| PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 25 | 26/02/2022 KO 2:00 pm | Synergy Arena, Kilmarnock |
|---|---|---|
| Bonnyton Thistle | 4 (1) | Walker, Smith, Gilroy, McColm |
| Glenafton Athletic | 3 (2) | Rowe 2, Nisbet |
Glenafton made two changes to the eleven that started against Benburb three weeks ago with captain Craig Pettigrew returning from injury and Ryan Nisbet starting upfront while Sam McKee and Aaron Miller dropped to the bench.
The home side got off to flying start with a goal from Ryan Walker, the son of Glens legend Davie ‘Pele’ Walker, on two minutes. Sandy Robertson, from the centre circle, clipped a high ball into the right-hand side of the box for Walker to gather before lashing a low shot from the 18 yard line into the far corner of the net beyond the reach of keeper David Markey at full stretch.
Two minutes later Walker, from the middle of the park, released Kyle Gilroy down the left to push to the bye line and clip the ball to the far end of the box for the incoming Walker to meet it first time with a left-footed volley, pulling off a fine save from Markey at the base of the near post.
Glens then had a couple of decent runs into the Bonnyton box. The first ended with Ryan Nisbet robbed of the ball by Logan Smith. The second saw Ollie Rowe forcing his way to the bye-line and although his cut-back was missed by the keeper and defender at the near post there were no Glens takers and the ball was cleared.
The visitors continued to press and a ball through the middle for Leon Murphy to chase down saw keeper Jamie Leitch rush from his line to intercept but on doing so stepped outside the box to grab the ball with both hands. After discussion between the match officials the referee sent the unfortunate Leith off and the home side were down to 10 men on 12 minutes. Sadly, for goalscorer Walker he was the sacrificial offering for the replacement keeper; who wasn’t immediately tested as the wall stood up to the free-kick.
Some great control in the middle of the park by Eddie Ablohr set up a Bonnyton attack that ended with Gilroy on a one-v-one with Markey, only for the keeper to track his move and then deflect his shot wide for a corner-kick that was cleared.
Play raged from end-to-end but with defences on top no efforts on goal were fashioned.
On 28 minutes the home side won a corner that Markey punched from under his bar with both fists. The visitors countered down the right through Jamie McKernon who floated a ball deep into the box which Hugh Kerr clipped to the back post for the incoming Rowe only for the keeper to clutch it cleanly.
Glens pegged the 10 men deep into their own half for a spell but couldn’t break down a well drilled and disciplined defence. However, the pressure paid off on 40 minutes after Ollie Rowe got the jump on the full back to chase down a ball into the box before cracking a low angled shot from 8 yards out past the keeper at the corner of his six-yard box and into the far corner of the net.
The visitors continued to press and Nisbet weaved his way into the left hand of the box but was forced to roll the ball back to Craig Pettigrew who curled a ball to the far post where Kerr’s header dropped into the keeper’s hands.
Some respite for Thistle through a blistering run down the left by Gilroy ghosting past opponents on his way to breaking into the box and cracking an equally blistering shot only for the alert Markey to block with his legs sending the ball high into the air.
Glens countered in lethal fashion. Sean Bennie deep in his own half picked up a ball from Murphy and pushed down the right while Nisbet bided his time at the centre-circle to spring the offside trap as Bennie rolled the ball down the wing into acres of open space for the unimpeded Ryan Nisbet to hunt down and draw the keeper from his line (indeed outside the box) before lobbing the ball from 30 yards into the welcoming net. The Glens 2-1 up as the half-time whistle blew.
HT Bonnyton 1 Glens 2
The visitors were first to threaten after the break through a great run down the right by Nisbet only for his shot from a tight angle sail over the bar. Soon after, Rowe’s low shot from just inside the box slipped inches wide of the post.
However, on the counter-attack Ablohr won a free-kick down the right, 10 yards from the bye-line. Chris Kelly floated the ball into the heart of the box where Logan Smith leapt head and shoulders above all to bullet home a header to draw the sides level on 52 minutes.
