- Sat 21 DEC 2019 KO 1:45 pm
- McBookie.com West Region Premiership| Match 15
- Townhead Park, Cumnock
- Cumnock Juniors 1 (0) |Murdoch
- Glenafton Athletic 2 (1) | Frye 2
Glenafton made two changes to the eleven that started against Irvine Meadow with Cameron Marlow and Lee Gallacher replacing Dale Moore and Mick McCann.
The visitors dominated the opening encounters with Matthew Reilly on song particularly down the left wing skipping past black and white shirts at will. On 2 minutes he drove deep into the box before cutting the ball back for Ally Park only for Craig McLeish to make a timely tackle. A minute later Joe Andrew’s shot from 25 yards took a deflection off Alan Murdoch to divert the ball inches wide of the post and Lee Gallacher’s corner kick that followed was headed over the bar by Cameron Marlow.
A Cumnock free kick from wide on the left fell for Ryan Caddis on the far side of the box and although he got to the bye-line his cut back for Chris Campbell was ably cleared by Craig Pettigrew.
Back came Glens through Reilly who had temporarily switched to the right flank where he glided past Murdoch on his way to the bye-line before clipping the ball back for Park only for Kyle Faulds to intervene and clear the danger.
On 10 minutes Findlay Frye picked out Reilly on the left and after being boxed in at the corner flag he rolled the ball back to Alan Cairns to curl a ball high into the box where Gallacher’s header from 12 yards out drifted just wide of the post. Reilly broke down the left again before cutting inside to a busy box and passing it to Frye to square to Cairns on the flank to curl a low ball into the six-yard box for the incoming Andrew only for Murdoch to slide in and clear.
Glens quickly recovered the ball and Craig Menzies, joining the attack, combined with Reilly to earn another corner kick. Although the kick was cleared the ball fell for Frye on the outskirts of the box to drive forward and unleash a low drive from 18 yards through a ruck of players which keeper Ally Semple did well to get down low and at full stretch tip the ball inches wide of the post.
This corner too was cleared but again the Glens continued press through Frye in the middle of the park picking out Gallacher wide on the right who fed McAusland on the overlap to fire a ball to the back post where although Frye got the jump on two defenders his header dipped over the bar.
A minute later the New Cumnock side’s pressure paid off. Park collected the ball in the centre circle and squared it right to McAusland to push forward before threading a forward pass to Gallacher who quickly picked out Andrew in the box to kill the ball and touch it onto McAusland to crack the ball from the 18 yard line which Semple pushed away with both hands. However the alert Andrew beat the static defence to snap up the loose ball on the right hand side of the six yard box and cut the ball back beyond the reach of the goalie the for the incoming Findlay Frye to see off Faulds challenge and force the ball into the gaping net from 3 yards out to put Glens 1-0 up on 16 minutes.
Soon after Andrew was released into acres of space down the left only for his cut-back into the box to be mopped up by a relieved ‘Nock defence.
Cumnock then began to grow into the game and enjoyed a decent spell of pressure as Glens faded for a spell. Jamie Conn broke down the right and his cross from the bye-line picked out the unmarked Ryan Caddis at the back post but his header from 8 yards dropped tamely into the hands of keeper David Wilson. Soon after Caddis’s cross from deep on the left was clawed out the air by Wilson and quickly gathered as Faulds threatened. Alistair Miller was next to show with a low angled shot from 20 yards that drifted well wide of the post. On 28 minutes the home side passed up a great chance to draw level after Chris Campbell weaved his way down the right to the bye-line before his cross was headed on at the near post and the ball fell for Faulds but under pressure from Park he blasted the ball over the bar from 7 yards out.
Glens found their feet again and earned another corner kicked which Gallacher viciously whipped into the heart of a packed six-yard box only for Semple to grab Pettigrew’s glancing header with a firm pair if hands. On 36 minutes Glens had another shout for a penalty after Gallacher released Reilly down the left to square the ball into the box for Andrew who was wrestled off the ball by Faulds before it was booted clear.
