INDIGO COMMS	WOSFL Cup	Quarter Final
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Shotts Bon Accord	2 (1)	Kent, Richford
Sat 16 Mar 2024	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Prior to kick-off a minute’s silence was held in memory of life-long Glenafton supporter Robert White who sadly passed away last week. He will be sorely missed at Loch Park and our thoughts are with Robert’s family and friends at this sad time.

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against Kirkintilloch Rob Roy last Saturday with Ally Semple (injured), Liam Caddis (suspended) and Michael Moffat (unavailable) making way for David Markey, Ryan Sinnamon and Carlos Lyon. Sam McKee returned from injury and was on the bench. Gary Fraser is still suspended and unfortunately Scott McLean’s injury puts him out for the rest of the season.

In the Shotts line-up was former Glenafton defender Chris Meikle, a member of the treble winning squad of 2016/17. The First Division side currently sit in 5^th position with a considerable number of games in hands over the four team above them and of course they knocked Glenafton out of the South Challenge Cup earlier in the season at Hannah Park. Their travelling support was enhanced with a large ,vocal and well mannered contingency of the Shotts Bon Accord Girls Football Academy – ‘No Bonny No Party’ was their cry!

The visitors enjoyed a lively start. Adam Hunter floated a corner kick to the back post where Chris Meikle had peeled off into space to control the ball and fire a shot from close range as two Glens players closed in, only for keeper David Markey to pull off a fine save and push the ball with both hands over the bar. The corner that followed was eventually cleared of the box.

Glens broke down another Shotts attack and countered with Ollie Rowe driving over the half way line before slipping the ball to Craig Johnston to break up the right and skip past Andrew Muir to crack a shot from the edge of the box that keeper Sandy Thomson took blocked with both hands before recovering the loose ball.

Shotts then countered and Harry Kent’s attempt to cut into the left-hand side of the six yard box was blocked by Paul Paton at the expense of a corner that was overhit over the heads of a plethora of players from both sides squeezed into the goal mouth.

Mick McMullin and Alex McWaters combined to release Dylan O’Kane down the left touchline and then ten yards from the goal-line he cut inside past Robbie Torrance only to be tripped by Jack Gordon before breaching the penalty box. McWaters curled the free-kick over the heads of the two-man wall and as it dipped into the goalmouth Thomson pushed the ball from under his bar and out for a corner which was scrambled clear.

McWaters from wide on the right floated the ball into the box where Chris Meikle won the aerial battle sending the ball to far left of the box where McMullin gathered and clipped to the back post and although Gordon won the header McWalters pounced on the loose ball to fire it back into the six yard box only for Paul McGeough to head it clear to the ‘D’ where Craig Pettigrew slipped it wide to McMullin to clip another ball into the box only for Meikle to win the ball again and on this occasion his header was gathered by the goalie.

Back came Glens and Carlos Lyon put Meikle under pressure on the edge of the left side of the box where the defender settled for conceding a shy which was gathered by McWaters who curled a shot from the corner of the box which Thomson comfortably saved.

Glens were enjoying a good spell of possession in the Shotts’ half and McWaters and O’Kane pushed deep down the left where the latter was tripped on the outskirts of the box. McWaters chipped the free kick to the back post where it was headed out to the right hand side of the box from where Craig Johnston drilled a low angled shot to the near post that saw Andrew Duffy lose his balance and fall to the ground while keeper Thomson advanced to grab the ball which appeared to have been trapped under Duffy’s arms – meanwhile the arms of several Glens players were raised claiming for hand-ball while the referee waved play-on.

Soon after O’Kane gathered the ball on the left just inside the Shotts half and a quick turn saw him burst through the tight gap between Torrance and McGeough and then drive forward to skip past Duffy and continue his run to the edge of the box where he cut inside giving Duffy the slip again before drilling a low shot from the ‘D’ between Gordon and Meikle but the mazy run had taken the power from his legs and the ball fell safely into the hands of the keeper.