Chances were then swapped at either end. Although Ross Fisher got an outstretched leg to McKernon’s free-kick into the box, the ball sneaked wide of the post. At the other end Abhlor forced his way into the box only for Markey to pull off a point bank save and push the ball high and wide of target. Back came Glens and Nisbet’s volley from the edge of the box dipped wide while Gilroy countered with another powerful run down the left only to find no takers for his cut back from the dead ball line.
On 59 minutes the home side got their noses back in front when Kyle Gilroy got a sniff for goal after picking up the ball at the edge of the D and although his route into the box was blocked, he drifted wide along the 18-yard line, still being tracked by a defender, before exquisitely chipping the ball from the edge of the box, over the head of the keeper and into the welcoming net.
The visitors responded well and Thistle survived a penalty claim that Smith had tripped Nisbet in the box. Martin then had a couple of good breaks down the left only to be repelled in the box by a stubborn defence. Nisbet then won a corner and McKernon’s kick was met at the far side of the six- yard box where Ollie Rowe rose to meet the ball sweetly and guide a header into the space between the outstretched hands of the keeper and Robertson on the back post. The match all square at 3-3 on 66 minutes.
Thistle countered with back-to-back corner kicks that second of which was headed clear by Fisher before Glens made a double substitution on 68 minutes with Sam McKee and Aaron Miller coming on for Ryan Nisbet and James Martin. Two minutes later the two subs combined when McKee drifted wide to the left before laying it off to Miller to cut back inside before threading the ball past defenders into the box for Rowe to pounce and beat the goalie from six yards but the flag was up before the ball hit the back of the net.
Glens continued to press on 75 minutes Kerr won a free kick on the right deep in the Thistle’s half. Murphy floated the ball into the heart of busy box where a Thistle player (No. 10) appeared to lose his footing and send his header backward into the six-yard box where Rowe took control of the bouncing ball to guide it into the net. Arms from sides were then raised, Thistle claiming for offside and Glens initially celebrating the goal before drawing the referee’s attention to the grounded defender that had played the ball before Rowe. Despite being yards away the referee consulted with his assistant and the goal to the visitors’ disbelief was deemed offside!
Glens continued on the front foot without testing the keeper and were almost caught out on 80 minutes through Gilroy’s counter-attack down the left to break into the box and drill a low angled shot that Markey did well to stop with his foot.
Bonnyton continued to frustrate the Glens as they repelled a wave of attacks including a Kerr header in the box that the keeper smothered comfortably.
Indeed, it was the ten men that came close to breaking the deadlock on 87 minutes with a break into the left-hand side of the box before the ball was rolled back for the substitute (No. 12) to coolly side foot a low shot that beat Markey but slipped inches wide of the back post.
But break the deadlock they did! After another period of intense unrewarded Glens’ pressure. After a counter down the left before the ball was switched to Kelly wide on the right to progress into box and square a long ball for the incoming substitute Dean McColm to lash a left footed shot past Markey at full stretch and into the far corner of the net sparking off joyous celebrations.
After pushing for the winner for 25 minutes the Glens now found themselves having only added time to salvage a point. It wasn’t to be as Kerr’s header from a corner-kick dipped wide of target and McKee’s shot from the edge of the box dipped over the bar.
FT Bonnyton 4 Glenafton 3
| GLENAFTON ATHLETIC |
| Glenafton Athletic: 1, David Markey 2. Sean Bennie 4.Ross Fisher 6. Craig Pettigrew 3. Alan Cairns 11. James Martin (17. Aaron Miller) 8. Jamie McKernon 5. Ollie Rowe 10. Leon Murphy 7. Ryan Nisbet (20. Sam McKee) 9. Hugh Kerr . Subs Calum Thomson, Darren Curtis, Mark Gilmour, James Hart (gk) |
| BONNYTON THISTLE |
| Match Photos |
| Bonntyon Thistle v Glenafton Athletic |
Glenafton Athletic 