anthony Higgins but his shot at goal came off McGonigle who then cleverly controlled the ball before giving keeper David Wilson no chance from a few yards out.
Liam McGonigle opens the scoring
Soon after Del McNab cut into the box from the left-hand side and played a neat one-two with Anthony Higgins before firing a shot from a narrow angle that beat Wilson at his near post and slipped inches wide of the back post. The movement of the pair continued to trouble the Glens defence.
The home side were struggling to get their passing game going and were often bogged down in the middle of the park while any attacks were mopped up by a defiant defence ably supported by Thomas Sinclair who would go on to have an outstanding game.
On 11 minutes however Ryan Nisbet outleapt the centre backs to get on the end of a Craig Menzies cross into the box only for his powerful looping header from 15 yards to be pushed over the bar by both hands of keeper Jamie Donnelly. The goalie then towered above attackers and defenders to punch the resulting corner kick well clear, again with both hands.
After breaking down the left wing A. Higgins picked out McGonigle’s run into the far side of the penalty box only for his cut-back to be blocked for a corner kick which ended with McNab’s knock-on being squeezed inches wide by Sean Higgins under pressure from Wilson.
On 15 minutes the lively McNab burst into the box only for Ryan McChesney to time his tackle to perfection and the striker’s appeals for a spot kick waved away. Minutes later McChesney mishit a clearance straight to McGonigle but he skewed his shot well wide of target leaving both players with their head in their hands.
Dan Orsi and Anton McDowall challenge for the ball
Vale continued to move the ball about quickly while Glens laboured. However just as the Glens enjoyed a spell pressure resulting in back-to-back corner kicks the visitors doubled their lead. Donnelly’s long clearance into the Glens box fell for A. Higgins who tumbled after contact by defender Edward Campbell. Namesake Sean Higgins slammed home the spot-kick beyond Wilson at full stretch to make it 2-0 on 26 minutes.
Sean Higgins slams home spot kick
On the half hour mark Glens replaced defender Ryan McChesney with striker Mick McCann, with right full back Craig Menzies now partnering Craig Pettigrew in the centre of defence and Dan Orsi dropping back to the right back. Four minutes later Nisbet picked out McCann just inside the box and his flashing header had keeper Donnelly scurrying across his line as the ball bounced just off target.
Mick McCann wins the header
At the other end McNab broke free into the box forcing Wilson to rush from his line only for back-tracking Menzies to nick the ball from his feet.
Lee Gallacher and Dan Orsi began to see more of the ball down the flanks and together won a couple of corner kicks that were well defended, with Sinclair the driving force.
Vale still enjoyed the occasional break and Wilson showed safe hands to hold A. Higgins’ curled shot from the edge of the box.
Back came Glens through a lightning break down the left by Nisbet only to be scythed down by the back-tracking Anton MacDowall with no action other than a free-kick which was headed cleared and the ball eventually recovered by Nisbet to initiate another attack that concluded with a yellow card for a “dive” by the striker.
HT Glens 0 Rossvale 2
Glens made a change at the start of the second half with Ally Park making way for Cameron Marlow.
The home side started the half brightly and Donnelly was quickly called into action to punch away a dangerous cross from Orsi. At the other end Pettigrew outjumped McGonigle to head clear a free-kick floated into the box.
Back came Glens and McCann slipped a short pass to Findlay Frye in the “D” with Peter Bradley at his back and in a flash, he turned to thunder a shot that was pushed round the post spectacularly by Donnelly.
Gallacher’s corner kick was won in the air by Pettigrew and the loose ball fell into a pack of players congregated on the edge of the six-yard box where it was recovered by Dan Orsi. He then shielded the ball before slipping it back to Pettigrew who from 8 yards out drilled a low shot through the pack, past Donnelly and two defenders on the goal-line to halve the deficit on 55 minutes.
Craig Pettigrew makesit 2-1
Craig congratulates Craig
Rossvale replaced goal scorer McGonigle with Gary Giffen and he was soon in the thick of it with a fine pass inside to Sean Higgins to fire a screamer of a shot from 25 yards out that whizzed inches wide of the post, although Wilson’s seemed to have it covered.
The game was punctuated by free-kicks and the Vale fell off the pace for a spell as Glens pressed for an equaliser without however creating any chances from open play other than speculative shots from the outskirts of the box from Nisbet and Gallacher.
A couple of half chances came their way from set pieces including a free kick floated into the box where Slattery did enough to prevent Moore from getting a touch at the back post. The resulting corner-kick had the home side claiming for a spot-kick after David Leadbetter pushed Pettigrew to the ground; the referee deciding the infringement occurred before the corner had been taken.
waiting on the free-kick
Vale threatened on the break and Slattery’s sweet strike from 25 yards deflected off Menzies and just wide of the post which was followed by back-to-back corner kicks for the visitors before the Glens regained the offensive. On 70 minutes the visitors brought on Jackson Biggar for Sinclair, his hard shift was over.
Try as they might Glens could not convert possession into attempts at goal and with ten minutes to go the task on hand took a blow after they were reduced to 10 men following Ryan Nisbet’s second yellow card after raising an arm in a tackle on Slattery.
Both sides made changes with Glens bringing on Alan Cairns for Edward Campbell and Vale replacing Anthony Higgins with Paul Brennan.
On 83 minutes Gallacher’s free kick deep into the box saw Donnelly and McDowall combine to force the ball wide as Moore threatened and the corner kick that followed was mopped up.
Dale Moore goes close
Five minutes later it was Orsi’s cross from tight on the right that had Moore and McDowall challenging for the ball at the back post again only for the Glens man to be penalised. Four minutes into added time another Gallacher free kick was well defended in what proved to be the last action of the match.
FT Glens 1 Rossvale 2
Glenafton Athletic: 1. David Wilson 2: Craig Menzies 3. Edward Campbell 4. Ryan McChesney (12. Mick McCann) 5. Craig Pettigrew 6. Ally Park (15. Cameron Marlow) 7. Dan Orsi 8. Findlay Frye 9. Ryan Nisbet 10. Dale Moore 11. Lee Gallacher Subs Not used: Craig Burns (gk)
Rossvale: 1. Jamie Donnelly 2. Anton McDowall 3. David Leadbetter 4. Gary McGrath 5. Peter Bradley 6. Thomas Sinclair (12. Jackson Biggar) 7. Liam McGonigle (17. Gary Giffin) 8. Joe Slattery 9. Derek McNab 10. Sean Higgins 11. Anthony Higgins (15. Paul Brennan) Subs 14. Scott Davidson 16. Curtis Rose
Glenafton Athletic 