Glenafton made one change to the 11 that started against Arthurlie with the unavailable Hugh Kerr being replaced with Dylan O’Kane making his full debut for the club. At the heart of the Pollok defence was former Glenafton captain Craig Menzies.

In the blazing heat the home side found themselves two goals to the good after only 8 minutes. The first came in 5 minutes after Glens’ goalie Conor Cullen’s attempt to play a short-goal kick to Michael McMullin was misjudged and the ball readily snapped up by Stuart McCann on the 18 yard line from where he drove to corner of the six yard box before drilling a low shot through the keeper’s legs at the near post. Three minutes later Dylan Dykes gathered a throw-in from deep on the left wing and twisted and turned past defenders to get to the bye-line before clipping the ball into the heart of the box where Darren Christie killed it on his chest and volleyed a shot into the roof of the net.

The visitors came close to halving the deficit when Paul Paton floated a free-kick into the box where Glens’ captain Craig Pettigrew gave his markers the slip only for his header from 6 yards out to be foiled by a great point-blank save from keeper Josh Lumsden who pushed the ball over the bar. From the corner-kick that followed McMullin’s header flashed across the face of goal and the ball recovered by Ollie Rowe at the other corner flag from where he rolled the ball back to Pettigrew who eventually shook off full back Mullen before curling a cross into the box only for O’Kane’s diving glancing header to drift wide of the far post. After some good build up play Leon Murphy and Cameron McKenzie both had shots from distance which finished high and wide of target respectively.

Midway through the half both sides welcomed a much-needed water-break as the sun continued to beat down on Newlandsfield. The home side were certainly refreshed as Lumsden launched a long goal-kick upfield and after one-bounce McCann won the header to flick the ball into the path of the incoming Darren Christie to smack the ball first time into the net from 15 yards out. Pollok 3-0 up on 22 minutes.

The visitors pulled one back three minutes later. Jamie McKernon fired a corner-kick from the left to the far-side of the box where Rowe rose to head it high into the goalmouth and here Menzies beat McKenzie to head the ball back out only for Craig Pettigrew to trap it on the 18-yard line and drill a low shot that took a nick off Sean Burns’ heel before finding the net.

On 36 minutes the visitors pressure paid off after Paton picked out Sam McKee with a peach of the pass who then lashed a low shot from 22 yards that Lumsden did well to get down low to stop with both hands only for the alert Cameron McKenzie to beat Scott Rumsby to the loose ball and clip a close range shot that although the grounded keeper blocked with a foot the ball spun over his head and into the net.

HT Pollok 3 Glens 2

Despite the first half goal-fest turning into a second half goal drought under the baking sun both sides conjured up a number of chances the bulk of which fell to the home side the best of which fell to substitute Chris Duff only for Cullen to pull off a magnificent save to deny him from 10 yards out.  

FT Pollok 3 Glens 2