PDM Buildbase WOSFL | Match 36	16/05/2022 KO 7:30 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock
Glenafton Athletic	2 (1)	McKernon, Rowe
Irvine Meadow XI	1 (1)	Graham

Prior to kick a minute’s silence was held in memory of Alan Johnstone who played with Irvine Meadow in the 1972-73 Scottish Junior Cup final against Cambuslang Rangers.

Glenafton made one change from the 11 that started against Beith with Calvin Kemp replacing Sam McKee.

The early exchanges saw the Glens doing most of the pressing with the front pairing of Hugh Kerr and Jordan Ryan showing no ill effect from the hard shift on Saturday as they chased every ball. Meadow racked up three corner-kicks in quick succession as the well marshalled Glens defence repelled each one in turn.

The home side won a free kick in the middle of the park some 28 yards from goal after Ollie Rowe had nicked the ball from the feet of Neil Slooves and skipped past Jared Willet before squaring it to Calvin Kemp who was quickly sandwiched between the chasing Willet and Kinlay Bilham. Jamie McKernon casually stepped up and curled the free kick over the top of the jumping Meadow wall and beyond the reach of airborne keeper Marc Waters before it dipped into the welcoming net as Jambo punched the air in delight!

Glens continued to press. Waters had to rush to the edge of the box and boot the ball clear as Ryan made one of his trade-mark ‘never give-up’ runs in hunting the ball down.  Kemp then evaded another attempted Slooves-Willit sandwich, brushing off the former and pirouetting round the latter, only for his shot from 20 yards to sail over the bar.

On 30 minutes Meadow responded with Jamie Wylie’s long throw into the box which was headed on by Whyte and picked up by Willet who was quickly dispossessed by Sean Bennie to set up a counter attack that ended with a Glens corner. McKernon picked out Rowe at the edge of the six-yard box and his powerful downward header bounced inches wide of the post.

A minute later Gilmour’s long throw into the six yard saw the ball pop out of a posse of players where Rowe was first to curl a shot through said posse and although it beat the keeper it slipped past the junction of post and bar.

Play then raged back and forth for a period without either keeper being tested before McKernon launched a long high ball upfield for Kerr to chase down with Whyte for company and with the Glens man looking favourite to win, Waters raced from his line and in attempting to clear the ball he floored the Glens man in the box with a high boot. Incredibly play was allowed to continue and Waters & Whyte ushered the ball out the box before Rowe headed it back and the ball eventually went out for Meadow throw. A reckless tackle!

To rub salt in the wound Meadow went up the park and won a debatable free kick on the left-hand side of the Glens’ half.  Willet floated the ball deep into the box where a great leap from Whyte sent the ball high into the air to the left-hand side of the box and another great leap, by Connor Boyd, sent the ball over the head of keeper David Markey at the near post seemingly net-bound at the back post only for Pettigrew’s attempt to hook it clear crash off the under-side of the bar leaving Callum Graham with a tap in from a yard out. Glens 1 Meadow 1, on 37 minutes.

Both sides pushed to get their noses in front before the break with the home side creating the best of the chances. Kerr got the jump on two defenders to gather the ball in the ‘D’ sending it high in the air with his right and then meeting it on the drop with his left, only for the outrushing keeper to get a hand to it and Wylie boot the loose ball clear.

On the stroke of half-time Glens came close to regaining the lead after winning a shy down the left, a few yards from the bye-line. Kerr on the edge of the 18 yard box quickly returned the throw to Gilmour who then clipped the ball to the far side of the box where Rowe headed it back to the far side of the six yard box for Kerr to burst between Findlay and Lyle and bullet a header off the ground that somehow Waters managed to get down and pull off a great save only for the ball it to fall for Jordan Ryan but his shot from 3 yards deflected off Wylie and into the arms of the grounded keeper.

Meadow broke upfield when Graham won a corner kick which Bennie headed clear as the half-time whistle blew.

