SOUTH-WEST REGION	SOUTH CHALLENGE CUP	Round 3
Glenafton Athletic	1 (0)	Fraser
Dundonald Bluebell	0 (0)
Sat 14 OCT 2023	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started at Largs last week with Michael McMullin, Charlie Maxwell and Adam Frizzell making way for Lyall Holding, Gary Fraser and Sam McKee. While midweek signing Liam Caddis, from Craigmark Burntonians, was on the bench.

Today’s visitors Dundonald Bluebell currently sit midway in the East of Scotland Premier Division. The two sides played each other in a pre-season friendly in 2019/20 at Cardenden, with the Fife side winning 3-2.

Bluebell kicked off on a sunny crisp day with a blustery breeze for company.

In the opening minute Scott McLean fired a ball down the left wing for Sam McKee to chase all the way to goal line only for his cross to be deflected out for a corner. McLean floated it high to the edge of the six-yard box where the tall keeper leapt high to punch the ball well clear of the box an although the Glens quickly recovered the ball the follow up attack was thwarted as well.

Dundonald countered with a quick break down the left by No. 16 who then cut into box before curling a shot that flew over the bar.

Back came the home side with a break down the right where Alex McWaters cutely back-heeled the ball into the path of Ryan Sinnamon to whip a cross into the goalmouth and although this was cleared McLean snapped up the ball on the left wing and progressed to the edge of the box to pick-out McKee only for his side-footer to sail over the bar.

Soon after Sinnamon on the right floated a high ball to the back post for the inrushing McKee but the keeper was taking no chances and tipped it wide for another corner. McLean clipped a carbon copy of the previous corner and again the keeper came off his line but could only flap the ball away on this occasion past his back post for Glens’ third corner which was comfortably clear.

Sinnamon chipped a ball to the edge of the box where Michael Moffat stooped to cushion a header into the path of Luke McBeth only for his shot from 22 yards to drift wide of the target. McBeth continued to venture forward to support the front men

On 9 minutes Paul Paton clipped a ball down the right for Sinnamon to nod into the box for the incoming McWaters only to skew his shot from 12 yards wide of target.

Although Glens continued to enjoy the bulk of the pressure there were now fewer chances on show as Bluebell got back on numbers and indeed began to break upfield on occasion but suffered the same fate against a well drilled defence with Craig Pettigrew and Lyall Holding at its heart.

On 19 minutes Dundonald countered with a slick and patient passing move that took them to the outskirts of the box where No. 14 attempted to played a one-two with No. 16 only for the latter to be blocked by Pettigrew, at the expense of a free-kick a yard outside the box. No. 16 stepped up only to drill a low shot into the wall, blocked by McLean and cleared by McBeth. The visitors recovered the ball and whipped a cross into six-yard box where Holding headed it wide for a corner, which came to nothing. Soon after, playmaker No. 5 launched a high ball from the half-way line into the six-yard box where keeper David Markey leapt to push the ball away from the head of No. 7.

At the other end McLean drilled a low shot from the edge of the box which the keeper got down low to smother.

On 26 minutes Ryan Sinnamon required treatment after taking a bad knock and soon after was replaced by Zak Ross. In between times No.7 squared a ball from the left-hand side of the box to pick out No. 6 in a busy box, forcing Pettigrew to stand tall with hands behind his back to prevent hand-ball, but his effort from 6 yards slipped wide of the post.

Play raged back and forth with good passing play from both sides defensive intervention of lacking the finished touch ensure the match remained all square and goal-less.

A final flurry before the break saw Bluebell win a free-kick at the right- hand corner of the box which although flew past the two-man wall the ball was comfortably clutched on the line by Markey.

No. 5 launched a free-kick high into the box where Pettigrew leapt to outjump two Bluebells and Ross mopped up the loose ball. Another Dundonald attack saw Paton rob the ball at the left-hand corner of the box and roll it forward to McBeth who played it forward to Moffat to then square to Paton on the right to switch play a long diagonal ball for McKee to chase down the left only for his square ball into the box for the inrushing Moffat to be blocked and the chance gone.

On 45 minutes a Bluebell break broke down at the half-way line and McWalters pounced on the loose ball before clipping a great ball down the left for McKee to burst deep into the box and fire a shot that the keeper deflected wide with an outstretched leg. McLean’s corner-kick was headed clear by No. 5 before the half-time whistle blew.

