SCOTTISH GAS	SCOTTISH CUP	PRELIM ROUND 2
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Darvel	3 (1)	McShane, Cairns, Murphy
Sat 02 SEP 2023	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Prior to kick-off a minute’s silence was held in memory former Glenafton goalkeeper Roger Niven who recently passed away peacefully. Roger played in the great Glens side of the early 1960’s and played in the Scottish Junior Cup in 1962/63 the biggest game in the club’s history at that time.

Today marked the first game with Mark Roberts as the new Glenafton manager having stepped up from his role as assistant manager following Ryan Stevenson’s resignation last week-end. Mark made 4 changes to the eleven that started against St. Cadoc’s last Saturday with Zak Ross, Ryan Sinnamon and Alex McWaters making way for Michael McMullin, Luke McBeth and Ollie Rowe while with keeper David Markey on holiday former Glenafton keeper Conor Cullen returned for one game.

Lots of hard work behind the scenes resulted in Glenafton being granted membership of the SFA in in June of this year and thereby gaining entry into the draw for the Preliminary Rounds of the Scottish Cup. The Glens have played in the competition in Season 2017/18 having gained entry as West Region Premier Division Champions & Scottish Junior Cup Winners and after progressing through 4 rounds fell at the 3^rd round, losing out 2-0 at Championship side Livingston; who went on to gain promotion to the Premier Division that season.

Of course, Darvel, our visitors today were the ‘Talk of the Tournament’ last season after arguably causing the greatest upset in the history of the competition after defeating Premier Division side Aberdeen 1-0 at Recreation Park in the 4^th round. Sadly, Falkirk in the next round may have shattered their cup dreams but not their lasting memories of a famous campaign.

In the Darvel dug-out was former Glens striker David Winter now assistant manager at the Irvine Valley side while on the bench was former Glens player Leon Murphy who made the move to Recreation Park in the summer and although he scored against the Glens in the opening game of the season it was the New Cumnock side that brought the 3 points home.

Michael Moffat kicked off for the Glens with Loch Park bathed in the September sunshine. Both sides had ventured forth without threatening until as early as 3 minutes when Stephen Bronsky intercepted a ball upfield and from just inside his own half powered a perfectly weighted header back up the park over the heads of Luke McBeth and Craig Pettigrew for Jordan Moore to chase down the ball and burst into the box, drawing Conor Cullen from his line, but under pressure from McBeth the striker sent the shot well wide of the post from close range.

The visitors continued to press and Scott Ferguson broke forward to the edge of the box only to be robbed off the ball by Paul Paton before tumbling down (not for the last time!) only for the ball to drift into the path of Ross Caldwell breaking into the right-hand side of the box but again Paton won the tackle and although Caldwell quickly retrieved the ball his cross to the back post was clutched under the bar by Cullen.

Glens responded through Ollie Rowe flicking a header to the outskirts of the box for Moffat and Sam McKee only for Bronsky to beat them to it and bomb another header upfield but back came the ball again and Bronsky hooked it clear again.

Darvel countered through Ferguson pushing forward before feeding Graham Wilson on the outskirts of box who then set off on a diagonal run that came to an end after a coming together with Paton, the Glens player appeared to get a touch of the ball before a clash of knees.  A free-kick was awarded about 22 yards out and up stepped Ian McShane to shine by arrowing a low shot, inches off the ground and inches wide of the left-hand side of the wall (from his perspective) and in at the post beyond the reach of the keeper. Darvel 1-0 up, 13 minutes.

Bronsky broke down a couple of Glens attacks bulleting a header clear as Moffat challenged and then beating Fraser to a through ball and launch it to safety.

On 18 minutes the visitors had decent chance to double their lead as Moore burst into the left hand side of the box to drill a low shot from the corner of the six yard only to be foiled by Cullen block with his foot that deflected the ball across the face of the goalmouth to be mopped up by Mick McLaughlin.

Soon after the visitors won a corner on the right than McShane floated into a packed six yard where Bronsky for once came out second best in the aerial battle, on this occasion with McBeth. The loose ball as they say was recycled but Glens stood firm as Ferguson jinked along the 18 yard line but his shot was blocked by Paton’s instep, sending him tumbling down again and for good measure swung a leg at Paton as he tried to step over him

Glens were struggling to find a way into the Darvel box from open play while a free kick from the left floated high to the back post was headed clear by Bronsky.

Nevertheless, in the closing 15 minutes of the half the home side were seeing more of the ball in the Darvel half.  

On 35 minutes O’Kane burst down the right flank chasing a ball that Mark Sideserf looked favourite to win, but not only did the young striker win the race he sent Sideserf one way and then another before whipping the ball from the corner flag to the back post where Rowe outleapt Bronsky sending the ball high into the air to descend at the near post where David Syme headed it high back into the air for Ross Barbour then to head it clear of the box.

Darvel broke forward in numbers but were unable to unpick a well drilled defence to set up any shooting opportunities.

O’Kane then repeated his run down the right touchline with Syme on this occasion looking favourite to win the ball but could only do so by bringing the striker down some 5 yards from the bye-line. Scott McLean clipped the free-kick to the near post where Syme redeemed himself by heading it clear a Pettigrew challenged.

Soon after keeper Andrew Wilson had to race from his line as Moffat chased a loose ball only for the grounded Bronsky to somehow hook it clear. McLean then floated a high ball deep into the box where Rowe leapt between Wilson and Bronsky and although the keeper initially caught the ball with outstretched arms, he finally got it under control as he fell to the ground.

