PDM Huws Gray	WOSFL Premier League	Match 08
Glenafton Athletic	1 (0)	McMullin
Irvine Meadow XI	2 (1)	Boyd, Lambert
Sat 23 SEP 2023	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Prior to kick-off the club held a minute’s silence for young Naomi Ferrans who tragically died earlier this week. The thoughts of everyone at Glenafton Athletic are with Wilma and all the family. 

The club were also saddened to learn that Charlie Gemmell, a former Glens player of the great early ‘60s side had passed away.

Glenafton made three changes to the side that started against Kello Rovers last Saturday with Lyall Holding, Charlie Maxwell and Alan Frizell making way for Craig Pettigrew, Ollie Rowe and Trialist.

In the Irvine Meadow XI line-up was former Glens player Rhys Wallace signed in Season 2020/21 prior to the club withdrawing from the league.

The first decent chance fell to the Glens after Ryan Sinnamon from corner-kick on the right rolled the ball to Paul Paton just outside the corner of the box to curl a high ball to the back where post Ollie Rowe headed it downward into the six-yard box for the Trialist only for shot slip inches wide of the post.

Glens continued to break forward in numbers with Michael Moffat leading the line but were up against a stubborn Meadow defence. Sinnamon launched a high ball to the left- hand side of the box for the incoming Sam McKee but his shot was comfortably held at the back post. McKee then turned provider after a good run down the left before whipping a high ball to back post over the head of the defender only for the inrushing Alex McWaters’ header to find the side-netting.

Meadow then enjoyed a good spell which saw them win a corner after a lightning break down the right. The kick was whipped across the face of the goal where keeper David Markey appeared to get  a finger-tip to the ball which then bounced off the top of Martin Findlay’s head and quickly recovered by Grant Brennan on the left to curl a dangerous ball to the back post only to be missed by attackers and defenders alike.

The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes after Rhys Wallace played slick one-two down the right with Brennan before driving to the bye-line and clip a ball into the box where Jordan Boyd outleapt Luke McBeth on the six-yard line to angle a header beyond the reach of Markey.

Back came Glens to win back-to-back corner kicks the first headed over the bar by a Meadow defender and the second saw Moffat’s back-heeler drift wide of the post. McKee gathered the ball on the half-way line and jinked past two players before playing a one-two with Moffat to progress down the left and cut the ball into the box only for it to be deflected wide for a corner-kick which was headed clear.

Play raged back and forth as Meadow pushed forward. Conor O’Donnel a pass to Brennan down the right who gave Ross the slip before cutting inside and threading the ball into the box for Boyd to chase into the box only for the back-tracking Ross to reach the ball first as Boyd tumbled to the ground and to his credit there were no claims for a penalty. Soon after Meadow won another corner which was headed just wide of the back post while

Glens responded through Zak Ross with a couple of breaks down the left, the second of which ended with a high ball floated deep into the box for the inrushing Rowe, only for his header to sail over the bar.  Luke McBeth pushed forward to the half-way line and played a long one-two with Moffat before slipping the ball to Paton who quickly fed McKee tight on the left to burst up the wing and jinked past Wallace before clipping a low ball to the near post where Paul Byrne leaves it for the keeper only for the Trialist to nip in between them forcing the keeper to block his close- range shot.

However, the referee brought play back and awarded Glens a free kick on the touchline for Wallace’s late-tackle on McKee and it was Wallace that headed the kick clear of the box. Paton snapped up the loose ball and switched play to McWaters on the right to curl a high ball into the packed box which was headed clear of the box again to be met by Sinnamon only for his volley form 20 yards to fly wide of the post.

Glens continued to press the ball fell for McWaters on the right to whip a high ball deep into the box for McKee only for Wallace to intercept only for his attempted clearance with his right foot to strike his raised left hand and keeper Marc Waters block it on the line before it was booted out for a throw. Glens claims for a penalty were waved away. Soon after Moffat picked up a short pass from Sinnamon then played one-two with Trialist before drilling a low shot from 18 yards inches wide.

Back came Meadow with a break down the right by Euan Baird and although his attempted one-two didn’t come the ball bounce of the shins of a defender and fell into his path to deliver a great chip into the box for Cammy Ross in space but his header lacked the power to beat Markey.

