Sat 04 Mar 2023 KO 2:00pm	Loch Park ,New Cumnock
PDM Buildbase WOSFL Premier League	Match 20
Glenafton Athletic 1 (0)	Kerr
Beith Juniors 2 (1))	O’Neil, Fowler

Prior to kick-off a minute’s silence was held in memory of Glenafton supporter James ‘Curly’ Brown who sadly passed away recently.

Glenafton made four changes to the eleven that started against Irvine Meadow on Wednesday evening with Craig Pettigrew (injured), Calvin Kemp (injured), Michael Moffat, and Sean McKenzie making way for Scott McLean (returning from injury), Sam McKee, Leon Murphy and Alex McWaters – making his first start for the club.  On the bench for Beith was keeper Michael McKinven who signed for the Glens before the club decided to close down for the ill-fated 2020/21 season while also in the squad, but not stripped was former Glenafton striker Kit Cummins.

The visitors took the lead on 3 minutes after a free kick from the left was clipped to the near post where Blair Rossiter set up Daniel O’Neil to find the net from a few yards out.

Play went back and forth throughout the half interspersed with free-kicks often loudly debated by the supporters of either side as was the case with those free-kicks not given!

Josh Fowler chased a ball down the right and cut inside along the goal-line forcing David Markey to rush to the edge of the six-yard box to block the cut-back and then pounce on the loose ball.

Glens Sam McKee whipped a ball from the right, high and deep into the busy box where keeper Owen Stott leapt to cleanly clutch the ball from the head of Hugh Kerr.  

At the other end Andy Monk drilled a low shot from the edge of the ‘D’ which Markey got down low to comfortably hold.

Back came Glens and Paul Paton’s free-kick into the box, where although Mick McMullin won the aerial battle his high looping header dropped inches wide of the junction of post and bar.

Beith responded through Connor McGlinchey’s perseverance to keep possession of the ball on the outskirts of the box and get his shot away, with 3 Glens defenders closing down, only for it to sail over the bar.

The home side built from the back through Leon Murphy and Scott McLean combining deep on the left before the latter floated a ball into the six yard box where Hugh Kerr leapt between two defenders only for his header to slip wide of the post.

Beith countered through Ruaridh Langan chasing down a ball and riding a sliding tackle from McMullin on the edge of the ‘D’ . With the referee playing advantage Langan advanced into the box to tee up a shot only to lose his footing and fall to the ground while the ball was blocked by Dean Currie. A stramash followed and as Langan got back to his feet he was quickly surrounded by 3 red shirts and the chance was gone.

Soon after Monk nicked the ball from Ollie Rowe deep in the left-hand side of the Glens box before firing a vicious shot from a tight angle only for Markey to pull off a super save and mop up the loose ball before Fowler could pounce.

His counter-part Stott was then in the thick of the action. A high ball into box saw McGlinchley, under pressure from Alex McWaters, hook the ball back out only to be met on the drop by Paul Paton and from 25 yards out he thundered what seemed to be a goal bound shot but for the intervention of the keeper on his six yard line to leap and finger-tip the ball wide of the target and then race to prevent the corner as the lively McWaters closed in.

A further stramash in a packed Glens box saw Adam Caldwell clear the ball, as Frize looked to tee up a shot from six yards,  only for Rossiter to recover it and drive to the bye-line where his cut back was deflected for a corner from which Langan’s header sailed high over the bar.

Two minutes later Rossiter’s corner kick was met by Scot Rough on the six yard line and although his glancing header was heading wide of the back post the crouching Declan Hughes tried to divert it goalward only for the ball to loop high over the bar.

Straight up the park and McLean curled a corner into the heart of the six-yard box where Currie got between Stott and Fowler to send a header, inches over the bar – hands on the head stuff.

Play raged back and forth in the closing minutes of the half with defences on top. Murphy and McKee combined down the left to pick out McLean a foot-step outside the box only to be bundled to the ground by Frize. McLean set up to take the free-kick and questioned the referee regardin the distance the wall was from the ball to no avail (despite the marker that the penalty spot is 6 yards from the 18 yard line!) In any case McLean drilled the ball low into the wall and then blasted the rebound which was deflected out for a corner. Rowe met Murphy’s kick at the back post to send a high looping header to the other post where a posse of players from both sides were congregated – it was perhaps Stott that got a hand to the ball and push it wide along the goal-line before  it was eventually scrambled clear.

HT Glens 0 Beith 1

Glens got the half off to a flying start when McLean from wide on the left whipped a high ball into the box for the heavily marked Kerr but it was the incoming McKee that met it on the drop and from 7 yards guided the ball high towards the top left -hand corner of the net only for Stott in the nick of time leap and with an outstretched arm got a hand to flick the ball over the bar.  

