INDIGO COMMS	WOSFL Cup	Round 3
Glenafton Athletic	3 (1)	Caddis, Moffat 2
Largs Thistle	1 (0)	Duffy
Sat 09 Dec 2023	KO 1:30 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

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New manager Ryan Caddis joined the players on the centre circle prior to kick off before taking his place in the home dug-out with his management team. Glens made two changes to the eleven that started against Irvine Victoria last Saturday with Lyall Holding replacing Scott McLean and Michael Moffat.

The two sides last met at the end of September at Largs in the league in a hard-fought contest that ended with a share of the points in a 2-2 draw.

Although the earlier heavy rain had relented by kick-off the rain clouds decided to hang around. The home side kicked-off but it was Largs that were soon on the front foot and had already breached the Glens box twice before they passed up a glorious chance to take the lead on 2 minutes. William Sewell broke into the right of the Glens box and squared the ball to the incoming David Ramsay, taking the Glens keeper and two defenders out of play at the near post, leaving the Largs midfielder with an open goal but he couldn’t tee up the shot in time and under pressure from Lyall Holding he skewed shot that keeper David Markey was now in place to push it wide only for it to fall for Sewell but on an offside position.

Five minutes later the lively Jamie Martin slipped the ball forward for Sewell to gather and push to the left-edge of the ‘D’ before leathering a shot that flew past the advancing Markey and the junction of the post and cross bar.

Having weathered the mini-storm the Glens opened the scoring on 10 minutes with a wonderfully worked goal created in two phases of play each beginning Paul Paton. The midfielder, from just inside the Glens half, played a one-two with Holding tight on the right before switching play forward to Sam McKee on the left and after some patient passing involving Michael McMulllin, Gary Fraser, Luke McBeth and then McKee again the ball was back with Paton in the centre circle.  Phase 2 and from here he picked out Holding on the right again, who then rolled the ball up the line to McWaters to touch it on McBeth and although Largs full-back Laurie McMaster nicked the ball from his feet it fell kindly for Paton to pounce and clip the ball forward to Liam Caddis in the ‘D’ who gave his marker the slip to square the ball to McKee on the left-hand side of the box to take a touch or two before curling a cross into the goalmouth over the head of the leaping David McGrath and at his back Caddis arched his back to bullet a header home from 6 yards beyond the reach of keeper Eliasz Zalewski.

Soon after McBeth won a corner which McWaters floated into the six yard box where McMaster won the header before Largs cleared.

Back came the visitors after Sewell nicked the ball from Paton before driving through the middle and then side-stepped Rowe to set up a shot from 18 yards that the advancing Markey deflected wide fora corner kick that was headed clear by Caddis.

Midway through the half Largs won another corner which was curled into the six-yard box where Markey punched the ball clear as Ryan McCreath threatened.

Glens countered through Fraser stabbing a long ball down the right wing for McWaters to chase and cut the ball back to the 18-yard line for McKee to clip the ball first time only for it to dip inches over the bar.

At the other end Craig Pettigrew cut out Sewell’s cut-back from the bye line at the expense of a corner. Lewis Davidson floated the ball into the heart of the box where McBeth and McCreath both stooped to win the header which ended with the ball flying wide of the post and another corner for Largs, despite McBeth’s protest. Davidson played it short to Martin before clipping the return ball to the back post where Cory Hughes won the aerial battle sending the ball high into the air which Markey leapt high from his lie to clutch the ball on its descent under the bar under pressure from McCreath.

On 32 minutes McCreath released a long ball down the left for McMaster to chase and break into the left hand of the box and although his attempt to pick-out the inrushing Sewell was blocked by Rowe he gathered the rebound to drill it back into the danger area only to be blocked by Rowe again, generating loud appeals for hand-ball by a host of Largs players, which were waved away by the referee. The corner kick was played to the near post where McBeth headed it clear out the box and although Largs continued to press, they struggled to create any decent chances.

Glens won a free kick on the outskirts of the box after Davidson had tripped McBeth only for Fraser’s effort to deflect off the wall for a corner that was quickly cleared.

Soon after Largs broke upfield where Ramsay laid off a great ball to David McGrath to drive to edge of the box before driving a low angled shot beyond the reach of the outrushing Markey only to slip inches wide of the far post.

