Saturday 19 Nov 2022 KO 1:30pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock
Trade Radiators South Challenge Cup	3rd Round
Glenafton Athletic 1 (0)	McKernon
Kinnoull 0 (0)

Prior to kick-off manager Ryan Stevenson and club physio Laura Pagan posed with the New Cumnock Striders, one of today’s match ball sponsors. The Striders often make use of The Hunter Suite after some of their walks.

Ryan also posed with Gordon Kilpatrick and a group of his friends from the Morpeth area, who also sponsored the match ball. Gordon often returns to New Cumnock to follow the Glens and enjoy hospitality in The Hunter Suite.

The Glens made four changes to the side that started against Glenvale last Saturday.  In cam Leon Murphy, David Blyth, Sam McKee and Sean McKenzie for Aldin El-Zubaidi, Dean Currie, Hugh Kerr and Dylan O’Kane.

Glenafton faced Kinnoull in the first match between the two clubs. The Perth side currently sit in 7^th placE in the East of Scotland First Division, six points behind leaders Dunbar United.

Kinnoull kicked-off but it was the home side that were quickly on the front foot winning a corner-kick in the first minute after Sean McKenzie gathered a header into the box from his brother Cameron only for his shot at goal to be deflected wide. He then headed Jamie McKernon’s kick high into the air and although Ollie Rowe won the loose ball his cut back into the goal mouth drifted wide.

A minute later S. McKenzie showed defender Liam Wooley a clean pair of heels as he burst into the box but his shot from 12 yards was parried away on the six yard-line by keeper Jordi Duncan who then pounced to clutch the ball before the inrushing David Blyth could get a touch. A minute after Leon Murphy whipped a great ball into the box where C. McKenzie got between two defenders but his header from the penalty spot sailed wide of the post.

The home side continued press while at the other end a low shot from Mark Smith was comfortably held by keeper David Markey

Back came Glens and Blyth’s cross from the right was headed out for a corner which in turn was headed out at the back post by Liam Wooley for another corner which ended with Michael McMullin’s header sailing over the bar on 15 minutes. Jamie McKernon played a one-two with Blyth before firing a shot from 20 yards through a busy box that slipped wide of the post and soon after the McKenzie brothers combined brilliantly in the box before Cameron curled a shot from 10 yards that forced Duncan into another fine save pushing it wide for a throw-in.

Midway through the half Kinnoull broke upfield and although Patrick Brown managed to break into the right-hand side of the box, Murphy and McMullin manage to strip of the ball which was later recovered for the visitors by Gregor Donald on the left hand of the box but his advance was ended by Adam Caldwell’s timely tackle. At the other end the McKenzies combined again to set up a shot for Sean from 18 yards that whizzed just wide of the post.

Kinnoull countered through the middle with a decent move that ended with Smith winning a free-kick at the edge of the ‘D’ following a challenge from Rowe. Kyle Wooley’s kick beat the wall and seemed destined for the top corner only for Markey to leap and push the ball over the bar. The corner-kick fell kindly into the keeper’s bread basket and the danger was gone.

At the other end Paul Paton clipped a great ball from the right for Sam McKee on the left to drive to the bye-line before cutting the ball back to C. McKenzie on the corner of the six-yard box and although he was quickly dispossessed the ball fell for Paton now at the edge of the ‘D’ blasted a shot that was blocked and eventually scrambled clear.

The visitors then pressed for a spell and although Smith and then Donal dmanaged to win balls in the Glens’ box, they were both soon repelled by the home defence. Anthony Holt then snapped up the ball on the outskirts of the box and squared the ball to Kyle Wooley but under pressure from Murphy he dragged his low shot from 18 yards well wide of target.

The hosts then dominated the closing ten minutes of the half. Caldwell from deep on the right clipped the ball upfield for McKee to gather and skip past a defender before breaking into the left- hand side of the box and cutting the ball across the six-yard line which was missed by attackers and defenders alike until arriving at the incoming Blyth on the far corner of the six-yard box only for his low-drilled angle shot to slip past the far post with the keeper stranded at the near post. Soon after, the young midfielder got back on his bike to pounce on a headed clearance and fire a shot from 22 yards that drifted wide of the same post.