HT Glens 0 Meadow 1

The visitors were first to threaten after the break with Ross and Baird combining down the left before the latter clipped the ball into the box which although it went over the heads of the forwards it fell for Brennan but his wayward shot flew well off target.

Glens won a free kick which Sinnamon played forward to Moffat to square to McWaters on the touchline who whipped a high ball into the box which was headed clear and fell for McWaters to whip in another cross which was headed clear of the box again and Paton battled to win the ball and lay it off again to McWaters still on the wing, his third cross into the box was won in the air by Rowe but the ball flew wide of target.

McWaters fired a low drive from outside the box that slipped wide of the post that the keeper had covered.

Play back to flow back and forth with quick breaks that would inevitably break down in their opponents’ box.

Substitute Dylan O’Kane chased down a long ball gathered it on the outskirts of the right-hand corner of the box where he turned Byrne one way then another before curling a ball for the far top corner of the goal, with the Trialist making a run to the same post, only for it to slip inches wide.

At the other end Meadow came close to doubling their lead. Baird cut into the left hand side of the box with McBeth blocking he laid the ball off to Ross and although he was quickly closed down by Paton he made a darting diagonal run to create space to blast a curling shot that thundered off the crossbar.

Glens then came close after substitute Alan Frizzell chased a ball down the right before whipping it into the box for Moffat where his shot was deflected wide for a corner which Sinnamon floated into the six-yard box and the incoming McBeth won the aerial battle to bullet a header downward onto the ground which flew up and bounced off the bar to be cleared by a relieved defence.

Paton then launched a long ball from deep on the left into the right-hand side of the box which Moffat chased down but was soon faced with a trio of defenders and rolled the ball back out the box for O’Kane to crack a shot from 20 yards only to be blocked with one got the aforesaid defenders.

Meadow then unleashed a blistering counter attack with Baird gathering the ball in the centre circle and making a diagonal dash to the left hand-side of the ‘D’ before rolling the ball into the path of the inrushing Ross to fire a shot from a tight angle that Markey got down low to block with his foot sending the ball high into the air which dropped kindly for Ross to clip the ball over the head of the risen keeper but also over the bar.

Glens pushed forward in numbers but could not find a way through a packed box.

On 88 minutes Meadow doubled their lead. O’Donnel and substitute Kyle Faulds combined well on the outskirts of the box before the latter lofted a ball into the box where it was headed on by substitute Innes Lambert and the ball instantly hooked back to him by Brennan for Lambert to guide it home from close range.

Another lightning quick counter-attack from Meadow ended with a shot from inside the box that crashed off the bar and the rebound headed home but from an offside position.

In the closing minutes Glens were awarded a free-kick on the ‘D’ after McBeth had been barged off the ball. Substitute Gary Fraser drilled a low shot which although beat the wall drifted wide of the post.

Soon after Glens win another free-kick after Isaac Kerr tripped O’Kane on the junction of the right- hand side of the ‘D’ and 18-yard line. Substitute Michael McMullin steps up and curls a low shot round the wall and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net beyond the reach of Waters.

FT Glens 1 Meadow 2

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 11. Ryan Sinnamon 4. Luke McBeth 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 15. Zak Ross; 10. Alex McWaters 20. Ollie Rowe 6. Paul Paton 7. Sam McKee; 9. Michael Moffat 12. Trialist Subs Used: 3. Michael McMullin 8. Gary Fraser 16. Alan Frizzell 18. Dylan O’Kane. Not Used: 2. Scott McLean 14. Lyall Holding 19. Gary Harkins

IRVINE MEADOW XI
1.Marc Waters (captain) 2. Rhys Wallace 3. Paul Byrne 4. Martin Findlay 5. Isaac Kerr 6. Conor O’Donnel 7. Grant Brennan 8. Jack McDowall 9. Jordan Boyd 10. Euan Baird 11. Cammy Ross. Subs. 12. Kyle Faulds 14. Sean Ewart 15. Ross George 16. Louis Kerr 17. Stewart Davidson 18. Innes Lambert 21. Ally McInnes