PDM HUWS GRAY	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 18
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Benburb	1 (0)	Bow
Sat 02 Mar 2024	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton made four changes to the eleven that started against Larkhall last Saturday with Taylor Buchanan, Dario Viviani, Dylan O’Kane and Carlos Lyon making way for Michael McMullin, Paul Paton, Scott McLean and Alex McWaters. Meanwhile, Michael Moffat was unavailable for selection.

This was the first game for the newly appointed Benburb management and coaching team including former Glenafton midfielder Chris Cameron.

Although the Glens kicked off in the early Spring sunshine it was Benburb that made the bright start with left back and long throw specialist Jordan Allan pulling the strings. The first was launched from the left, high to the near post only for Ally Semple to come off his line through a clutch of defenders and leapt to snatch the ball from the head of Lewis Lovering. Soon after Allan hurled another throw from the left to near post which was headed back towards the edge of the box where it was nodded back into the goalmouth to be gathered by Semple.

Bens continued to press and won a free kick on the left and it was Allan that floated a high ball into the six-yard box where Semple punched the ball from the head of Olly Smith and although Mick McMullin beat Aaron Black to clear the loose ball Robbie Halliday pounced and slipped it down the right where Black then cut along the bye-line and drilled a low cross that was cleared again by McMullin.

On 7 minutes Glens won a corner on the right which was floated into the heart of a packed six-yard box where Pettigrew stretched to guide a header toward to the top right-hand corner only for Halliday on the line to bullet a header to the 18-yard line where it was hoofed up the park by Shaun Fraser.

Bens pushed forward in numbers again but could not breach the Glens box as Lyall Holding and Paul Paton hunted down the ball. Glens countered down the right and McWalters from tight on the wing launched a high ball into the box and although Ollie Rowe won the aerial battle against two defenders his looping header dropped behind the back post.

Back came the visitors and Declan McDonald’s shot from the edge of the box sailed high over the bar and soon after Semple got down low to stop Smith’s low diagonal shot from the right-hand corner of the box. Glens were struggling to get out of their own half and keep possession. Again, with the Bens up in numbers Black from wide on the right clipped a ball to the corner of the six-yard box where McDonald dragged his shot wide of the back post.

Some respite for the home side on 20 minutes after Rowe was hauled down by Shaun Fraser about 25 yards from goal from where Scott McLean floated the free-kick in to the six-yard box and although Liam Caddis managed to get between two defenders his touch sent the ball well wide of the back post.

The visitors were soon back on the front foot and a number of goalmouth scrambles ensued as the Glens frantically cleared their lines. The ball fell for Black deep in the box only for his shot to be blocked by team-mate MacDonald with Holding and Semple at his back.

On 31 minutes another melee deep in the Glens box ended with MacDonald slotting the ball into the net only after Holding had been fouled and the ball kicked from Semple’s grasp; no goal! Bens then won a corner onthe right which Smith clipped into the box and Allan got in front of the defence only for his header from six yards to whizz wide of the post.

Thick dark cloud was now gathering over Loch Park as Smith from the outskirts of the box curled a free-kick into the goal mouth only to miss Black’s run and instead catching Holding full in the midriff who then cleard the ball upfield, while a host of Bens players raised their arms were claiming handball.

Five minutes later and another Bens free-kick from just outside the corner of the right-hand box caused chaos in the box as Smith clipped the ball high into the goalmouth just beyond the reach of the leaping Shaun Fraser and skim off Paton’s head deflecting the ball wide only for the inrushing Jordan Bow to get down low and bullet a diving header that was blocked, then held at the near post, by Semple.

Although the visitors continued to peg the Glens deep into their own half, they couldn’t conjure up another decent chance and went off at the break bewildered that the half had finished all square.

HT Glenafton 0 Benburb 0

Normal service quickly resumed as Allan floated free-kick into the box where it was headed down by Euan Clark only for Holding’s attempted clearance to rebound off Black and fall kindly for Smith inside the six-yard box but his shot flew over the head of the advancing Semple and the bar.

However, Glnafton then enjoyed their best spell of pressure in the match thus far. McLean broke down the left and although his first cross was cleared, he quickly recovered the ball and whipped in another that was met by Caddis to seemingly flash a header for the top corner only for the keeper Hay to get a strong hand to the ball and push it over the bar.

McWaters from the left floated a corner into the box for Caddis and Rowe only for Clark to win the header sending the ball out to the right-hand side of the box where Pettigrew gathered and quickly returned it to the left-hand side from where McWaters drilled a low angled shot that Hay held low at his post.

Another break down the left from McLean ended with a cross fired to the near post for the inrushing Caddis only for Hay to clutch the ball cleanly. Glens continued to press and McMullin, from wide on the left, launched the ball to back post beyond reach of the keeper only for Allan’s diving header to send it wide under pressure from the inrushing McWaters. The corner that followed was readily cleared.

On 55 minutes Glenafton made a double substitution with Ryan Sinnamon and Alex McWaters making way for Dario Viviani and Dylan O’Kane. A reshuffle saw Rowe falling back into defence while Viviani filled his midfield role and O’Kane supported Caddis upfront.o strip the ball from the striker. Pettigrew then beat Black to the loose ball with a sliding tackle, only for the Bens midfielder to trip over the Glens skipper and lie spread-eagled on the ground before screaming for a penalty much to the chagrin of the home support! 

