PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 09	14/08/2021 KO2:00pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock
Glenafton Athletic	3 (1)	Sherrie, McIlroy, Ryan
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy	1 (0)	Arbuckle

Glens played host to a Rob Roy side on a great run of winning their last four league games in a row. Played raged from end to end in the early encounters with the first decent chance falling to the visitors. After a game of head tennis in the box Gary Arbuckle took control of the ball and laid if off to Jack Gordon who drilled a low shot from 18 yards that was blocked by keeper Scott Johnston, who then quickly smothered the loose ball.

At the other end Scott Sherrie’s dipping shot from 20 yards was clutched cleanly by keeper Matthew Kerr. Soon after, Sean Bennie’s long throw to the edge of the six-yard box was headed over the bar by Ryan McChesney.

Back came the Rabs and on 16 minutes Ciaran MacPherson’s shot from the corner of the six-yard box was blocked by Darren Curtis only for MacPherson to recover the ball which after a couple of exchanges fell for Gordon to fire his shot wide of target.

The game continued at a frantic pace often scrappy at times with defences on top scrambling balls clear while Curtis and Aaron Miller were working well together in midfield.

Mark Gilmour’s powerful run down the left wing ended with him being robbed off the ball at the expense of a corner kick which was taken by Sherrie and headed clear by Robbie Leighton before Curtis, from 25 yards out, fired the loose ball over the bar.

The Glens soaked up a period of Rabs pressure and counter-attacked with a wonderful passage of passing play. Bennie, deep in the right, pinched the ball from Leighton’s feet and Curtis gather before to squaring it left to Alan Cairns who played a one-two with captain Craig Pettigrew then clipped the ball forward for Sam McKee to collect in the centre-circle and burst upfield to release Sean McIlroy on the left with two defenders on his tail. The big striker shook off one defender and on reaching the bye-line evaded Ian Gold’s tackle to chip the ball into the box where McKee, on the six yard line, killed it with a raised foot and in a flash Scott Sherrie let the ball bounce before lashing it past two defenders and the keeper into the net. Glens 1-0 up with 29 minutes played with Sherrie celebrating his first competitive goal for the club in style.

Rabs defended Bennie’s long throw into the box and then broke upfield to earn back-to-back corners licks which ended with Leighton’s header drifting high and wide of target.

Cairns, deep on the left, curled a great ball into the box for McIlroy to chase down only for Daniel O’Hallaron and Kian Gilday to combine and allow keeper Kerr to clutch the loose ball.

On 35 minutes Gilmour sent a long ball forward for Curtis to chase only for Gordon on his heels to bring him down at the edge of the box; earning him a yellow card, despite his plea that he got the ball before the man. Although McKee’s free kick beat the two-man wall the ball fell kindly into the keeper’s hands.

Gordon floated a free-kick into a busy box and as the ball bounced loose Arbuckle’s acrobatic attempt to guide it home was comfortably held by Johnston.

Another Bennie’s long throw into the box was cleared and the ball hoofed up the park where it eventually fell for Gordon on the left wing and the Rabs play-maker then clipped a dangerous ball into the box that picked out Arbuckle at the back post and although he drew the keeper off his line, his cut back to set up Leighton for a tap-in, was intercepted and cleared by Pettigrew.  The visitors continued to press and Sean McGonagle did well to give a couple of defenders the slip before cracking a shot from a tight angle which was firmly held by Johnston at his near post as Leighton waited on any spillage.

The Glens finished the half on the front foot. Cairns broke into the box only for his cut-back to be cleared and soon after McKee’s free kick from 25 yards was blocked by the wall. Sherrie then hunted down a long ball up the right wing that full back Kilday was determined to usher out of play but was skinned by Sherrie near the corner flag allowing him to drive a low ball into the goalmouth for the incoming McIlroy only for Gold to clear for a corner-kick which then came to nothing.

HT Glens 1 Rob Roy 0

Gold’s early free-kick into the box was readily mopped up by the Glens defence while soon after Pettigrew’s free-kick into the Rabs’ box fell for Sherrie and his attempt from the edge box was deflected over the bar for a corner kick; which he delivered perfectly for McChesney to bullet a header over the bar.

Kerr launched the goal-kick up the park where it was headed on by Arbuckle followed by loud claims that the ball hit Pettigrew on the arm before it entered the box, however play continued and although Michael Baber’s shot beat Johnson at the near post the ball drifted well wide of the back post. Soon after McPherson from the outskirts of the box slipped the ball into the path of Leighton on the overlap to drive deep into the box but his shot from a tight angle flew wide of target.

