PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 06	04/08/2021 KO 7:30pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock
Glenafton Athletic	1 (1)	Ryan
Clydebank	3 (1)	McPherson, Niven, McClair

Glenafton made two changes to the starting line-up at Kilwinning on Saturday with Jordan Ryan coming on for Sean McIlroy and midweek signing Aaron Millar replacing Sean Bennie in midfield who returned to defence in place of injured Ross Fisher. In the Bankies’ starting line-up were two former Glens’ midfielders Conor Lynass and Lee Gallacher.

The home side got off to a great start with a well worked goal in the opening minute. Jordan Ryan picked up the ball in the centre circle and slipped it Mark Gilmour on the right to break forward who quickly played a diagonal forward pass to Sam McKee on the outskirts of the box. The young striker, tracked by Mark Niven, was forced wide during his run into box before he cut the ball across the face of goal, taking Niven and keeper Jamie Donnelly along with 3 other defenders out of play,  leaving the incoming Jordan Ryan to slide in at the back post and lash the ball into the roof of the net.

Bankies were clearly rattled as Glens continued to push, however they soon settled and on 7 minutes Nicky Little passed up a great chance to the sides level when keeper Scott Johnson stuck out a foot to deflect a goal bound shot from 7 yards past the post. Gallacher whipped the corner-kick into the heart of the box and Johnson got the better of Little again blocking his shot with both feet. The loose ball was recovered by Bankies and played out to the right for Joe Slattery to fire it back into the danger area only for the keeper to rise and clutch it cleanly.

On 10 minutes the visitors drew level after a fine pass from Frazer Johnstone picked out Slattery on the right to push forward before curling the ball into the six-yard box where Ross McPherson burst between two central defenders to bullet a header home from 4 yards out.

Back came Glens and Leon Murphy’s run down the left won the home side’s first corner kick which was clawed away by the goalie. Play was flowing from end-to-end and although there was plenty of action in both boxes, defences were on top and only half chances were on show.

Midway through the half Bennie’s long throw deep into the Bankies’s box was headed clear by Jamie Darroch only for the Glens to recover the ball and return it to Bennie wide on the right to pick out Ryan McChesney who drilled a low angled shot from 14 yards that Donnelly did well to get down low and push it over the bar for a corner kick that was partially cleared as was the one that quickly followed after McKee’s shot had been deflected wide.

At the other end Gallacher lobbed a free-kick into the box which was headed clear by McChesney and then headed on by Gilmour to fall for Gallacher to hit a volley that was grabbed by Johnson as Little threatened. Soon after another Gallacher free-kick into the box initiated a good old stramash which ended with McChesney robbing Slattery of the ball.

Another period of end-to-end football without either keeper being tested ensued until five minutes from the break when matters intensified. Gallacher burst deep into the box from the left and with keeper guarding the near post he picked out McPherson in the middle of the six-yard box but under pressure from Alan Cairns he scooped the ball onto the bar and the Slattery also under pressure from Cairns fired the loose ball over from 6 yards out. Back came Bankies and Little picked out McPherson in the “D” but with Pettigrew and Cairns closing in, his rushed shot drifted well wide, much to the chagrin of the unmarked Gallacher expecting a pass.

Murphy and Cairns combined well down the left with latter getting to the bye-line before clipping the ball into the six-yard box which was cleared for a throw that Bennie launched to the near post where McChesney’s header was blocked by Donnelly and then his attempt to fire home the loose ball saw it sneak inches wide of the post.

On 44 minutes Lynass burst down the left and whipped the ball into the box and following a goalmouth scramble Johnstone’s close-range shot was deflected for a corner-kick. Gallacher floated the ball into the heart of the box where the unmarked Matt Niven on his tip-toes arched his back to nod a looping header into the net from 12 yards out.

HT Glens 1 Clydebank 2

Play quickly settled into end-to-end stuff again without either keeper being tested other than Johnson having to race from his line to take the ball from the feet of Lynass.

On 55 minutes Gallacher fired in another dangerous cross from the left for McPherson in the box only for Pettigrew to intercept and head over the bar initiating a hat-trick of corner kicks for the visitors that last of which ended with Darroch heading well wide.

Clydebank brought on Hamish McKinlay for Ross McPherson. On 63 minutes Glens were forced to replace the injured Ryan McChesney with Darren Curtis and reshuffle the defence which dealt comfortably with another couple of Bankies corner.

At the other end Miller floated a free-kick from the half-way line into the box which the keeper did well to rise and hold within a pack of players.

A neat build up from Glens with McKee, Gregor Fotheringham and Curtis stringing passes before the latter picked out Murphy on the right box to clip the ball into the box where Docherty beat Ryan in the aerial battle at the expense of a corner-kick. Murphy’s kick was pushed away from Bennie’s head and Pettigrew’s attempt to blast home the loose ball was blocked by Slattery. Glens then enjoyed a good spell of possession without creating any clear-cut chances.

On 75 minutes Bankies replaced the lively Lee Gallacher with Cammy McLair while Glens then brought on Sean McIlroy for Jordan Ryan and David Blyth for Mark Gilmour.

After mopping up another Bankies corner kick Glens broke upfield with McKee bursting into the right hand side of the box to lob the ball over a defender to pick out Murphy who laid it off for McIlroy only for his shot from 12 yards to fly inches over the bar.

Clydebank then passed up a great chance to kill off the game on 79 minutes. The Glens defence got into a fankle allowing McClair to advance into the six yard box and with Bennie on his heels and Johnson coming off his line, he slipped the ball to McKinlay who seemed certain to lash it into the empty net only for the work-horse Bennie make to steal it from his toes.

Glens pushed for a late equaliser with Blyth and Curtis combining well down the right only for Niven to head clear the cross into the box. Soon after McIlroy won a corner kick which was punched clear of the box by keeper Donnelly.

Into added time Glens won a free kick wide in the right a few yards from the corner flag. Blyth fired it into the packed box which eventually fell for Pettigrew only for his shot to be blocked by Docherty. Play then switched to the left with a Bennie long throw deep into the box where  Niven appeared to have headed it out for a corner-kick only for Oison McHugh to hook it clear on the line and launch it up the right wing for Chris Black to gather and race upfield before skipping past the advancing keeper and laying it on a plate for Cammy McLair on 94 minutes.

FT Glens 1 Clydebank 3

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. Scott Johnson 2. Sean Bennie 5. Ryan McChesney (12. Darren Curtis) 6. Craig Pettigrew 3. Alan Cairns 13. Mark Gilmour (17. David Blyth) 4. Aaron Miller 8. Gregor Fotheringham (trialist) 11. Leon Murphy 7. Sam McKee 9. Jordan Ryan (10. Sean McIlroy) Subs. Calum Thomson, Daniel Sloan (gk)

CLYDEBANK

1. Jamie Donnelly 2. Michael Bailey 4. Matt Niven 5. Jamie Darroch 15. Oison McHugh 6. Frazer Johnstone 14. Conor Lynass 8. Joe Slattery 27. Ross McPherson (24. Hamish Mackinlay) 10. Nicky Little (16. Chris Black) 25. Lee Gallacher (7. Cammy McClair) Subs Not Used: 3. Paul Byrne 19. Craig Holmes 11. Liam McGonigle 20 Clarke

Match Photographs

Glenafton Athletic v Clydebank