Saturday 03 Sep 2022 KO 2:00pm	Guys Meadow, Cumbernauld
PDM Buildbase WOSFL Premier League	Match 04
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 1 (0)	McCormick
Glenafton Atheltic 2 (0)	McMullin, Murphy

Glenafton made 3 changes to the 11 that started against East Kilbride Thistle last Saturday with Sean McKenzie (suspended), Hugh Kerr (injured) and Leon Murphy making way for Cameron McKenzie, David Blyth and Ryan Nisbet.  The visitors donned their new blue away top for the first time and like the home red top it is sponsored by the local business Iain Watt Haulage.  Today’s hosts Rob Roy are unbeaten in the league with 2 wins and a draw in their opening 3 games.

Glens enjoyed some early pressure and Sam McKee’s perseverance down the left earned a corner that was cleared. The Rabs soon found their feet and Connor Hughes’ snapshot from inside the box was held cleanly by keeper David Markey. Back came Glens and Michael McMullin and McKee combined down the left before the latter whipped the ball into the box where although David Blyth got a raised foot to it, the connection wasn’t clean and the chance was gone. The lively McKee chased down another ball into box only for the outrushing keeper Owen Stott to win the race.

The hosts then began to dominate the game in terms of possession and the chances on show.  On 13 minutes Jamie Barclay cracked a shot from inside the box which flew wide of the post and thundered off the advertising boards behind the goals. Soon after, Hughes burst down the right to the bye-line and fired a low ball across the face of the goal just beyond the incoming Cammy McNair while Ryan Nisbet was on hand to turn the ball behind for a corner kick which was headed high and wide of target by Dean Cairns. MacNair then forged his way through the middle before drilling a shot from 22 yards that drifted wide.

A brief respite for the visitors as Cameron McKenzie tried a speculative shot from distance that Stott collected comfortably.

Back came the Rabs and although Kerr McCormick’s corner was headed clear by Jamie McKernon the ball was won at the edge of the box by MacNair but his shot bounced off the ground before being grabbed by Markey. Minutes later, a high ball into the box was headed on by Jamie Barclay towards the corner of the six-yard box where Hughes met it sweetly on the drop only for Markey to rush from his line and bravely block the shot at the expense of a corner. McCormick curled the ball into the six-yard where Daniel O’Halloran tried to prod home at the near post only for it to deflect off Blyth’s back and over the bar. McMullin won the aerial battle for the corner that followed and Paul Paton mopped up the loose ball.

The Glens began to get back into the game as play raged back and forth albeit with defences on top. Paton released Nisbet down to the right to whip a wicked ball into the goalmouth where Scott Walker took no chances and headed clear as keeper Stott attempted to come off his line to gather.

The game entered a spell of play raging back and forth and with defences well on top clear cut chances were thin on the rain-soaked ground.

As the half drew to a close a handful of half chances came and went.  The first from open play when Calvin Kemp intercepted a pass in the centre circle and spotting Stott off his line launched the ball upfield only for the keeper to rush back and have time to steady himself on the line and keep his nerve to push the ball away and gather. The remaining chances were from set plays – McKernon’s free kick beat the wall but sailed wide of target while at the other end McCormick’s attempt to curl a free-kick into a packed box was overhit and in the last action of the half Paton headed clear another McCormick free kick.

HT Rob Roy 0 Glens 0

Although Glens kicked off it was the Rabs that were quick off the blocks through Michael Baber’s great run down the right holding of a couple of blue shirts before his cross was deflected out for a corner kick. Craig Pettigrew won the aerial battle with Cameron Henry at the back post before the ref awarded the Glens a free kick for an infringement.

On 48 minutes the Rabs broke the deadlock with Baber the architect. After trapping the ball wide on the right, he lobbed it high into the air for Derek McNab to rise and head the ball over Pettigrew’s head and into the path of Baber to complete an exquisite one-two before driving to the bye-line and drilling a low ball that evaded both defenders and attackers at the near post leaving the task of the tap-in to Kerr McCormick.

Glens made a change with David Blyth making way for Leon Murphy.

Two minutes later the visitors came within a whisker of drawing level. A long high ball into the Glens box was headed clear by Pettigrew and the ball gathered by McKenzie who rolled it back to Paton wide on the right from where he launched a long diagonal ball for McKee to gather on the left hand side of the box where he turned Baber one way and then the other before clipping a ball from 16 yards that beat the outstretched hand of Stott only to dip over the crossbar.

Soon after Paton switched play from right to left again to set up McKee’s run to the bye-line where he skipped past Baber then Barclay and as Henry closed-in he picked out Paton on the outskirts of the ‘D’ who tried to find McKenzie in the box only for Barclay to intercept and clear the danger.

Both sides mounted some slick fast flowing attacks without finding the desired end product.

