PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 28	19/03/2022 KO 2:00 pm	Guy’s Meadow, Cumbernauld
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy	2 (0)	Arbuckle, Daily
Glenafton Athletic	2 (1)	McKernon, Miller

Glenafton made one change to the eleven that started against Troon last week with James Martin coming in for Leon Murphy.

Kirkintilloch were quick off the mark and earned a corner kick in the opening minute that was headed clear at the near post by Hugh Kerr. Soon after, while defending another Rabs attack the visitors’ centre back pairing of captain Craig Pettigrew and Ross Fisher suffered a nasty looking clash of heads in the box. This forced Fisher to leaver the field of play for attention, however after returning he was unable to continue and was replaced with Aaron Miller on 10 minutes.

A minute later Rabs fashioned the first shot at goal after Robbie Young, on the left, played a short pass to Chris O’Kane who cut inside before firing the ball for the far top corner only for keeper David Markey to claw away the ball with an outstretched arm before gathering the ball.

Play got bogged down with both sides scrapping for loose balls and possession changing from one to the other before the deadlock was broken on 16 minutes.

A long ball down the left for Nisbet to chase saw Rabs defender Cameron Henry get his head to the ball and then prevented the corner-kick by knocking it out for a shy. Mark Gilmour’s short throw to Kerr in the box saw him challenged in the air by both Henry and Dean Cairns and as the Glens striker chased down the loose ball, so too did O’Kane who was adjudged to have caught Kerr in the back of leg and the referee pointed to the spot. The Rabs’ protests fell on deaf ears before Jamie McKernon stepped up to blast the ball and bulge the net to put the Glens ahead, despite keeper Reece Murdoch’s gallant effort.

Play quickly returned to the same pattern as before with determined defences on top and only patches of flowing football on show with chances restricted to the half variety.

On 24 minutes a good passage of play saw the home side string half-a-dozen passes to move the ball from deep on their left to wide on the right upfield, where Michael Baber unleashed a powerful shot from the corner of the penalty box only for it to rebound off the back of Pettigrew and out for a corner. The ball was floated high into the box and headed on by Conner Bell to be met by O’Kane at the edge of the box who cracked a shot that whizzed inches wide of the far post.

Glens responded through Nisbet pouncing on Kerr’s headed knock-on and quickly burst into the right-hand side of the box only for his ball across the face of the goal to be just beyond the incoming Kerr to complete the one-two.

Back came Rabs with Craig Truesdale clipping a ball into the box which was headed clear by Rowe before the ball eventually fell for Baber who tried his luck again with another low rocket shot that Markey did well to get down low and hold the ball tightly, as O’Kane followed in for any spillages.

Chances remained thin on the ground but James Martin for the Glens and Callum Scott for the Rabs both conjured up exciting runs through the middle each weaving through a clutch of opponents before encountering impenetrable defences.

HT Glens 1 Rob Roy 0

Early set pieces ended with a Glens corner kick coming to nothing and O’Kane’s free kick from 25 yards being comfortably held by Markey.

Glenafton made their first change with Sam McKee replacing Ryan Nisbet and soon after he played a lightning quick one-two, tight on the right wing, with James Martin to break upfield only for his cut back from the bye line to be cleared.

Rabs then made a change with Ben Daily replacing Callum Scott and enjoyed a good spell of pressure that kept the Glens defence on their toes and Pettigrew commanding the airways with a number of clearing headers.

The game continued at a hectic pace, back & forth, without either keeper being tested with both defences mopping up the danger which on turn would lead to counter-attacks that suffered the same fate.

On 65 minutes Truesdale from the left-hand side of the box clipped the ball back for Scott Walker to gather and tried a chip from 25 yards but it lacked the height to trouble Markey who clutched it cleanly. Soon after the Glens goalie smothered a low angled shot from Baber, at the base of his post.

Further substitutions saw Glens bring on Leon Murphy for James Martin and Rabs replace Robbie Young with Gary Arbuckle and Michael Baber with Ian Gold.

On 73 minutes the home side drew level from the penalty spot after Pettigrew was adjudged to have pushed a Rabs player before winning another header deep in the box. Tables turned the Glens pleas went unheeded and Gary Arbuckle coolly picked his spot to send Markey the wrong way and level the scores.

Five minutes later Daily and Arbuckle combined to set up Dean Cairns for a shot from the edge of the box only for the midfielder to drag it well wide of target.

Glens then pressed and a great ball from Alan Cairns into the box for Kerr was well intercepted by Henry at the expense of a corner kick. McKernon floated the kick high into the box where Rowe got the better of Henry, arching his back to send a header soaring high into the six-yard box where Aaron Miller leapt to bullet a header over the keeper and into the roof of the net.  Glens 2-1 upon 80 minutes.

Rabs tried to hit back immediately but Daily pulled his shot wide of target, however 5 minutes later the home side were awarded another spot kick after Dean Cairns skipped past his namesake Alans Cairns and went down a yard inside the box, nearn the bye-line from a Gilmour tackle; his plea that he won the ball waved away. Up stepped Arbuckle again only for Markey to block it with his knees and then block Daily’s attempt to hit home the rebound sending the ball well out the six-yard box for Pettigrew to launch it upfield. Only then did the assistant referee raise his flag apparently for Markey coming off his line at the spot-kick. Why the delay?  

Rabs changed penalty-taker and Ben Daily tucked away the kick into the corner of the net, to level the match on 86 minutes.

The ball was placed on the centre-circle for play to resume, however the drama wasn’t over as the assistant referee, now back on the touch line raised his flag again and clearly intimated that Markey, still in his goalmouth, had said something to warrant the referee to march back to within a yard of the keeper and brandish a red card. Full back Sean Bennie was handed the keeper’s jersey and his only action was to clutch a deflected shot to prevent a corner-kick.

The ten men didn’t sit back and went in search of a late winner. Murphy from tight on the right whipped a great ball into the box but just beyond the reach of both the incoming Kerr and Rowe. Four minutes into added time and Glens won a corner kick which was headed back out at the near post for McKernon to float the ball back into the box only for this to cleared and Rabs break upfield with McKernon chasing back to get a tackle in the box before referee blew for time.

FT Rob Roy 2 Glens 2

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

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

KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY

1. Reece Murdoch 2. Scott Walker 3. Luke Kelly 4. Conor Bell 5. Cameron Henry 6. Dean Cairns 7. Michael Baber (18. Ian Gold)  8. Chris O’Kane 9. Robbie Young (15. Gary Arbuckle) 10. Craig Truesdale 11. Callum Scott  (16. Ben Daily)

Match Photos

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy vs. Glenafton Atheltic