INDIGO COMMS	WOSFL Cup	4th Round
Larkhall Thistle	1 (1)	Stevenson
Glenafton Athletic	1 (1)	Pettigrew
Sat 24 Feb 2024	KO 1:30 pm	Gasworks Park, Larkhall

Glenafton made five changes to the eleven that started against Hurlford United last Saturday with David Markey, Mick McMullin, Scott McLean, Paul Paton and Alex McWaters making way for Ally Semple, Lyall Holding, Taylor Buchanan, Dario Viviani and Dylan O’Kane.

Larkhall Thistle currently sit mid-table of the 2^nd Division with a number of games in hand on several teams above them. The two sides last met in Season 2019/20 in the West of Scotland Cup 1^st round at Loch Park, with Glens winning 4-1 to progress to the next round.  

[It’s 18 years since Glens last visited Gasworks Park and there was a warm welcome at the gate and a club programme for sale and a chance for a blether – including to learn thb e programme was produced by the gateman. Big changes to the covered enclosure with a considerable section seated. The young club mascot proudly lead his team on to the park to pose for photos with the captains.]

The visitors enjoyed a strong start with the lively Carlos Lyon winning two corners the second of which was deflected wide for a third which was headed clear and fell for Taylor Buchanan to drill a low angled shot that slipped wide of the far post.

Thistle responded and pressed forward in numbers. Craig Pettigrew headed clear a free kick deep into the box and soon after Lyall Holding mopped up another set-piece. On 12 minutes No.16 fired a low-angled shot from the left of the box which was well held by Ally Semple at the near post.

Glens countered through Liam Caddis and Lyon combining on the outskirts of the box only for the final pass to Dylan O’Kane to intercepted and cleared.

Back came the home side with a long throw deep into the box which was headed clear by Ollie Rowe and soon after No. 19 chased the ball into the right-hand side of the box only to collide with the outrushing Semple who snapped up the loose ball before the forward tumbled to the ground in some pain. Thistle continued to press with No. 17 breaking down the right before whipping the ball into the goal mouth which was headed clear by Holding. The same player then chased down another pass into the right-hand side of the box only for Pettigrew to block his cut-back at the expense of a corner which was headed clear by Petts.

On 23 minutes Larkhall’s pressure paid off after the busy Connor Phairs brought the ball under control before driving to the bye line from where he drilled the ball along the face of goal bypassing Semple and Holding at the near post, and while it’s not clear if the adjoining Thistle striker got a touch of the ball, it rolled onward to the back post where Michael Stevenson beat Sinnamon to the ball to fire home for 6 yards out.

Soon after Semple comfortably held a shot from distance on his goal-line.

Glens regrouped and enjoyed a spell of pressure down the left winning back-to-back corners the second of which was floated to the back post over the head of the leaping No. 16 and fell perfectly for Craig Pettigrew to bullet an unstoppable header past the keeper and into the net. The cup-tie all square at 1-1 on 27 minutes.  

The home side won a corner immediately after the restart and came close to restoring their lead only for No. 12’s high looping header to drop inches over the bar. Glens countered with some fine play which saw Caddis chipping the ball forward for Lyon to trap on the outskirts of the box before squaring to O’Kane to blast a shot that the keeper tipped over the bar, the resultant corner was cleared. The visitors then pressed down both flanks but could not breach the Thistle box.

On 34 minutes Larkhall passed up a great chance to get their nose in front again. A long ball over the top was gathered by No. 19 at the right-hand corner of the box drawing keeper Semple off his line to the corner of the six- yard box. The Thistle player approached tentatively before sprinting away from the goalie, but the Glens now had players back in the box including one on the line, and when he slipped the ball to the inrushing No. 4 in the ‘D’, Rowe stripped him off the ball only momentarily and then as he tackled Sinnamon the ball deflected kindly into Semple’s hands.

Played raged back and forth as the half drew to a close with Larky’s keeper pulling off two great saves from powerful shots from distance. Dario Viviani then made a great run down the right with defenders left in his wake and on reaching the 18-yard line he blasted a shot that the keeper parried and the loose ball was cleared. In the closing minute Caddis’s claim for a penalty was waved away.

