PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 03	24/07/2021 KO 2:00pm	Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow
Pollok	2 (0)	S. McCann, Forde
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)

Glenafton kicked off with the glorious Newlandsfield pitch bathed in equally glorious sunshine. It was former Pollok keeper Scott Johnson that was first called into action getting down low to save a low shot angled shot from Matty Grant.

At the other end Leon Murphy’s ball into the box was deflected high into the air and on its descent keeper Jordan Longmuir punched the ball from the head of Jordan Ryan.

The home side were breaking at speed, Grant in particular catching the eye, and spreading the ball from flank to flank. Fraser won a corner kick down the right which was headed over the bar by Kyle Bradley.

Sam McKee, Ryan and David Blyth combined well to progress to the outskirts of the box but were stopped in their tracks by a trio of defenders. Soon after Jordan chased down Alan Cairns’ long ball into the box only for the outstretched arms of Longmuir to beat the Glens striker outstretched leg to the ball.

Midway through the half the home side came close to opening their account. A string of neat passes allowed Fraser to drive down the left to the bye-line before whipping a cross into the six-yard which was headed back out by Craig Pettigrew and recovered by Fraser who picked out the incoming Stuart McCann only for his header to batter of the bar.

Bradley mopped up a Glens attack and fed Grant to sprint to the half-way line before hitting a long diagonal ball that Adam Forde killed with his left foot and as it dropped, cracked it with the same peg to send the ball dipping over the bar.

Justin Devenny then floated a Glens free-kick into a crowded box with Longmuir rising to double-fist it out for a throw only for Sean Bennie to launch it back from where it came and this time Paul Gallacher won the aerial battle to clear the danger. This promptly sparked another lightning streak up the right by Grant who switched the play to the left and although the Glens defence stifled this attack the ball was eventually arrived on the right-hand corner of the box which Grant flicked up before thumping a shot that thundered off the top of the bar and out of play.

On 31 minutes Darren Curtis played a smart one-two with Ryan before picking out Murphy tight on the right touchline and although he gave Danny MacKenzie the slip his low shot from the outskirts of the box slipped wide of the post.

Pollok continued to move the ball upfield at pace and McCann was denied a couple of chances through Ross Fisher’s header back to his keeper and then Curtis’s timely tackle deep in the box. Mark Sideserf, from the centre circle, picked out MacKenzie on the left before breaking forward into the box, where he received the ball back from MacKenzie via a touch by Fraser, and whipped it to the back post for the incoming Grant only for his shot to fly wide of the post. Mackenzie then clipped a high ball into the left-hand side of the box for McCann to quickly switch it to the right-hand side where Fraser did well to control, but dragged his shot wide of the far post under pressure from Alan Cairns.

In the closing minutes of the half the Glens held off a couple of other attacks before Ryan’s touch to Blyth set up a good counter-attack only for Grant to take the feet from him at the expense of a free-kick and yellow card. Although Cairns free-kick into the box was won in the air by Fisher the ball flew over the bar.

HT Pollok 0 Glens 0

The second half began like the first one had with Johnson getting down low to hold a low angled shot, only on this occasion from Fraser.

Pettigrew pushing down the left flank lofted a ball to the far side of the box for Murphy to chase and although he was impeded by Mackenzie’s holding, it was the Pollok defender that fell to the ground to win a free kick. Yet, a minute later Fisher launched a long ball down the right for McKee to chase into the box with Bradley by his side and when the Glens man tumbled, claims for a free kick were wave away.

On 54 minutes Pollok broke the deadlock. Longmuir launched the ball up the middle and after a bit of head tennis, involving players from both sides, the ball dropped deep into box and although Fisher held off Fraser his team-mate Stuart McCann was on had to slip the ball past Johnson from close range.

Play then flowed back and forth before the Glens enjoyed a good period of possession. McKee’s effort from 25 yards out was blocked on the edge of the box and a minute later another shot from the edge of the box was cleanly held by Longmuir before he was penalised for backing into a defender at a Glens corner-kick.

At the other end Mackenzie made a great run into the box to only his shot fly over the bar.

The home side then doubled their lead on 65 minutes.  Steven McDevitt headed a high ball upfield where Forde nodded it on for Fraser to chase and although Bennie got there first his attempt to clear it was blocked by Fraser who then rolled it into the path of Adam Forde to slot home from 6 yards out.

Four minutes later Former Glens target Del Esplin fired wide of target.

On 71 minutes the visitors made a triple substitution with Fisher, Blyth and Ryan replaced with Ryan McChesney, Mark Gilmour and Sean McIlroy. While Pollok brought on Jonathon Lyon for Esplin and soon after Gary McCann came on for Adam Forde.

The Glens pressed with Pettigrew in particular pushing forward. Gilmour’s shot from long range was well held by the keeper.  The Pollok defence stood firm and Curtis attempt to breach their box was ended with a foul on the edge of the “D”, 22 yards out. Sam McKee stepped up to leather a shot that beat the wall and Longmuir only to crash off the bar and ball eventually cleared for a throw in; with Pollok bringing on Chris Duff for Stuart McCann before it was taken.

Although Bennie’s long throw into the box was won by McChesney the loose ball was cleared and recovered by Murphy on the right flank. He weaved past MacKenzie to get to the edge of the box only to be caught a sore one above the knee by Sideserf’s heel and to rub salt in the wound no foul was given.

In the closing minutes the Glens forced another corner kick that came to nothing while the flawless Longmuir leapt to cleanly clutch another high ball into the box.

FT Pollok 2 Glenafton 0

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. Scott Johnson 2. Sean Bennie 4. Ross Fisher (5. Ryan McChesney) 6. Craig Pettigrew  3. Alan Cairns 11. Leon Murphy 14. Justin Devenny 8. Darren Curtis 7. David Blyth ( 12. Mark Gilmour) 9. Jordan Ryan (Sean McIlroy) 10. Sam McKee Subs: not used 17. Scott Sherrie 18. Calum Thomson 21. Daniel Sloan (gk)

POLLOK

1. Jordan Longmuir 2. Kyle Bradley 3. Danny MacKenzie 4. Paul Gallagher 5. Mark Sideserf 6. Stephen McDevitt 7. Matty Grant 8. Del Esplin (15. Jonathon Lyon) 9. Stuart McCann (16. Chris Duff) 10. Adam Forde (14. Gary McCann) 11. Shaun Fraser. Subs. 12. Evan Horne 17. Callum Graham 18. Alex McWaters 21. Josh Lumsden

Match Photographs

Glenafton Athletic v Pollok