Back came Glens through a determined drive forward by Curtis and Gilmour that won a corner which was headed just wide at the back post.

On 63 minutes Glens doubled their lead.

Mckee’s shot from 25 yards was blocked and the ball retrieved by Gilmour on the left who rolled a diagonal ball back to Cairns. He took a touch before clipping the ball into the box for McIlroy on the penalty spot closely guarded by O’Halloran but neither player connected with the ball and while the Rabs captain claimed he had been impeded, play continued and Gilday’s attempt to clear the ball fell at the feet of Sean McIlroy to slot the ball past the keeper from 8 yards out. Rabs continued to complain to the referee that O’Halloran had been fouled by McIlroy but after consulting the assistant referee the goal stood. 

The visitors then enjoyed a good spell of possession but couldn’t break down the Glens defence to fashion an attempt at goal.  Rabs brought on Kerr McCormick for Michael Baber while soon after Glens replaced the injured Scott Sherrie with Jordan Ryan and the big striker was soon in the thick of action firing a shot over the bar from the corner of the penalty box.

Back came Rabs and Leighton’s shot from the edge of the box was deflected for a corner kick which was whipped across the face of the goal where Leighton’s glancing header drifted wide of the back post.  At the other end Miller picked out Ryan in the box and although his shot was blocked the ball fell for Gilmour only for his shot from 18 yards out to sail high over the bar.

The visitors replaced Sean McGonagle with Trialist as they tried to find a way back into the game but a minute later the task got even tougher as Glens extended their lead. McIlroy made good progress wide on the right and won a throw-in. Up stepped Bennie, giving directions to the strikers, before launching a long throw into the six-yard box where Jordan Ryan, with O’Hallaron at his front and Gold at his back, leapt high to power a glancing header into the net. Glens 3-0 up on 76 minutes.

Three minutes later Rob Roy hit back after a long ball was launched down the left for the Trialist to chase who nicked it from Bennie as he attempted to usher it out for a goal kick and although McChesney managed to get a tackle in the ball cannoned of the Trialist’s shins, who then promptly squared it to Gary Arbuckle to shoot home from close range.

Glens were soon back on the front foot and Kerr did well to rush from his line to beat Jordan to the ball as he raced into the box. McIlroy then whipped a ball in from the left that McKee met on the drop only for his shot to be bravely blocked by Gilday.

Rabs countered through McCormick’s run down the right who tried to pick out Arbuckle in the box only for Johnson to rush from his line and gather the ball safely.

On 83 minutes the industrious Jack Gordon was replaced by Fraser Scott.

The visitors pushed for aspell with a free-kick into the box leading to a corner kick that was cleared and the ball quickly returned to the outskirts of the box from where Arbuckle dragged his shot wide of target. Soon after a long high diagonal ball to the edge of box was chested down by McCormick, who was then brought down in the box after a collision with the back-tracking Cairns, igniting loud penalty claims from the Rabs dug-out but to no avail. 

Glens then defended a corner-kick with headers from McChesney and Curtis before Aaron Bryson retrieved the ball on the right touch-line and whipped a cross into the goal mouth that Johnson clutched as the Trialist waited to pounce.

Back game Glens and McKee after being boxed in at the corner flag wriggled himself free to lay it back to McIlroy who fired over the bar from 15 yards out.

Deep into added time the Rabs won another corner-kick that created a number of attempts at goal that each one in turn was blocked in a packed penalty box.

FT Glens 3 Rob Roy 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. Scott Johnson 2. Sean Bennie. 5. Ryan McChesney 6. Craig Pettigrew 3. Alan Cairns 13. Mark Gilmour 4. Darren Curtis 8. Aaron Miller 11. Scott Sherrie (9. Jordan Ryan) 7. Sam McKee 10. Sean McIlroy Subs Not Used. 12. David Blyth 14. Calum Thomson 15. Mick McCann 17. Daniel Sloan (gk)

KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY

1. Matthew Kerr, 2. Aaron Bryson 3. Kian Gilday 4. Ian Gold 5. Daniel O’Halloran 6. Jack Gordon (14. Fraser Scott) 7. Robbie Leighton 8. Ciaran McPherson 9. Gary Arbuckle 10. Sean McMonagle (16. Trialist) 11. Michael Baber (17. Kerr McCormick). Subs: 12. Scott Gold 14. Fraser Scott 15. Callum Scott 16. Trialist 17. Kerr McCormick

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Kirkintilloch Rob Roy