PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 05	31/07/2021 KO 2:00pm	Buffs Park, Kilwinning
Kilwinning Rangers	3 (1)	Wood, Stuart, McColm
Glenafton Athletic	3 (1)	Gilmour, Blyth, Murphy (pen.)

Glens travelled to face league leaders Kilwinning Rangers at Buffs Park where both sides served up an entertaining game which yielded six goals and a host of chances.

The visitors were first to show in the opening minute through Sean McIlroy’s run into the box forcing keeper Jamie Barclay to dive at his feet and rob him off the ball.

Buffs replied with a corner-kick which Ross Smith headed high into the air at the near post for the ball to drop at the back post where Keirin Wood could only head wide of target.

Both sides then fashioned low shots at goal that drifted just wide beginning with Ally McColm for the Buffs and then Gregor Fotheringham and Craig Pettigrew for the Glens.

The hosts then enjoyed a good spell of pressure with Ryan McChesney cutting out McColm’s attempted pass to Carlo Monti deep in the box before the loose ball was recovered by the Buffs to mount two further attacks along the by-line that were repelled in turn. Soon after Leon Murphy got the jump on Jordan Stuart to head clear another dangerous ball into the box.

On 20 minutes Kilwinning won the first of a hat-trick of corner-kicks in quick succession that could not get the better of the Glens defence. From open play Tom Collins clipped the ball from the left- hand-side of the box which deflected high into the air and fell for McColm to loop a header that slipped over the bar and onto the roof of the net.

Some respite for the Glens when Mark Gilmour, on the right, switched play to Murphy on left who then skipped past Wood to drive for the bye-line and fire the ball into the goal mouth only for Barclay to clutch it cleanly at his near post.

On 24 minutes the Glens opened the scoring with a wonderfully executed goal. McIlroy picked up the ball just inside his own half and squared the ball to Murphy on the left to instantly weight a great forward pass for Sam McKee to chase down bursting through the gap between defenders Smith and David Syme. Although Syme tried to stay on his heels McKee powered his way to the bye-line, just on the outskirts of the box, to flash the ball into the heart of the box where Mark Gilmour kept his cooled to sweep the ball past two defenders and the keeper from 8 yards out.

The hosts were rattled for a spell and Glens were controlling the middle of the park with trialist Gregor Fotheringham seeing a lot of the ball.

The Buffs however came back into the game and on 33 minutes drew level through a patient build-up with Monti and Wood switching the ball from left to right on the outskirt of the box before Monti chipped the ball high into the box for the incoming Keirin Wood to rise and bullet a header home from close range.

Play then got bogged down in the middle of the park before the Buffs finished the half strongly.  A corner kick to the near post saw Fotheringham and Smith aerial challenge end with the latter heading the ball over the bar. Murphy and Alan Cairns then combined to clear another dangerous ball deep into the Glens box. Monti then chipped a hotly disputed free-kick from the corner of the box into the six-yard box which was eventually cleared after some head tennis from McChesney and Fisher.

HT Kilwinning 1 Glens 1

The home side got off to a flyer taking the lead in the first minute of the second half. Monti floated a corner-kick to the near post where Jordan Stuart leapt unchallenged and head & shoulders above all around to flash home an unstoppable header.

Glens settled well from the set-back and pushed forward in search of the equaliser. Sean Bennie broke through the middle holding off tackles from Syme and then Smith and as McIlroy chased down the loose ball into the box it was cleared at the expense of a throw-in.  Bennie launched a long throw into the box for McChesney at the near post only for Smith to win the header launching himself off the shoulders of the Glens man.

Back came the Buffs with a break down the left by Gavin Millar before launching a ball to the back post for the incoming Montil only for Johnson to cleanly claw the ball out the air.

At the other end keeper Barclay raced out his box to head clear a long through ball that was being hunted down McKee.

On the hour mark Glens made a change and brought on trialist Aaron Miller for Sean Bennie.

