PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 27	12/03/2022 KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock
Glenafton Athletic	3 (2)	McKernon, Rowe, Kerr
Troon	1 (1)	Jamieson

Glenafton’s new management team of Ryan Stevenson and Mark Roberts, in their first match in charge at Loch Park, saw their side come from behind to secure back-to-back league wins.

The Glens made one change from the eleven that started at Hurlford last week with Sam McKee coming in for Ryan Nisbet. On the bench for Troon was former Glens’ midfielder Dale ‘Gunner’ Moore.

The Seasiders enjoyed an early wave of attacks that yielded a couple of decent chances. The first of which saw Sam Jamieson break into the right-hand side of the box to fire a low angled shot that keeper David Markey pushed wide. Two corner-kicks followed in quick succession, the second of which was headed back out towards the touchline only to be snapped up by Jamie Gallagher to drive into the box but his low shot from a tight angle found the side netting.

Glens had a couple of forays upfield without testing keeper Paddy O’Neil other than forcing him to run from his goal-line line to the outskirts of the box to clear a ball being chased down by the tireless Hugh Kerr. A break down the right by James Martin ended with a trip by Gallagher on the outskirts of the box and although Leon Murphy’s free-kick cannoned off the wall the ball, as they say, was recycled and after 4 or 5 passes it was back with Murphy on the left-hand side of the 18-yard line. From here he curled a cross into the six-yard box where Kerr, surrounded by three defenders, got the slightest of touches to send the ball wide of target.

On 20 minutes the visitors broke the deadlock with a touch of quality starting from a throw-in on the left 25 yards from the bye-line. Jack Sherrie took a short throw to Josh Black who quickly returned it to the thrower who then threaded a ball to Jamieson who cut inside to progress parallel with the 18 yard line before squaring a long ball to Mark Morrison in acres of space on the right touchline. Here he pushed forward before clipping the ball high into box where Jamieson trapped it with his right foot and after a couple of touches lashed it home with his left from 15 yards out between two defenders and into the corner of the net beyond the reach of Markey at full stretch.

Soon after Glens suffered another scare from Josh Black’s free-kick floated into a busy box but a resolute defence stood firm to eventually scramble clear the danger.

The home side began to enjoy some decent spells of possession with Kerr holding off defender after a defender as he battled to pick out a pass. During the press Glens won a couple of free-kicks the first cleared and the second saw Jamie McKernon, tight on the left-hand touch line, clip the ball into the box where centre back Darren Miller was penalised, it seems for barging into the back of Kerr. After the Troon protests had quietened down, keeper Paddy O’Brien kept his cool to dive low to his right and saved Murphy’s spot kick with his right hand before clutching the ball safely with both to preserve the visitors’ lead on 30 minutes.

However, Afton heads didn’t drop and they continued to press with McKernon bossing the midfield. McKee wide on the right gave Stephen Wilson the slip before lofting a cross into the box which went over the heads of the tussling Kerr and Ewan McLevy leaving Murphy and Morrison to challenge for the ball only for the Glens midfielder to land awkwardly and in some pain requiring play to be stopped soon after.  Kerr then gave a clutch of Seasiders the run-a-round before being brought down and McKernon smacked the free-kick from 25 yards pulling off a good save from O’Neil, the keeper rising to clutch the ball and then hold it cleanly as he fell to the ground.

Troon responded through Morrison picking out Ben Black in the box but McKee and Fisher doubled up to prevent a shot at goal while Glens counter attack saw them win a free kick on the outskirts the box after Jack Sherrie handled the ball in a challenge with James Martin.

McKernon lined up the free-kick some 22 yards out close to the corner of the penalty box as Troon lined up a three-man wall while another half dozen Glens players and their markers set up for the chip to the far side of the box ande O’Neill planted himself in the centre of his goal-line. In a flash Jambo thumped a vicious low shot whizzing past the left-hand side of the wall and curling it into the near corner of the net with the keeper wrong-footed, to level the match on 39 minutes.

With their tails up, the Glens continued to press. The tide had turned on the rattled Seasiders and the waves of attack were now coming from New Cumnock side. O’Neill had to rush from his line to beat Kerr to the ball. McKernon powered forward with Martin at his side before laying it off to him in the box where the midfielder’s low shot was stopped, fumbled and recovered by the keeper.

Sean Bennie then stripped Jamieson of the ball in the centre circle and McKernon snapped up the loose ball played a one two with Craig Pettigrew and clipped a ball over the heads of a couple of defenders into the box for McKee only for his shot from 8 yards to be bravely blocked by McLevy at the expense of a corner-kick.  Murphy curled a glorious ball into the heart of the six yard box and having timed his run from the penalty spot to perfection Ollie Rowe rose sweetly and unchallenged to nod the ball home to put the Glens ahead on 45 minutes.

By the time the Glen celebrations and the Troon post-mortems had subsided the referee blew to end the half.

HT Glens 2 Troon 1

The new half started with the frustrated Wilson trying to wrestle the ball from McKernon without success only to concede an early free kick that was well defended by Troon. Their rapid counter attack produced the first of multiple and ultimately fruitless corner kicks they would win in the second 45.

Pettigrew headed this one clear and McKee hooked the ball down the right where Kerr robbed Miller of the ball sending it further down the touchline but having to hurdle the fallen centre-back gave the alert O’Neill enough time to abandon his box and knock the ball out for a throw.  Glens pressed again through Alan Cairns clipping a free-kick into the box only for Martin’s high looping header falling into the arms of O’Neill.  