In the meantime, the home side countered through O’Kane bursting up the right flank before attempting a one-two with Caddis only to be blatantly taken out by Clark. Paul Paton curled the free-kick, high and deep, into the box where Hay came off his line to leap and safely grab the ball.

Soon after O’Kane pounced on a headed clearance and broke into the right-hand side of the box only for his cut-back to Caddis to be intercepted by Clark and the ball cleared upfield to set up a counter-attack.  Pettigrew and MacDonald challenged for the ball on outskirts of the Glens box with both players tumbling to the ground while Black snapped up the loose ball in the box and with Rowe in pursuit, he lost his balance and fell to the ground and by the time he had stopped rolling about Semple had gathered the ball. In any case the referee adjudged Pettigrew had been fouled.

Play now raged back and forth as both sides strived to break the deadlock.

Another O’Kane burst down the right ended with him being clattered by Shaun Fraser and inevitably the free kick was headed clear by Allan. At the other end Pettigrew and Holding double teamed to rob MacDonald off the ball as he forced his way into the box.

O’Kane, then wide on the right, trapped a cross field pass from McLean and cut inside to drive to the edge of the box giving Lovering the slip before Allan intercepted to initiate a counter-attack down the right which ended with Smith floating a ball to the back post for Black in space, only for Holding to intervene and head the ball high over the bar. The corner that followed was mopped up and cleared by Viviani.

Midway through the half Gary Fraser unleashed a trademark 30 yard shot that rebounded of Bow’s back to go out for a corner which floated inches over Viviani’s head before being headed clear by Allan.

It was Allan that later launched a long throw deep into the Glens box where Rowe won the aerial battle heading the ball to the outskirts of the box and McLean headed it forward for Caddis to complete the one-two with another header. McLean then progressed into the Bens half and took Clark out of play by slipping a diagonal forward pass for the overlapping Viviani to chase down and drive into the box before drilling a low shot which struck the feet of the outrushing keeper and rolled a foot wide of the post.   O’Kane’s corner from the left was headed out the box by Allan and chased down by Viviani who rolled the ball to Paton to square it for Pettigrew to take a touch before lashing a shot that was blocked by Allan.

At the other end Lovering broke into the left-hand side of the box and his low angled shot deflected off Holding for a corner which was floated to the back post where Shaun Fraser launched himself high into the air on the back of Pettigrew only for his header to slip inches wide of the target.

Back came Glens with McMullin’s cross from left headed on by Caddis only for Allan to beat O’Kane to the loose ball.

Bens countered and Ally Taylor won a corner on the right which Smith clipped high into the six-yard box where Jordan Bow muscled his way in front of McMullin to bullet a downward headward beyond the reach of Semple and into a gaping net, the visitors breaking the deadlock on 79 minutes.

Glenafton made an immediate change with defender Mick McMullin replaced by striker Carlos Lyon. The home side pushed forward with O’Kane brave to chase down a ball into the box and take a sore one as keeper got their first.

A set-back for the Glens on 84 minutes when Gary Fraser raised a high boot but immediately attempted to draw out of tackle but still collided with the Bens player by which time the referee had already decided the outcome was a red card, which seemed more over the top than the tackle!

Once the dust had settled Black curled a glorious free-kick from 20 yards over the heads of the three-man wall only for the ball to crash of the inside of the post with Semple beaten only for the ball to run across the gaping face of the goal with no takers – Bens or Glens!

Two minutes later Bens won another free-kick almost from the same spot but this time Black’s free-kick was driven into the wall and cleared.

Deep into added time the ball was played to O’Kane on the right-hand side of the box with Lovering at his back and there appeared to be contact as the Glens striker tumbled to the ground. The heads of the Bens defenders went down while the Glens claimed for a penalty only for the referee to catch up with play and to rub salt in the wound booked O’Kane, which didn’t go down well with the home support considering the earlier shenanigans in the Glens box. The final whistle blew a minute later.

Lucky to go in at the break all square the Glens were unlucky no to secure a share of the points in he second half.

FT Glens 0 Benburb 1

FT Glenafton 0 Benburb 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
Glenafton Athletic: 21. Ally Semple 11. Ryan Sinnamon (17. Dario Viviani) 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 14. Lyall Holding 3. Michael McMullin (15. Carlos Lyon) 10. Alex McWaters (18. Dylan O’Kane) 20. Ollie Rowe 8. Gary Fraser 6. Paul Paton 20. Scott McLean 12. Liam Caddis Subs Not Used: 1. David Markey 4. Taylor Buchanan

BENBURB
Benburb: 1. Grant Hay 2. Robbie Halliday 3. Jordan Allan 4. Jordan Bow 5. Euan Clark 6. Shaun Fraser 7. Olly Smith 8. Ally Taylor 9. Declan MacDonald 10. Aaron Black 11. Lewis Lovering. Subs: Ryan Livingston, Ryan McCrone, Mason Durham, Jamie Menzies,  Luke Lickrish, Jayden McGivern and Callum Law

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Benburb