Buffs doubled their lead on 62 minutes with another header. Collins broke into the left hand side of the penalty box and cracked a shot that crashed off the underside of the bar sending the ball to the far side of the box where it was quickly returned high to back post for McGowan to head back into the centre of the goal for Andy McColm to nod home from a few yards.

Glens brought on Jordan Ryan for Sean McIlroy while Kilwinning swapped Ally McColm for Ricky Hanvey.

Buffs threatened again with Millar’s low angled shot from inside the box pulling off a good save from Johnson.

Glens began to force themselves back into the game with Fisher and Cairns pushing forward.

But back came the Buffs with Millar winning a free kick on the left-hand-side of the box, lose to the ouch line. Monti played it low along the ground for McGowan but his shot was blocked by Millar and cleared by Fisher only for Monti to play an outrageous one-two with McGowan before drilling the ball low into the box for McChesney to launch it upfield.

On 75 minutes Glens brought on David Blyth for Mark Gilmour and on 76 minutes Blyth halved the deficit with a great solo effort. He chased a ball down the right with McGowan on his heels while team-mate Ryan was matching his run into the heart of the box. Now from a yard inside the box a six yards from the bye-line David Blyth whipped a ferocious ball past that whizzed past the outstretched leg of the back-tracking McGowan and past keeper Barclay at his near post into the side-netting of the back-post.  

On 77 minutes Leon Murphy was brought down in the box by Wood and stepped up to slot the spot-kick past Barclay to square the match at three the piece.

Buffs almost hit back immediately with Monti’s corner causing havoc in a packed six yard box only for the ball to eventually fall safely into the hands of Johnson.

Glens responded with a lightning break from McKee bursting into the Buffs box, with defenders on his tail, before clipping an angled shot only for Barclay to pull off a great single-handed save to push the ball to safety. Attacks spear-headed by Ryan and Blyth were both repelled before the Buffs turned up the heat with 10 minutes to go.

Monti and McGowan combined again with the latter firing a ball to the back post for Collins to power a header that flew across the face of goal untouched before Pettigrew mopped up the danger. Soon after Johnson saved a close range shot from Wood. The hosts then pegged Glens back in their own box with a wave of attacks that concluded with Gavin Millar fashioning a shot from just inside the box that went through Fisher’s legs before Johnson saw the ball and got down to get a strong hand to it.

However, it was the Glens that were to finish on the front foot. A minute into added time and another break by McKee took him to the right-hand-side of the box where he floated a ball in for the incoming Ryan to power a close range header that was pushed away by Barclay with both hands before both players collided in trying to recover the loose ball.

McKee wasn’t finished yet and another lung-bursting run by the young striker took him deep into the box with the keeper to beat only for his pass to pick out strike partner Ryan was intercepted and cleared by Syme.

Glens continued to push and in the last action Fotheringham received a second yellow card and his marching orders for going down in the box.

FT Kilwinning 3 Glens 3.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. Scott Johnson 2. Ross Fisher 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Craig Pettigrew 3. Alan Cairns; 11. Mark Gilmour (16. David Blyth) 4. Sean Bennie (14. Aaron Miller(t.)) 8. Gregor Fotheringham (t.) 7. Leon Murphy; 9. Sean McIlroy (15. Jordan Ryan) 10. Sam McKee. Subs: 17. Scott Sherrie 18. Callum Thomson GK Daniel Sloan

KILWINNING RANGERS

1. Jamie Barclay 2. Keirin Wood 3. Chris McGowan 4. David Syme 5. Ross Smith 6. Ben Lewis 7. Carlo Monti 8. Jordan Stuart 9. Ally McColm 10. Thomas Collins 11. Gavin Millar Subs: 12. Adam Caldwell 14. Tony Coutts 15. Ricky Hanvey 16. David Anderson 17. Kyro Crawford 18. Finlay Anderson GK Adam Strain

Match Photographs

Kilwinning Rangers v Glenafton Athletic