Glens travelled to the James McGrory Park, Glasgow to face St. Roch’s in their opening pre-season friendly.

The starting XI was David Markey (captain), Scott McLean, Alex McWaters and Dylan O’Kane along with 4 new summer signings – Luke McBeth, Gary Fraser, Ryan Sinnamon and Michael Moffat and 2 trialists. 

Glens travelled to the James McGrory Park, Glasgow to face St. Roch’s in their opening pre-season friendly.

The starting XI was David Markey (captain), Scott McLean, Alex McWaters and Dylan O’Kane along with 4 new summer signings – Luke McBeth, Gary Fraser, Ryan Sinnamon and Michael Moffat and 2 trialists.

Both sides created early chances with St. Roch’s first to show through a well-engineered volley from deep in the box forcing keeper David Markey to block with both hands.

Glens countered with a lightning-quick break down the left by Alex McWaters before cutting inside only for to curl a shot from the corner of the six-yard box only for the keeper to pull of a fine diving save. The visitors pressed again as Dylan O’Kane slipped a forward pass for Michael Moffat to gather and drive into the six yard only to be denied by a sliding tackle and The Candy cleared the corner-kick that followed.

Play continued to flow back and forth with defences on top and clear-cut chances were few and far between and often restricted to shots from distance, the best of which saw Candy’s No. 7 blast the ball from 25 yards that whizzed inches over the bar.

On 26 minutes St. Roch’s won a corner kick which saw Luke McBeth win another ball in the air and Gary Fraser clear the ball.

At the other end Fraser picked out Mick McMullin in space on the left who killed the ball before setting up a curling shot from 25 yards that sailed over the bar. Soon after McMullin chased back into his own box to cut out a dangerous ball at the expense of a corner which was headed wide by Jordan Thomson under pressure from Ryan Sinnamon.

Glens enjoyed a good spell with Moffat, O’Kane and McMullin combining in the box but the latter’s shot was blocked and the resultant corner came to nothing

Thomson then won a corner after a tussle with Markey which ended with his shot being deflected wide by the keeper and although this was cleared the home side continued to press but found no way through the Glens defence.

HT St. Roch’s 0 Glenafton 0

Glens made a number of changes Michael Moffat, Dylan O’Kane, Alex McWaters making way for Sam McKee, Paul Paton, trialist as well as Harvey Gilmour, the younger brother of Scotland star Billy Gilmour who was invited to join the team for the day. Billy was looking on from the side-lines when he wasn’t posing for selfies or signing shirts for excited young St. Roch’s supporters.

Young Harvey was soon in the thick of the action showing some great touches as Glens enjoyed some early pressure in the second half.

However, The Candy got into their swing and a free kick from just outside the corner of the box was whipped inches wide of the post

Back came Glens through a powerful run into box by Trialist before cutting the ball back to McMullin to drill a low powerful shot that whizzed wide of the back post.

On the hour mark The Candy broker the deadlock. After mopping up a Glens attack on the outskirts of their box Kieran Dawa launched a great ball upfield where Ben Dailly knocked it on for Eddie Ferns to push forward only for his path to be blocked by Trialist, however as he tumbled to the ground the ball rolled on into the box and the alert Dailly quickly pounced and clipped it over the outrushing Markie and into net.

Soon after St. Roch’s No.10 did well to on the outskirts of the box to set up a shot from the edge of the ‘D’ that dipped over the bar.

Glens then enjoyed a decent spell of possession but couldn’t create any openings at the other end. Indeed, one attack broke down near the corner flag and after a flowing break upfield Ferns rolled the ball deep into the box for Daily to tee up a shot, only for Paul Paton’s timely sliding tackle deflect the ball wide off the striker’s shins.

On 75 minutes Glens came close to drawing level after their best passing spell of the match. McLean gathered a throw-in from the right just inside St. Roch’s half and squared it to McKee who rolled it back to Sinnamon to slip the ball up the wing for McLean who in turn knocked it forward to McKee on the overlap tight on the touchline and although his attempted cross into the box was blocked, he instantly recovered the ball. Holding off the defender McKee zipped the ball back to Sinnamon to arrow a forward pass into the box (taking three defenders out of play) for the inrushing McLean who cut the ball back across the face of goal for the incoming McMullin only or the keeper and centre-back to clear the danger.

A brief water break was welcomed in the humid conditions and further substitutions including the return of some players that had been substituted!

Glens continued to push for the equaliser with McKee and McLean combining down the right again before the latter floated the ball into the box for McMullin but the cross was intercepted at the expense of a corner kick, which the keeper smothered in the six-yard box. Soon after play was switched from McKee on the right to McMullin on the right to blast a shot from 30 yards which dipped over the bar.

St. Roch’s countered with a great ball from the left to the far corner of the penalty box for No. 16 to chase and crack a low angled shot that Markey blocked before grabbing the loose ball.

Just before the final whistle McMullin tried another long effort from wide on the left that was cleanly clutched by the keeper.

FT St. Roch’s 1 Glenafton 0

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
David Markey, Trialist1, Luke McBeth, Trialist 2 (Trialist 3), Michael McMullin; Scott McLean, Gary Fraser, Alex McWaters (Invitee Harvey Gilmour), Ryan Sinnamon; Dylan O’Kane (Sam McKee), Michael Moffat (Trialis 4)

ST. ROCH’S

Match Photos

St. Roch’s v Glenafton Athletic