In the closing minutes of the half Wilson cleanly clutched a Cumnock free-kick floated into the goalmouth while at the other end McAusland’s free kick from 24 yards was well blocked by the Cumnock wall. The home side’s first corner of the match was headed clear by Pettigrew. Fittingly the last chance was created by Reilly who after picking up the ball in his half broke down the right before cutting inside and thundering a thirty-yard shot that although beat Semple dipped inches over the bar.
H/T Cumnock 0 Glens 1
The home side were first to threaten after the break through Conn who gave two defenders the slip to break into the left-hand side of the box before curling a shot that flew over the bar.
Glens responded with Andrew’s shot from just inside the box that swerved wide of target. Glens won their fifth corner kick of the game which Gallacher delivered directly into the danger area but neither attacker or defender made contact.
On the hour mark the Glens made their first change with Lee Gallacher making way for Ryan Nisbet.
Back came Cumnock and Conn made good progress down the left before a sliding tackle by Menzies sent him crashing at the corner of the box. Caddis curled a low ball past the two-man Glens’ wall to the near post for Conn, only for McAusland to intercept and clear the ball at the expense of a corner kick which was met at the back post by Alan Murdoch to send a looping header over the keeper’s head and into the far corners. Game all square after 66 minutes.
Soon after Glens brought on striker Mick McCann for midfielder Cameron Marlow.
The home side with their tails up began to stroke the ball about and created several half chances. Good work by Conn on the left took him to the bye-line before whipping a low ball across the face of a goal where Caddis was denied a tap-in by a tremendous tackle from Cairns. McCleish then picked out Campbell near to the right-hand corner of the box but his low diagonal drive flew well wide of the far post. Soon after he had another effort from outside the box that suffered the same fate.
On 72 minutes Cumnock made their first change with Ruaridh McIntyre replacing Kyle Faulds.
Glens fought their way back into the game and Reilly’s ball from wide on the left had Semple and Greg Ferry scramble the ball away from the feet of Nisbet at the near post. McCann followed with a strong run through the middle before firing a shot from 18 yards out that Semple finger-tipped round the post and Nisbet’s corner-kick was cleared.
With 10 minutes to go Cumnock made their final change with Chris Campbell making way for Kieran McLaughlin.
The visitors continued to press and Cairns whipped a great ball deep into the box for Andrew and Nisbet marked closely by two defenders only for the ball to take a bounce and clutched by Semple. Cumnock broke upfield and Caddis looked set to score the winner only for Wilson to make a great block and Pettigrew mop up the loose ball.
To rub salt in the wound the Glens counter-attacked in lethal fashion as Pettigrew progressed up the right wing before squaring the ball to Park in the centre circle who quickly rolled it wider to Cairns. The full back pushed forward unchallenged before threading a forward pass that slipped past McCleish on its way to Andrew at the edge of the box who took the pace of the ball before his deft touch took Murdoch out the game and set up Findlay Frye to lash home at Semple’s near post. Glens ahead on 84 minutes.
With the home side deflated the Glens controlled the closing minutes of the game. Reilly ran the home side ragged down the left flank and with a minute his wicked ball across the face of the goal came with an inch of being tapped home by Nisbet.
In added time the Glens were forced to defend McLaughlin’s great cross from wide on the right before Reilly took the ball for another timely run down the left.
F/T Cumnock 1 Glens 2
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC: 1. David Wilson 2. Kyle McAusland 3. Alan Cairns 4. Craig Menzies 5. Craig Pettigrew 6. Cameron Marlow (12. Mick McCann) 7. Findlay Frye 8. Ally Park 9. Joe Andrew 10. Matthew Reilly 11. Lee Gallacher (15. Ryan Nisbet) Subs. 14. Ryan McChesney 16. Edward Campbell 19. Craig Burns (gk)
CUMNOCK JUNIORS: 1. Ally Semple 2. Nathan Baird 3. Greg Ferry 4. Alan Murdoch 5. Andy Dowie 6. Craig McCleish 7. Chris Campbell (15. Kieran McLaughlin) 8. Kyle Faulds (12. Ruaridh McIntyre) 9. Jamie Conn 10. Ryan Caddis 11. Alistair Miller Subs. 14. Iain Anderson.
Glenafton Athletic 