| Friday 14 Apr 2022 KO 2:00pm | Meadow Park, Irvine |
|---|---|
| Clydebuilt Home Improvements Scottish Junior Cup | Semi-Final |
| Glenafton Athletic 2 (0) | Kerr, Moffat |
| Cumnock Juniors 4 (1) | Frye (2 pens.), Moore, O.G. |
Glenafton made two changes from the 11 that started against Hurlford a fortnight ago. David Markey ame bak from injury to replace on-loan goalkeeper Aiden Glaven (who was cup-tied) while Hugh Kerr replaced Sam McKee up front. On the Glens bench was mid-week signing goalkeeper Craig Burns who played for the Glens for a spell in 2018/19 and the short-lived 2019/20 season.
Captaining Cumnock Juniors was former Glenafton defender Kyle McAusland who played four seasons at the club including the 2016/17 treble-winning season. Also lining up for the ‘Nock was midfielder Findlay Frye who had two spells at the Glens including in the 2013/14 team that were runners-up in the Scottish Junior Cup.
The two sides met each other in the Scottish Junior Cup 2nd Round last season where Cumnock ran out winners at Townhead Park after a penalty shoot-out. Penalties would again play a huge part in the outcome of this match albeit within the 90 minutes of regulation play.
Cumnock started off strongly and won a number of set-pieces in the early encounters including an overhit corner kick, a free-kick that was clutched cleanly by keeper David Markey and another that fizzled out.
However, Glenafton quickly grew into the game and were soon on the front foot looking a greater threat in front of goal. On 10 minutes Leon Murphy broke through the middle before picking out Paul Paton to fire a shot from 25 yards to heat keeper Jamie Barclay’s hands.
Four minutes later Michael Moffat held off Kyle McAusland to burst into the box to drill a low angled shot that Barclay did well to finger-tip the ball sending across the length of goal mouth before drifting wide of the back post. Scott McLean clipped the corner-kick to the near post where Craig Pettigrew outjumped two defenders only for his header to dip inches over the bar.
The Glens continued to press with another flowing move beginning from the back with Pettigrew sending a powerful header down the left for Moffat to chase down and then roll the ball inside to Paton who quickly switched play to McLean tight on the right who took his time to tee up a perfectly weighted cross to the back post which eluded Barclay and McAusland only for the incoming Alex McWaters to guide his header wide of the post.
Soon after Mick McMullin burst into the left has side of the box to thunder a low shot that Mark McLennan blocked with an outstretched leg and the ball cleared momentarily before Paton snapped it up and curled it down the right for McLean to feed it into the busy box only for it to pop back out and the cycle repeated. Paton picked out McLean again who pinged it to the back post where McAusland’s clearing headed was won by Moffat who rolled it to Murphy only for his shot from 18 yards to be deflected over that bar for a corner. Murphy took the kick which took a vicious bounce at the near post to fall kindly for the alert McWaters at the back post only for his dipping to header to crash off the post, before being hoofed clear – all with just 14 minutes on the clock!
Play then ebbed back and forth with a few decent chances on show.
Cammy Ross on the left whipped a high ball to the far post for the incoming Jordan Moore but with McMullin for company Markey managed to push it out the right where Findlay Frye quickly fired the ball deep into the box which was headed cleared by Rowe only for the ball to be quickly returned to the box where Greg Ferry high looping header into the six-yard box was clutched from the head of Moore by Markey.
At the other end Moffat whipped a ball into the six-yard box for the inrushing Kerr only for McAusland to intervene and head clear for a corner kick which concluded with McMullin’s volley, under pressure from McLennan, sailing high over the bar.
Back came ‘Nock and on 33 minutes they came close to breaking the deadlock. A corner kick from the left was met at the back post by McAusland only for his diving header to be blocked on the line by Adam Caldwell and Cumnock claims it had crossed that line waved away.
Glens responded through McWaters intercepting a mis-hit square pass and slipping the ball forward to Kerr who delivered a perfect pass to Moffat to crack a low shot from 22 yards that had Barclay scurrying along his line to push the ball round the post for a corner that was well defended.
Another Cumnock claim for a goal was waved away after Jared Willet’s free kick floated into the box was headed across the face of goal by McLennan and the ball poked into the net by Moore, but clearly from an offside position.
However, soon after Andy McLaughlin broke into the left-hand side of the box only to be stripped of the ball with a strong tackle form Caldwell and as Willet attempted to retrieve the loose ball the defender outstretched his leg to win the ball back bringing down Willet in the process. Frye stepped up to slot the spot-kick beyond the reach of Markey to put Cumnock ahead on 43 minutes.