McKee and Moffat combined down the right before the latter clipped the ball into the box where Rowe held off the challenge from Barbour to guide the ball to the left-hand side of the box where O’Kane pounced only for his shot to dip over the bar and land on the roof of the net.

McMullin gathered the ball on the left before cutting inside and playing it forward for Moffat on the 18 yard line who laid it off to O’Kane on the left to roll it back to Fraser to line a shot from 25 yards out. This was blocked by Dean Cairns sending the ball high into the air forcing Wilson to rush from the line and leap above Moffat and Syme to push the ball back high into the air again and descending towards the gaping goal only for Bronsky to intercept and clear it out the box.

Back came Glens and McLean burst down the right and into the box to blast a low angled shot that keeper Wilson did well to get down low and hold with both hands.

HT Glens 0 Darvel 1

Play flowed back and forward at a pace with sun continuing to beat down.

Although Darvel were first to threaten after Moore’s effort from a tight angle slipped wide of the post it was the Glens that came close to levelling on 53 minutes after winning a free-kick on the left touchline some 18 yards from the corner-flag. Fraser floated the ball high into the box and McBeth leapt high above Syme to bullet a header that beat the keeper but thundered off the post and Graham Wilson mopped up the rebound.

The visitors then enjoyed a good spell of pressure with a lung-busting run deep from his own half into the Glens box by Barbour chased by McKee who stuck to his task and blocked the intended pass to Moore. Dean Cairns, McShane and Wilson combined to set up Ferguson at the edge of the box only to lose his footing again under pressure from Paton. Soon after with Darvel forward in numbers Syme tried a long-range header to catch Cullen off his line, but the ball fell safely into his hands.

On 58 minutes the visitors passed up a golden chance to double their lead. Moore cut deep into the box from the left before clipping a great ball across the face of goal, taking out two defenders and the keeper, for the inrushing Ross Caldwell with the goal at his mercy, but under pressure from McMullin his shot from a few yards out flew over the bar.

Some respite for the Glens defence as O’Kane broke through the middle only for his attempt to pick out Rowe in the box to be cleared by Barbour which Moffat quickly snapped up and slipped the ball down the left for McKee to whip it back into the box but Rowe was denied again as Syme intercepted to hook the ball over his own bar; the corner was cleared.

Back came Darvel in lethal fashion to double their lead on 64 minutes. Glens lost possession on the left-hand side of their box and the ball lwas aid off for the incoming Dean Cairns to step past McMullin before thrashing the ball home from 12 yards out.

On 70 minutes Ferguson was fouled on the edge on the box and picked himself up from off the ground to curl a superb free kick over the wall that Cullen could only watch as the ball battered off the inside of the top of the back post and ultimately cleared.

At the other end McKee picked out O‘Kane on the edge of the ‘D’ with blue shirts closing, he elected to drive a low shot from 22 yards and although the keeper got down to block it, he let the ball squirm out his hands and was glad to see it roll inches wild of the post.

McLean played the corner short to McKee and picked up the return pass before completing the one-two for McKee to fire a shot from the corner of the penalty box that whizzed beyond the finger-tips of Wilson at full stretch and inches wide of the far post.

On 73 minutes Glens brought on defender Zak Ross for Sam McKee who took up the right back position with McLean taking up McKee’s role on the left wing. Darvel also made a number of substitutions including bringing on former Glens player Leon Murphy.

Soon after Murphy and McLean gave chase to a ball down the left wing and there was a coming together as McLean tumbled to the ground as looked to breach the six-yard box but McLean’s appeal for a penalty were waved away by the referee.

Murphy responded at theother end with a curling shot from the right-hand side corner of the box that curled wide of the far post.

O’Kane then burst down the right wing only to be held back by substitute Danny O’Halleron and the free kick floated to the back-post where Rowe’s header was cleared.

In the closing minutes Glens made a triple substitution with Alan Frizzel, Alex McWaters and Ryan Sinnamon coming on for Gary Fraser, Ollie Rowe and Dylan O’Kane.

On 93 minutes Darvel substitute Jamie Glasgow played a fast-flowing one-two with fellow substitute Thomas Reilly to break into box and set-up a close-range shot that was well held by Cullen.

However, a minute later it was Glasgow that slipped the ball to Leon Murphy to take a touch before drilling low shot from the edge of box that although Cullen got a hand to, the ball finished in the net. Darvel 3-0 on 94 minutes.  

The final whistle blew soon after.

FT Glenafton 0 Darvel 3

Good luck to Darvel in the next round.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. Conor Cullen 2. Scott McLean 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 4. Luke McBeth 3. Michael McMullin; 18. Dylan O’Kane (10. Alex McWaters) 8. Gary Fraser (11. Ryan Sinnamon) 6. Paul Paton 7. Sam McKee (15. Zak Ross); 20. Ollie Rowe (16. Alan Frizzel) 9. Michael Moffat.  Sub: 17. Stuart Leavy(gk)

DARVEL
21. Andrew Wilson 2. Ross Barbour 4. David Syme 5. Stephen Bronsky 14. Mark Sideserf 6. Ian McShane 8. Dean Cairns 9. Jordan Moore 15. Graham Wilson 17. Scott Ferguson 23. Ross Caldwell Subs: 1. Andy Leishman (gk) 3. Danny O’Halleron 7. Leon Murphy 11. Thomas Reilly 16. Craig Moore 18. Ross Urquhart 20. Jamie Glasgow

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Darvel