Some controversy then followed after a long clearance by McMullin was headed on by Sean McKenzie beyond the line of the four defenders and chased down by brother Cameron, who looked a good two yards offside. However, with no flag raised, he pressed forward but couldn’t get the better off Duncan who had advanced to the six-yard line to block his shot and then smother the loose ball. He too got back on his bike, breaking into the left-hand side twisting and turning before clipping the ball into the six-yard bow where his brother Sean’s header bounced off the head of a defender before another booted the ball over the bar to start of three corner-kicks for Glens in quick succession, none of which broke the deadlock.

HT Glens 0 Kinnoull 0

The home side quickly increased their corner count to six after C. McKenzie’s shot from close range was deflected wide before Murphy’s kick was headed cleared.  Soon after C. McKenzie pushed down the right and hooked a high ball into the box that McKee met on the drop sending the ball skidding off the ground which although Duncan fumbled, he quickly recovered the ball. The keeper then did well to rise and claw the ball away from the head of S. McKenzie at the edge of the six-yard box.

On 55 minutes Anthony Holt trapped a headed clearance on the centre circle before stabbing the ball forward to Brown who then took a few touches before unleashing a shot from 25 yards that sailed well over the bar.

Glens then pressed for a period in which the won three corner kicks in a five-minute spell through Blyth, C. McKenzie and McKee with each in turn repelled by the Kinnoull defence.

At the other ended McMullin and Brown had another coming together at the edge of the box but the visitor’s free kick fizzled out and back came Glens.  C. McKenzie forced his way to the bye-line only for his cut-back to be grabbed by Duncan. 

Good build up play deep in the right between Paton and Blyth and then McKernon and Caldwell ended with the latter clipping a dangerous ball into the box which C. McKenzie laid back to McKee only for his shot from the edge of the box to be deflected over the bar. Although Sean Fergus headed the corner clear the ball was quickly returned to the heart of the box where McMullin’s shot from 10 yards was deflected wide taking the corner count to 12, and this too was cleared.

On 77 minutes Glens brought on Ryan Nisbet for David Blyth and he was soon in the thick of the action floating a high ball deep into the six-yard box that Duncan did well to clutch from the head of McMullin and hold cleanly as the fell to the goal-line.

S. McKenzie burst into the left-hand side of the box and chipped the ball into the six yard box for brother Cameron where Adam Frydrychooz intercepted to power header to the edge of the box where Paton tried to lay it back to McKernon only for substitute Ben Ragan to handle the ball, a yard outside the box, on the left-side of the ‘D’.  Up-stepped Jamie McKernon to blast a free-kick which appeared to go through the wall and into the far corner of the net beyond the reach of Duncan. Glens 1-0 up on 84 minutes.

The visitor replied with a sense of urgency with a shot from Smith that was deflected wide for a corner kick which ended with Ragan’s glancing header at the near post flash wide of the back post.

Play raged back and forth in the closing minutes as the visitors looked to stay in the tie. However, it was the home side that came close to adding their tally after McKee cut in from the left and squared to Nisbet to push forward to corner of penalty box and clip a super ball to the far post for the incoming S. McKenzie to bullet a header from 3 yards out only for Duncan to pull off a terrific point-blank save before Frydrychooz cleared the loose ball.

FT Glens 1 Kinnoull 0

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 2. Adam Caldwell 5. Ollie Rowe 3. Michael McMullin 11. Leon Murphy 14. David Blyth (15. Ryan Nisbet) 6. Jamie McKernon (captain) 8. Paul Paton 7. Sam McKee 16. Sean McKenzie 19. Cameron McKenzie  Subs not used: 4. Craig Pettigrew 9. Hugh Kerr 17. James Martin 18. Dylan O’Kane 33. Aldin El-Zubaidi

KINNOULL
20. Jordi Duncan 2. Kyle Wooley 3. Sean Burton 4. Gregor Donald 5. Liam Wooley 6. Cammy Robertson 7. Patrick Brown 8. Anthony Holt 9. Mark Smith 19.  Adam Frydrychooz 18. Sean Fergus SUBS: 10. Jamie McKenzie 11. Ben Ragan 12. C. Scott 14. Paul Anderson 15. Fraser Morrison 16. T. McCluskey 17. Adin Phillips

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Kinnoull