HT Larkhall 1 Glens 1

Thick low cloud had now gathered over the Gasworks Park and although the rain came to nothing the conditions underfoot were proving difficult for some and yet very much a feature of the half was to be the home side’s quick breaks down both flanks and through the middle!

Both sides made early substitutions with Glens bringing on Alex McWaters for Carlos Lyon.

On the hour mark Semple rushed from his line to snatch the ball from the feet of No. 23. Midway through the half the home side won a corner on the right which Caddis, sandwiched between two Thistle players, leapt to head clear. 

At the other end O’Kane, from wide on the left, whipped a great ball to the near post for the leaping Viviani only for the keeper to get a touch before falling to the ground. Rowe’s attempt to blast the loose ball home was blocked on the six-yard line while Sinnamon’s attempt to curl it into the top corner was headed high into the air by another defender and on its descent, it was headed out the box to set up a Larky counter-attack, which concluded with Holding cutting out a ball squared across the Glens goalmouth.

On 75 minutes another speedy break from Larkhall down the right saw the ball switched over to the left-hand side of the box where the incoming No. 23 in plenty of space didn’t meet it right and fired the ball well wide of target from the corner of the six-yard box.

Back came Glens and Caddis ploughed his way up the left flank and on breaching the box played a one-two with McWaters before clipping the ball into the goalmouth for the incoming Rowe only for his shot to sail high over the bar.

Play continued to ebb back and forth in cup-tie style as both sides searched out a winner. No. 23’s lightning break through the middle left a number of defenders in his wake only for Pettigrew track across to nick the ball at the edge of the box.  McWaters from inside the Glens half on the right fizzed a diagonal forward pass to O’Kane who in turn chipped the ball into box for Viviani to chase down only for the keeper to make a fine block on the six-yard line before diving on the ball.

Another Thistle break, down the right, won the home side a corner which was headed clear by Caddis and although the ball was quickly recovered and floated back into the box Rowe won the aerial battle and the danger was cleared. Viviani and Sinnamon then combined to win the Glens a corner which was won in the air by Pettigrew only for his header to be cleared out the box and the inevitable Thistle counter-attack with No. 23 doing the spade-work again only for his lung-bursting run to be ended on the outskirts of the Glens box with a well-timed tackle from Holding.

Back came Glens with McWaters releasing O’Kane down the left to break into the box before cutting the ball back from the goal-line for Caddis only to be quickly robbed off the ball. At the other end a long ball into the box forced Semple to race 15 yards or so from his line to clutch it cleanly, just as Thistle’s No. 4 threatened.

Into added time and Rowe trapped a headed clearance some 25 yards out before unleashing a low flying thunderbolt that the keeper got down low to firmly hold. In the last action Buchanan launched a free kick into a packed box which was won by Thistle and on this occasion the customary counter-attack was ended on the half-way line by the full-time whistle.

FT Larkhall 1 Glenafton 1

A very competitive cup-tie concluded all square and Glens were first to go in the penalty shoot-out.

0-1: Thistle keeper dived to his right to save Alex McWaters kick. Thistle’s kicker sent Ally Semple the wrong way.

1-1: Thistle keeper came close but could not stop Ryan Sinnamon curling his kick into the keeper’s left. Semple dived to his left to save Thistle’s kick.

2-2: Gary Fraser sent the keeper the wrong way while the Thistle kicker did likewise.

3-3: Ollie Rowe sent the keeper the wrong way while the Thistle kicker drilled his home down the middle.

4-3:  Liam Caddis fired his shot down the middle while the keeper went to his right. Ally Semple saved the Thistle’s kicker attempt to send it to the keeper’s right.

Glenafton progress to the Quarter-Finals, all the best to Larkhall for the rest of the season.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
21. Ally Semple 11. Ryan Sinnamon 20. Ollie Rowe 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 14. Lyall Holding 4. Taylor Buchanan 8. Gary Fraser 17. Dario Viviani 18. Dylan O’Kane 12. Liam Caddis 15. Carlos Lyon ( 10. Alex McWaters)  Subs Not Used: 1. David Markey 2. Scott McLean 6. Paul Paton

LARKHALL THISTLE
Apologies no team-lines

Match Photos

Larkhall Thistle v Glenafton Atheltic