McNab picked up the ball in the centre circle and weaved his way down left before picking out Baber in the middle only for the alert McKee to back track and block his shot from 25 yards. Kemp countered only for his run through the middle to end with a trip and McKernon’s free-kick was headed clear. Kemp and Nisbet then combined down the right to feed Murphy tight on the touch-line and whipped a glorious ball to the back post but just beyond the incoming McKee. Rabs responded through Cairns breaking from the half-way line and slipping the ball forward to McNab who took a touch before lashing a shot from the left-hand corner of the box forcing Markey to leap and push the ball over the bar; the corner kick came to nothing.

The momentum swung the Glens way with Nisbet and Murphy on the right and McMullin pushing forward to support McKee on the left.

Midway through the half Rob Roy brought on Colin Granger for Jamie Barclay

Glens continued to press with patient build up play switching the ball from wing to wing if required. Nisbet’s cross, intended for McKenzie and Murphy in the box, was headed out by Henry and McKee pounced to lash a shot that deflected off Henry for a corner. McKernon floated the kick from the left to the back post for the incoming Rowe only for O’Halloran to intercept and head wide for another corner. Murphy from the right then curled the ball into the goalmouth and although it dipped before Pettigrew could get fashion a header it bounced in front of Michael McMullin and with Henry at his back he showed great presence of mind to flick the ball with the outside of his foot and into the far corner of the net for his 3rd goal of the season; 1-1 on 74 minutes.

Rabs made a double substitution with Robbie Young and Ben Daily replacing Derek McNab and Connor Hughes. They responded well to the set back. Cairns broke down a Glens attack and Baber gathered the loose ball before breaking up the right and then slipping it to Young on the overlap to drive a low ball into the goalmouth which was cut out by Paton at the expense of a corner kick.  McCormick played it to the near post for Colin Granger where Rowe forced him to play it back to McCormick to float the ball to the back post where McMullin beat Henry in the air and Kemp pounced on the loose ball and laid it off to Murphy.  Every Glens player, apart from McKernon & McKenzie, at that moment was in their penalty box at the start of one of the finest counter-attacks witnessed in Glens colours – a thing of beauty!

Murphy rolled the ball out to McKernon triggering an exodus of blue shirts breaking in unison upfield. As Jambo reached the half way line, on the edge of the centre circle, he hit a diagonal forward pass for Kemp to chase while Murphy continued his run through the middle. Kemp then picked out McKenzie on the outskirts of the left-hand side of the box and as Baber caught up he threaded a perfectly weighted ball between him and the static Walker for the incoming Leon Murphy to slide in and guide the ball home with the sole of his boot between keeper and post from 8 yards out. Cue ecstatic celebrations. Glens 2-1 up on 76 minutes.

The visitors stayed focused and chased down every ball. McKernon’s determination saw him rob Cairns of the ball and knock it forward into the centre circle where both Henry and Barber looked joint favourites to win it, and although Henry did, McKee quickly stripped him of the ball to break through the middle holding off Barber all the while as he charged to the edge of the box and drilled a low shot that Stott saved on the six yard line.

The Glens had the Rabs chasing shadows for a period with Paton, McKernon and Kemp at the heart of some fine possession play as they patiently looked for another opening.

On 86 minutes the Rabs replaced Cammy MacNair with Ciaran McPherson) and found a second wind for a final push. Henry released Baber down the right who was quickly closed down by McMullin and the ball deflected off him for a corner kick. It was McMullin that won the header at the near post initiating a stramash for the loose ball in a packed box with the Glens defence standing firm. Rabs won their 10^th corner kick of the match soon after which was cleared at the near post by the tireless McKernon.

Two minutes into added time and Glens brought on James Martin for Cameron McKenzie and two minutes later the referee blew for full time. A fantastic fight-back to earn a great three points.

FT Rob Roy 1 Glens 2

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 5. Ollie Rowe 4. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 3. Michael McMullin 7. Sam McKee 6. Jamie McKernon 8. Paul Paton 10. Calvin Kemp 15. Ryan Nisbet 14. David Blyth 19. (Leon Murphy) Cameron McKenzie (James Martin). Subs Not Used: 2. Adam Caldwell 21. Jordan Ross.  Conor Cullen (gk).

KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY
1. Owen Stott 2. Scott Walker (captain) 3. Cameron Henry 4. Dean Cairns 5. Daniel O’Halloran 6. Jamie Barclay 7. Michael Baber 8. Cammy MacNair 9. Derek McNab 10. Connor Hughes 11. Kerr McCormick. Subs: 12. Robbie Young, 14. Ben Daily, 15. Colin Granger, 16. Alan Woodhouse 17. Jack Gordon, 18. Ciaran McPherson, 19. Jordan Duncan

Match Photos

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy v Glenafton Athletic