HT Glens 1 Largs 0

Play raged back and forth without either keeper being tested.

On 55 minutes Glens made a change with Michael Moffat coming on for Luke McBeth. Immediately after Sewell found himself in space in the heart of the Glens box only for Pettigrew to close him down and force the striker to retreat wide of the box and settle for a corner kick. Rowe won the aerial battle with Hughes at the expense of another corner which Paton headed clear. Larges continued to press and a ball was whipped in from the right to a pack near post where the ball fell for Stuart Faulds only for his effort to drift wide of target.

At the other end Fraser broke through the middle before weaving his way to the right hand side of the box to crack a low angled shot that keeper did well to get down low and push the ball wide of the post and the corner that followed was cleared.

Mid way through the half Largs won back-to-back corners the second of which saw Markey pull off a fine save blocking a close range shot from Martin. Soon after, another corner was cleared by the Glens defence.

The home side broke forward and Caddis laid off the ball into the path of Paton bursting to the outskirts of the box losing his balance after firing a shot that went high and wide of target. The threatening rain had arrived and continued to the end of the match with a mix of light and heavy showers.

On 71 mins Largs made a double substitution with Daryll Duffy and Blair Devine coming on for David Ramsay and Sean McLeod. Five minutes later Glens brought on Dylan O’Kane for Alex McWaters.

Despite the conditions play continued to ebb back and forth at a decent pace and on 79 minutes Glens doubled their lead with another exquisite goal. After some head tennis by two Largs defenders under pressure from the Glens attack Paton pounced on the loose ball by the centre circle and burst down the right before clipping it to O’Kane tight on the wing. From here the young striker cut inside holding off McGrath and then sent Faulds one-way and another at the edge of the box some six yards from the bye-line before sprinting to the front of the box and with slide rule pass perfectly picked out Michael Moffat who killed the ball dead on he 18 yard line before lobbing it over the heads of  a clutch of defenders and beyond the reach of the keeper’s outstretched arms, some two yards off his line, before nestling in the net.

The home side seem to have a comfortable two goal lead with 11 minutes to go. However, three minutes later McMullin from wide on the left sent a harmless looking back-pass to Markey, where the keeper trapped the ball on or about the six-yard line, meanwhile Duffy had already read the pass and burst into the box at speed to close the keeper down and steal the ball, as Markey attempted to dribble past him, and stroke it into the empty net. Glens 2 Largs 1 on 82 minutes.

All to play for again, in the heavy rain and the diminishing light.

On 87 minutes Glens brought on Alan Frizzell for Liam Caddis and a minute late the home side restored their two-goal cushion. Largs were pushed forward in numbers, leaving centre back Hughes on the centre circle, when Lyall Holding broke down an attack and clipped the ball upfield for Michael Moffat to chase down from inside his own half.  Also giving chase was the Hughes, but well of the pace, forcing the keeper to run out his box only for Moffat to execute a perfectly weighted nut-meg from 22 yards out and follow the ball into the gaping net, crossing the line seconds before the gallant Hughes arrived.

Into added time when Moffat was tripped on the outskirts of the left-hand corner of the penalty box. Up stepped McMullin to hammer a low shot that Zalewski stopped on the line with both hands before diving to secure the loose ball. At the other end McMaster was tripped on the outskirts of the box and Faulds free-kick flew high over the bar and the final whistle blew soon after.

FT Glens 3 Largs 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 14. Lyall Holding 20. Ollie Rowe 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 3. Michael McMullin 10. Alex McWaters (18. Dylan O’Kane) 4. Luke McBeth (9. Michael Moffat) 6. Paul Paton 8. Gary Fraser 7. Sam McKee 12. Liam Caddis (16. Alan Frizzell). Subs Not Used: Blair Cousar (gk)

LARGS THISTLE
1. Eliasz Zalewski 2. Sean McLeod (15. Blair Devine) 3. Laurie McMaster 4. Ryan McCreath 5. Cory Hughes 6. Stuart Faulds 7. David Ramsay (12. Darryl Duffy) 8. Lewis Davidson 9. William Sewell 10. David McGrath 11. Jamie Martin Subs Not Used: 14. Simon McBryde 16. John Cumming 21. Matt Johnston.

	Match Photos
	Glenafton Athletic v Largs Thistle