HT Glens 1 Meadow 1

Both keepers had dealt comfortably with crosses into the box before Glens mounted another attack after Bennie had intercepted a Meadow clearance on his chest in the centre circle. From here he slipped the ball to McKernon who slotted a perfectly weighted pass forward for Kerr to gather and turn Whyte one way then the other before threading the ball to Ryan on the edge of the box to drive into the right hand-side of the box where his cut-back was deflected wide by Findlay for a corner. Murphy floated the kick into the six-yard box where Waters and Rowe leapt together only for the keeper to get a finger to touch it wide off the back post. McKernon took the kick from left launching it high to the back of the six-yard box where Pettigrew’s weighted downward header fell for Ollie Rowe to soft-shoe shuffle the ball over the line from 2 yards out. Graham’s appeal that he had been pushed in the box were waved away. Glens 2-1 up on 52 minutes.

The tempo of the game remained high with play going from end to end and Glens looking dangerous on the break while Meadow’s long throws into the box were defended well by the home defence. On one occasion Gilmour won the header at the back post and Pettigrew gathered before arrowing an outrageous long ball up the left wing for some 60 yards or so for Ryan to chase down, only for Findlay to block his way to goal.

Meadow brought on Logan Angus for Kinlay Bilham.

The visitors won back-to-back corner kicks again however without testing the keeper as play continued to ebb from end to end.

Midway through the half Kemp weaved his way down the right flank and with some assistance from Ryan before he curled the ball into the box for Murphy only for Lyle to intercept but his header fell for Kerr in the ‘D’, to take a touch and lash a low drive that drifted wide of the post.

Two minutes later Meadow cleared the ball only as far as the centre circle where Rowe powered a high looping header to the outskirts of the box for Kerr to trap the ball and before Findlay and Lyle could close him down, he lashed a ferocious volley that beat Waters on his six-yard line only for the ball to dip over the bar.

The game was still very much in the balance and although Glens looked dangerous on the break while Meadow passed up a good chance when a cross from the left saw Slooves head the ball back towards the near post for the inrushing Graham only for the alert Markey to get down low to grab the ball from his feet.

Meadow made another changes Connor Boyd making way for Conor MacDonald.

At the other end Kemp & Kerr combined deep on the right wing and if the sun hadn’t gone down Wylie and Whyte would have been chasing shadows as the Glens pair toyed with them before Kemp curled a ball to Ryan at the corner of six-yard box who rolled it back out to Kerr to drill a low shot that was deflected wide leading to back-to-back corners that were well defended by the visitors.

With 10 minutes to go Kemp made another powerful run down the right, skipping past players at will to cut into the right-hand corner of the box before drilling a low shot that Waters held safely.

A few minutes later Glens brought on Ryan Nisbet for Jordan Ryan who left the pitch to loud applause after another outstanding shift while Meadow replaced Jamie Wylie with Jacob Long.

James Martin played a one-two with Kemp wide on the right before clipping a ball into the box for Kerr who although lost his marker could only guide the ball wide of target.  Soon after Murphy broke down the left before whipping a dangerous ball into the goalmouth that Waters plucked out the air.

At the other end a Meadow corner was cleared after some head tennis from Gilmour and Bennie.  The visitors continued to press as Waters launched a long ball into the box which although Whyte won the aerial battle McKernon cleared it at the near post to prevent Jamie Martin aving a shot at goal. Back came Meadow but there was no way through as a determined Glens held on for three points.

Ft Glens 2 Meadow 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

1. David Markey 2. James Martin 4. Craig Pettigrew 5. Sean Bennie 3. Mark Gilmour 7. Calvin Kemp 6. Jamie McKernon 8. Ollie Rowe 11. Leon Murphy; 9. Hugh Kerr 10. Jordan Ryan. Subs: 12. Ryan Nisbet 14. David Blyth 15. Sam McKee 16. Darren Curtis 17. Aaron Miller 18. Calum Thomson 21. James Hart (gk)

IRVINE MEADOW XI

1. Marc Waters 2. Martin Findlay 3. Kinlay Bilham (15. Logan Angus) 4. Wullie Lyle 5. Jamie Whyte 6. Jamie Wylie (14. Jacob Long) 7. Jared Willet 8. Neil Slooves 9. Callum Graham 10. Connor Boyd (17. Conor McDonald) 11. Jamie Martin Subs: 16. Brandon Holland 18. Keir Milliken 20. James Latta

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Irvine Meadow XI