Troon then enjoyed a good spell of pressure pegging Glens back in their own box with Ben Black prominent in the attack keeping Pettigrew & Fisher busy at the heart of the defence.

On 55 minutes Troon replaced Wilson with Dean Fulton and turned up the pressure with free-kicks, long throws and corner-kicks into a mobbed Glens box but again the red shirts stood firm. In one such attack Rowe nicked the ball from the feet of McLevy and released McKee down the right who wasted no time in cutting inside and giving Montgomery the slip at the corner of the box before drilling a low shot from 18 yards that O’Neil held at the second attempt.

Troon turned the screw again and continued to breach the Glens box without testing Markey until the 57^th minute when the keeper blocked Ben Black’s close range shot at the expense of a corner which Bennie booted clear at the near post. Another corner from the right followed soon after which Kerr headed away at the near post.

Jamieson then played a superb one-two with Ben Black to burst into the left-hand side of the box only for his shot from a tight angle to be cut out by Bennie and although Markey clutched the resulting corner under the bar it slipped from his hands and the visitors quickly recovered the ball. However, Black’s chip into the box was cleared by Fisher, gathered by Kerr who rolled it back for Martin to drive through the middle evading numerous blue shirts on the way before slipping the ball to McKee on the right to cut inside only to be foiled by Montgomery.

On 63 minutes Glens brought on the fresh legs and replaced Martin and McKee with David Blyth and Ryan Nisbet. Former Troon player Nisbet was soon in the thick of the action flying down the left squeezing between Miller and McLevy to break into the box only for the latter to catch up and recover the ball with a well-timed tackle. Glens recovered the ball through Kerr who had a free run into the box but with only the keeper to beat his’ fresh-air’ shot saw the ball aimlessly run wide of the post.

The visitors brought on Sam McCloskey for Josh Black.

A Troon free-kick was floated into the ‘D’ where Cairns headed it high into the air and as Jamieson met it on the drop to flick it into the box Bennie was penalised and booked for hand-ball. The wall stood firm to block Jamieson’s free kick and the loose ball was scrambled clear. Sherrie then chased a ball down the left before hooking a high ball to the back post where Jamieson tried to guide it home only for Fisher to block and Jamieson then roll the loose ball back to Gallagher but his weak shot from 18 yards bobbled well wide of target.  The visitors piled on the pressure and another corner saw Miller win the aerial battle in the six-yard box but his header dipped over the bar. Soon after another long high ball into the box saw Pettigrew get the jump of Sherrie to head clear.

On 75 minutes Troon brought on Dale Moore for Ben Black.

A breather for the Glens when Blyth clipped a ball down the middle for Nisbet to chase down in the box with McLevy for company but again it was the alert O’Neil that won the race clutching the ball 16 yards from his goal-line.

Back came Troon with Fulton whipping a great ball in from the right and although Jamieson, under pressure from Bennie, failed to get his header on target the ball fell for Moore to lash an angled shot from 14 yards that flew inches wide of the junction of bar and post.

Glens worked themselves back into the game. Blyth picked up a short throw-in from Bennie at the edge of the box and then chipped a great ball over a trio of defenders for the ball to fall for the incoming Murphy only for his shot from 12 yards to be deflected wide for a corner. Murphy played it short to Blyth who clipped it to the far post where Pettigrew headed it back into the danger area only for McCloskey to head it well clear of the box to be quickly returned with a fierce shot from McKernon that dipped over the bar as O’Neil looked on.

On 82 minutes the pressure paid off and the Glens doubled their lead. Another attack had been cleared to the edge of box where Rowe got the better of Montgomery at the second attempt and McKernon beat Jamieson to the loose ball. From here he chipped it forward to the right-hand corner of the box for Nisbet, in acres of space, to chase it down and take a couple of touches before clipping a glorious ball across the face of the goal taking three defenders and the keeper out of play to set up the incoming Hugh Kerr to slam the ball home from 3 yards out. The celebrations matched the quality of the goal.

Centre-back Darren Miller was clearly in some distress and had to leave the field. Nevertheless the 10 men fashioned a couple of chances from set pieces. A corner kick was cleared by Fisher’s header at the near post and later although Sherrie’s free kick from 20 yards beat the wall the ball was held comfortably by Markey.

Glens managed the closing minutes of the game keeping possession with runs down both flanks.

FT Glenafton 3 Troon 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. David Markey 2. Sean Bennie 4. Craig Pettigrew 5. Ross Fisher 3. Alan Cairns; 7. James Martin (15. David Blyth) 6. Jamie McKernon 8. Ollie Rowe 11. Leon Murphy; 9. Hugh Kerr. 10 Sam McKee (18 Ryan Nisbet). Subs not used: 12. Mark Gilmour 14. Aaron Miller 16. Fergus Dee 17. Darren Curtis 19. Calum Thomson.

TROON

1. Paddy O’Neil 2. Ewan McLevy 5. Darren Miller 6. Jack Sherrie 7. Ben Black (11. Dale Moore) 8. Ray Montgomerie 10. Stephen Wilson (14. Dean Fulton) 16. Mark Morrison 17. Josh Black (3. Sam McCloskey) 18. Sam Jamieson 19. Jamie Gallagher. Subs Not Used: 9. Joirdan Vernon 15. Aaron Boyd 20. Kieron McCulloch 21. Marc Fisher (gk)

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Troon