HT Glens 0 Dundonald 0

Glens kicked off and 3 minutes into the new half broke the deadlock. McBeth pushed up the right wing but with his way blocked the turned before sweeping a long ball to McLean on the left who slipped it up the wing McKee but with his path blocked the rolled it back to McLean who then picked out Gary Fraser in acres of space in the middle of the park to lash an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out beyond the reach of the keeper on his six-yard line to bulge the net. Glens 1-0 on 48 minutes.

Play quickly reverted to back and forth with defences on top.

On the hour mark Glens brought on new signing Liam Caddis for Michael Moffat, while the visitors also made a couple of changes.

The visitors enjoyed a good spell of pressure but didn’t make the best of set pieces with a free-kick and corner-kick coming to nothing.

On 70 minutes Glens countered with McKee playing a one-two with Fraser on the outskirts of the box before lashing a diagonal shot from 25 yards that the keeper held. Soon after a ball deep into the box for Caddis saw him hold of a defender before rolling it out to Fraser to blast a low shot from 18 yards only for the keeper to come out on top again.

Back came Bluebell No. 9 chased a ball into the box forcing Markey to rush from his line only for the back-tracking Holding to nick the ball with a well-timed sliding tackle sending it out for a corner.  No. 16 floated the ball to the near post where Fraser headed it clear of the box, where No. 12 chested it down before picking out No. 16 on the right to curl a high ball deep into the goalmouth which Markey had to keep an eye on its descent as it dropped over the bar.

At the other end McWalters clipped a ball into the box for Caddis to chase, driving between two defenders, only for one of them to make a timely tackle and the chance was gone.

Bluebell responded with a long throw deep into a busy six-yard box only for Pettigrew to win the aerial battle again and Paton clear the loose ball.

Play went back and forth and the visitors looked certain to equalise on 77 minutes with No. 16 through on goal but for McLean’s well-timed intervention.

Soon after McLean made another fine block on the edge of the box and Fraser squared a pass to McKee facing the Glens box. However aware of No. 2 closing in, he back-heeled the ball and spun 180 before unleashing the afterburners and in a flash, he was at the edge of the Bluebell box where he picked out Caddis in the ‘D’ who from a pocket of defenders rolled it back to Fraser but his shot from 24 yards rebounded off a defender’s back.

Another blistering run down the left from McKee ended with his cross to the back post just go beyon the inrushing McWalters.

At the other end No. 9 weaved his way into the left-hand side of the box before setting up a shot from 6 yards out only for Holding to rob him with another superb tackle.

On 83 minutes McBeth gathered the ball on the outskirts of the Glens box to drive forward before clipping the ball to McKee but with defenders abound, he played it back to McBeth before setting off at speed to collect the return ball over the top and break into the box to fire a low diagonal shot from 15 yards which the keeper got down low to hold.

Dundonald countered immediately and No. 7 gathered a pass on the 18-yard line and with only the keeper the beat but under pressure from McLean he curled his shot high over the bar. A hands-on-heads moment for the visitors but their heads never went down as they went in pursuit of a late equaliser.

Another long throw into a packed box was headed back out by Paton only to be returned by a high looping header from No. 6 which dropped into the six-yard box only for No.7’s backward header to fall safely into the hands of Markey.

Bluebell continued to press as they pegged Glens back in their own half but couldn’t find an opening against a well drilled defence. Indeed, they almost got caught out on added-time as McKee breached their box only for shot to be blocked and cleared. Still, one last chance for the visitors with another long throw into a packed box where McLean won the header, McBeth cleared the loose ball and goal-scorer Fraser had the last kick off the match.

FT Glens 1 Dundonald 0

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 11. Ryan Sinnamon (15. Zak Ross) 14. Lyall Holding 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 2. Scott McLean 10. Alex McWaters 4. Luke McBeth 6. Paul Paton, 8. Gary Fraser; 9. Michael Moffat (12. Liam Caddis) 7. Sam McKee. Subs Used: 16. Alan Frizzell, 20. Ollie Rowe

DUNDONALD BLUEBELL

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Dundonald Bluebell