McLean clipped the corner to the near post for the incoming McMullin at the near post but his shot was deflected wide by McGlinchey. McLean’s corner from the left again was headed clear out box before the ball was recovered by the Glens and chipped back in for Kerr to beat McGlinchley in the air only for his header to be tipped over the bar through another fine save from Stott. This corner was also cleared and recovered before McMullin’s cross was deflected wide for a fourth corner in a three minute spell which ended with Stott cleanly collecting the ball.

Some respite for Beith as they too won a corner but Kerr cleared that with a powerful header at the near post to set up a counter-attack which ended with McWaters weaving his way into the right hand side of the box only for Rough to intercept at the expense of yet another corner.

Murphy clipped it to the corner of the six-yard box for McMullin and although he couldn’t get his head to the ball, he chose instead to dummy it and let it bounce onwards into the heart of the box where Hugh Kerr was quickest to react beating Frize to the ball and drilling a low shot home from 6 yards out through a ruck of players and into the net. Glens pressure paying off and the game was all square on 53 minutes.

Beith brought on Lewis Barclay for Ruaridh Langan.

Played then ebbed back and forth for a period with few clear chances on show and although Stott had made some stunning saves, he lived dangerously with a couple of clearances, under pressure from McWaters, as he raced from his line.

Midway through the half McWaters with a perfectly weighted pass took two defenders out of play to release Murphy down the left to break into the box and 4 yards from the bye-line he squared the ball for the inrushing Caldwell only for Kian Burns to intercept and O’Neill mop up the danger.

Caldwell then chased down a long kick-out from Markey down the right and hooked the ball into the box for McWaters only for Rough to cut out the danger at the expense of a corner which was cleared.

Kerr beat Rough in the air to send a header into the box that McWaters chased down with O’Neill and McGlinchey on his heels and after initially holding them off, the latter gained control of the ball only to lose his footing and the ref penalised McWaters.

On 73 minutes Beith regained the lead. A throw on the left, from a few yards short of the bye-line, was headed on by Rowe and Monk leapt to nod the ball down into the six yard where Josh Fowler tpounced to lash the balll home from close range – Glenafton’s strong appeals that he done so from an offside position were waved away.

The visitors replaced Blair Rossiter with Steven Noble.

Back came Glens and McWaters won a corner kick on the left that was knocked out for another corner which was won in the air by Rowe and then his attempt to bury the loose ball was blocked in a packed six yard box by Rough. The ball was then headed out the box by Barclay only for Paton to hook it high back into the danger area from where Kerr’s header drifted wide of target.

Beith countered with a break down the left before the ball was drilled low across the face of goal beating Markey at his near post and Monk looked certain for a tap-in at the back post but failed to connect under pressure from McMullin.

The visitors then enjoyed a good spell of pressure. Markey had to be on his toes to leap and tip a cross from the right over the bar. The corner was played to the far side where although Frize’s attempt to clip it back into the danger area was blocked by McLean he recovered the ball well to fire it across the face of goal past Markey at his post only for Currie to hook it off the line and prevent Barclay scoring from close range.

On 81 minutes Beith made a double substitution with Calum Watt coming on for Paul Frize and Nicky Docherty replacing Kian Burns. Two minutes later Glens replaced Sam McKee with Sean McKenzie.

Glens pressed for a spell but there was little room for manoeuvre against a well drilled defence. Paton played a one-two with Caldwell before floating a ball into the box only for Kerr’ header to be well held by Stott.

At the other end a great into the box for Barclay was cut-out by a powerful two-fisted punch from Markey.

On 86 minutes Glens made a final change with defender Adam Caldwell making way for Michael Moffat. The home side pushed forward in numbers without fashioning an effort on goal and were almost caught out on the counter-attack after Monk slipped the ball wide to Fowler to crack a low angled shot that Markey smothered at his near post.

Four minutes into added time and the final push by the home side saw them win a free-kick inside the Beith half as players from both sides lined up along the 18 yard line and as Murphy floated a high ball into box the line advanced goalward while Stott progress from his goal-line to leapt and clutch the ball with both hands before falling to the ground and holding his prize tightly seconds before the final whistle.

FT Glens 1 Beith 2

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 22. Ollie Rowe 20. Dean Currie 35. Michael McMullin 2. Adam Caldwell ( 15.Michael Moffat) 8. Paul Paton (captain) 3. Scott McLean 11. Leon Murphy; 9. Hugh Kerr 6. Alex McWaters 7. Sam McKee (16.Sean McKenzie) Subs: 5. Craig Pettigrew, Ryan Nisbet 18. Dylan O’Kane. 19. Cameron McKenzie, Callum McFadyen

BEITH JUNIORS
1. Owen Stott 2. Conner McGlinchley 3. Kian Burns (12. Nick Docherty) 4. Scot Rough 5. Daniel O’Neill 6. Declan Hughes 7. Ruaridh Langan (17. Lewis Barclay) 8. Paul Frize (15. Calum Watt) 9. Josh Fowler 10. Blair Rossiter (14. Steven Noble) 11. Andy Monk. Subs: 16. Robbie Scullion, 18. Carlo Monti, 21. Michael McKinven

More Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Beith Juniors