As both sides trooped off at half-time it was hard to take in that the Glens found themselves behind at the break.
Glens 0 Cumnock 1
(sorry to dark for my camera in the second half)
The New Cumnock side started the new half with some patient build up play without creating any chances only for the Old Cumnock side to double their lead on 53 minutes in controversial circumstances.
Frye cushioned a cute forward pass for Moore to gather and progress into the box only to be felled by Rowe’s slide tackle. It was Frye that stepped up again to take the spot kick and although he sent Markey the wrong way the keeper blocked the shot with his foot sending the ball high into the air and McLaughlin headed it back toward goal where Frye’s header looped over the bar. A huge sense of relief engulfed the Glens and their supporters, lifting their spirits only to be dashed by an assistant referee flag deeming that keeper had moved off his line before the kick. Credit to Frye he stepped up again and slotted the ball home and the change in fortunes were there witnessed – Cumnock on a high and Glens deflated.
The game now passed them by for a period and was interrupted on 58 minutes after Cumnock’s Greg Ferry lost his footing, fell awkwardly on his elbow and was clearly in some distress in front of Glens dug-out from where physio immediately Laura Pagan rushed to provide treatment. Glens’ manager Ryan Stevenson joined her to see if he could assist, only for the assistant referee to run down the touchline to order him back into the technical area. Ferry was eventually taken down the tunnel and substituted.
Glens also made a substitution with Alex McWaters making way for Sam McKee. On a brief foray upfield McMullin whipped a ball in from the left which was met by Kerr only for header to be well held by Barclay.
Midway through the half Cumnock extended their lead to 3-0 after a corner kick on the left was launched to the back post for McAusland to clip the ball back into the goal mouth and Jordan Moore lash an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.
On 75 minutes Willet floated a corner kick, from the right this time, to the back post where although Rowe won the ball in the air unchallenged, he skewed his header sending the ball high into the goalmouth over Markey’s head and despite Pettigrew’s best efforts he could not prevent it dipping it into the net for 4-0. Rowe then hobbled off the park to be replaced by Dylan O’Kane.
The Glens mustered a couple of half chances the first of which saw Moffat kill a McMullin cross on his chest before swivelling and firing a shot that went wide of target. Soon after Paton picked out Murphy and the midfielder drove forward before drilling a low shot from 25 yards, which drifted wide of target.
At the other end the two Cumnock substitutes combined to set up a close range shot from deep in the box only for Markey to block with the sole of his boot.
Glens showed some soul of their own in the dying embers of the match. McKee played a one-two with Paton tight on the right wing before whipping a glorious ball into the box which Hugh Kerr in space flicked a perfectly placed header into the net before McAusland barged him to the ground; 4-1 on 90 minutes.
A minute later Paton clipped a free-kick deep into a busy box where a powerful McAusland header sent the ball back out the box for McLean to meet on his drop and although his fierce shot looked set to go wide of the left post Moffat took the heat out of it to casually side foot the ball into the net.
The scoring had come to an end and soon after an eventful Scottish Junior Cup Semi-final drew to a close with Cumnock Juniors progressing to the final.
FT Glens 2 Cumnock 4
The Glens will look back on the early chances in the first half but Nock’s ‘3rd’ penalty set them up to dominate most of the second half and run out worthy winners. Congratulations to Cumnock and good luck in the final where they will face Rutherglen Glencairn.
| Glenafton Athletic |
|---|
| 1. David Markey 2. Adam Caldwell 22. Ollie Rowe (18. Dylan O’Kane) 4. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 35. Mick McMullin 3. Scott McLean 6. Alex McWaters (7. Sam McKee) 8. Paul Paton 11. Leon Murphy 9. Hugh Kerr 15. Michael Moffat . Subs: Craig Burns (gk), Callum McFadyen, Ryan Nisbet, Gavin Russel (gk) |
| Cumnock Juniors |
|---|
| Jamie Barclay, Mark McLennan, Kyle McAusland (captain), Greg Ferry, Jared Willet; Ryan Carnwarth, Findlay Frye, Jamie Wilson, Andy McLaughlin; Jordan Moore, Cammy Ross Subs: Adam Strain, Steven Tart, Ryan McLean, Grant Dickie. Jamie Dolan, Graham Boyd. Jamie Conn |
| More Match Photos |
| Glenafton Athletic v Cumnock Juniors |
Glenafton Athletic 