Back came Shotts with a couple of attacks which were repelled before they broke the deadlock on 27 minutes. A ball through the middle was chased down by Harry Kent forcing Markey to rush from his line and the two came together a yard or so inside the box only for Kent to get the critical touch to clip the ball under the diving keeper’s body before the collision had them both stretched out on the ground from where they watched the ball roll undeterred into the gaping net.  While Shotts celebrated the Glens goalie required some attention and although keeper Ally Semple was on the bench he was also on the injured list. After a six minute delay Markey was in a position to carry on and the game restarted.

Play fell back into spells of back and forth without any shots on goal until 40 minutes when Pettigrew evaded Hunter’s tackle at the edge of the ‘D’ only for his powerful shot to drift wide of target. Later, McWaters switched play from tight on the right to McMullin wide on the left from where he curled a low ball into the six-yard box only for Lyons’s attempt to side foot the ball home to deflect off Duffy’s foot sending it high into air before dropping safely into the welcoming arms of Thomson.

Spotting the keeper off his line McWaters tried his luck from 35 yards on the right wing only for the ball to drift wide of the right post.

HT Glens 0 Shotts 1

At the break Shotts replaced Harry Kent with Josh Gracie while Glenafton replaced Carlos Lyons with Sam McKee after being on the injured list for seven weeks. The winger was quickly in action combining with McMullin down the left who then whipped the ball across the face of the goal where Muir miskicked his attempted clearance which in turn wrong footed Rowe and the Shotts defender was relieved to boot the loose ball to safety.

At the other end Hunter intercepted a Holding clearance and then brushed off the defender’s shirt tug to break into the right hand side of the box and fire an angled shot that the outrushing Markey pushed away with both hands across to the other side of the box where the alert McGeough won the race for the loose ball and tried to clip a shot in at the base of post only for Markey to get there on time to push it away again and Holding and Pettigrew combined to clear the danger.

Play then raged back and forth but with defences on top there were few shots at goal.

On the hour mark Danny Burns broke up the left and cut into the box before skipping past Sinnamon to drive to the bye-line where he unleashed a low shot from the edge of the six-yard box that Markey blocked at the base of the post and Sinnamon cleared the loose ball.

On 70 minutes Glens brought on Dario Viviani for Alex McWaters and soon after Shotts replaced Adam Hunter with Reece Paterson.

Viviani, wide on the right, gathered the ball on the half way-line and pushed on before clipping a forward pass inside for McKee to drive into the box between Torrance and Duffy only to be robbed off the ball by Paterson sending McKee tumbling to the ground and appeals from the Glens bench were waved aside.

On 76 minutes the visitors doubled their lead in clinical fashion after Glens had switched off from a Shotts throw in from left. The ball was then played into the box unchallenged where McGeough with his back to goal laid it off to the inrushing Ben Richford to blast a shot from the corner of the six yard box over the outstretched arm of Markey and into the net.

Glens made another change with Taylor Buchanan replacing Dylan O’Kane

The game quickly resorted to type with waves of attacks up and down the park with few clear-cut chances on show.  On 85 minutes Shotts won a free kick on the outskirts of the Glens box and although Burns clipped the ball over the wall it sailed over the bar as well.

On 89 minutes Shotts made their final change with Ben Richford making way for James McDonald and the game slowly petered out to its conclusion.

FT Glens 0 Shotts 2

All the best to Shotts in the semi-final and to Shotts Bon Accord Girls Football Academy.

New Cumnock Striders

Thank you to New Cumnock Striders for sponsoring today’s match-ball.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 11. Ryan Sinnamon 14. Lyall Holding 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 3. Michael McMullin 16. Craig Johnston 20. Ollie Rowe 6. Paul Paton 15. Carlos Lyon (7. Sam McKee) 10. Alex McWaters (17. Dario Viviani) 18. Dylan O’Kane (4. Taylor Buchanan) Subs Not Used: 21. Ally Semple, Darren Miller

SHOTTS BON ACCORD
1. Sandy Thomson 2. Robbie Torrance 3. Andrew Muir 4. Andrew Duffy 5. Chris Meikle 6. Jack Gordon 7. Ben Richford (16. James McDonald) 8. Adam Hunter (15. Reece Paterson) 9. Harry Kent (12. Josh Gracie) 10. Paul McGeough 11. Danny Burns. Subs Not Used: 22. Derek Barnes

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Shotts Bon Accord