| PDM HUWS GRAY | WOSFL Premier Division | Match 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Glenafton Athletic | 0 (0) | |
| Beith Juniors | 0 (0) | |
| Tues 16 Apr 2024 | KO 7:30 pm | Loch Park, New Cumnock |
Glenafton made one change to the side that started against Auchinleck two weeks ago with Cammy Ross replacing Dylan O’Kane (unavailable). Making his 100th start for Glenafton was defender Ollie Rowe, congratulations Ollie.
Opponents Beith are currently sitting his 2nd in the league 4 points behind Clydebank with 3 games in hand.
Glens kicked off under the lights with Shuggy Kerr rolling the ball back to Paul Paton on the edge of the semi-circle from where he launched the ball high up-field with keeper Owen Stott keeping a close eye on its descent and leapt with an upstretched arm, just in case, as the ball dipped over the bar.
Michael McMullin nicked the ball from Aaron Mason just inside the Glens half which fell for Sam McKee to clip the ball up-field for Hugh Kerr to trap and lay off to Cammy Crooks on the overlap, who got the better of two defenders before drilling a low shot from just inside the box that beat Stott at full length only for the ball to drift wide of the far post.
At the other end Ciaran Diver did well to get on the end of a cross but his shot from close range flew inches over the bar.
Back came the home side through Paton floating a free-kick high into the box for Rowe at the back post only for an Beith interception to divert the ball out for a corner. McKee’s kick was met sweetly on the drop by McMullin and under pressure from Steve Noble he lashed a shot just high and wide of target.
On 12 minutes Daniel O’Neill pounced on a clearance from the Glens box to blast a shot from 30 yards that whizzed wide of the post. A minute later keeper David Markey did well to get down low and push away Mason’s strike from the edge of the box only for Diver to slam the loose ball into the net but from an offside position.
Diver then guided a looping header high into the 6 yard box for Mason to tee-up a spectacular volley only for Rowe to block it and beat Robbie Scullion to the loose ball only for it to fall for Alan Docherty to hit a low angled shot that Markey blocked with his feet sending the ball high into the air which was gathered and cleared by McMullin.
Beith continued to press and O’Neill, from wide on the left, whipped the ball into the heart of a busy box where Diver’s attempted strike headed skyward. Crooks brought the lively Paul Frize down at the edge of the box but the free-kick was blasted into the Glens wall and McKee hooked the ball up the park where although loan striker Kerr leapt to get a touch ahead of Scot Rough the ball was mopped up by fellow defenders.
The Glens then enjoyed a good spell.
Gary Fraser gathered a short throw from McMullin and whipped the ball into the box where Crooks sent a header wide of target.
On the half hour mark Cammy Ross picked up a pass from McKee on the edge of the ‘D’ and pinged it to Crooks wide on the right who rolled it back to Paton to curl a ball to the back post where Ewan Dunne’s clearing header was met by McMullin on the outskirts of the box to unleash a shot only for Stott to pull off a fine save to fingertip the ball over the bar. McKee’s corner was floated into the six-yard box where although Rowe won the aerial battle but the ball was hoofed out the box and eventually cleared.
Back game Glens through McKee, tight on the right on the half-way line, who slipped past Frize before clipping the ball forward to Crooks breaking through the middle who then fed Ross wide on the left. The midfielder cut inside to the edge of the ‘D’ and squared to Fraser on the right who couldn’t quite tee up his shot properly and his effort from edge of the box skewed wide of target.
Beith ventured forth and a long ball into the box saw Rowe outleap Diver and his header then headed out the box by Crooks which fell for Ewan Wilson at the edge of the ‘D’ to fire a low shot that drifted wide of the post.
Back up the park and Kerr chased down a ball into the box and with his back to goal was caught in a pocket of three defenders from which he escaped to side-foot the ball back to Fraser to blast a daisy-cutter from 25 yards only for Stott to stand firm on his line and drop to his knees to hold the ball cleanly.
Soon after Kerr collected the ball in the centre circle andpushed forward attracting another threesome including Docherty who opted to take the feet from the striker accepting the yellow card without fuss. Paton floated the free-kick into the box from where it returned immediately through a powerful header from Rough which was gathered by Frize but the promising counter-attack fizzled out thanks to Lyall Holding’s intervention.
Craig Pettigrew and Rowe combined to snuff out another counter-attack with the latter heading the ball back to the safe hands of Markey. Back came Beith with another fine run by Mason down the left only for his cut-back from bye-line to be intercepted by the back-tracking McKee. Mason floated the corner kick to the back post where Pettigrew leapt head and shoulders above two of the Mighty to head the ball to the outskirts of the box where Fraser gathered and displayed a clean pair of heels as he left Frize in his wake before clipping the ball up the left for Ross to chase down and then cut inside past two defenders to square to the inrushing Crooks only for his shot from the ’D’ to fly over the bar.
An even 45 minutes drew to a close with the game goal-less.
HT Glens 0 Beith 0
Beith kicked off and were soon in action with a high ball into the box where Markey and Diver leapt together at the near post and the striker managed to head it from the keeper’s clinch only for Markey to reclaim it after the first bounce.
Play then raged back and forth with both keepers coming off their lines to collect the ball.
On 55 minutes Beith made a double substitution with Alan Dochery and Steven Noble making way for Andy Monk and Carlo Monti.
Soon after Glens won a corner-kick which McKee floated deep into the 6-yard box and Stott leapt to punch it with both fists well clear the box where Paton gathered and lofted a high ball back into a packed box. Rowe won the header and the ball fell for McMullin to hit a volley from 16 yards which appeared to strike off the raised hand of Rough, which immediately saw all the Glens players in the vicinity raise their hands claiming hand-ball, but no joy from the referee who was well positioned.
Diver then had a chance from the ‘D’ but shot wide of target under pressure from Pettigrew. Soon after Mason cut in from the left and from the corner of the penalty box cracked a vicious shot between two defenders only for the diving Markey to smother it at the corner of the six-yard box. The visitors continued to press and Monk pushed forward before drilling a shot from 25 yards that crashed off the crossbar with Markey beaten but the keeper kept his wits about him and leapt to tip rebound away from the head of Diver who seemed certain to score.
Monti broke down the right and cut along the bye-line where a well timed tackle at the edge of the box by Ross prevented the cross at the expense of a corner which was punched off the line by Markey under pressure from Diver.
On 65 minutes Glens made a double substitution with Liam Caddis and Michael Moffat coming on for the Cammy Ross and Shuggy Kerr, his shift as a lone striker over and both players earning appreciative response from the home support.
Pollok however kept up the pressure with Mason’s shot from the edge of the box and soon after Frize broke into the left hand-side of a busy box and laid it off to Diver who rolled it back to the edge of box where Monk thumped a low angled shot that beat Markey only for McMullin to keep his cool and clear the ball off the line.
On 74 minutesr Gary Fraser who had covered every blade of grass, picked up a booking, and was wisely substituted with the fresh legs of Alex McWaters.
Glens won a free-kick at the right corner of the penalty box from where Paton chipped into a packed box which was headed clear for Crooks to snap up and then set up McWaters for a shot that was blocked and the rebound gathered by McMullin but his shot was blocked by a wall of defenders.
On 82 minutes the visitors made their final substitution with Robbie Scullion making way for Mikey Williams. Beith pressed but Markey was mopping up any balls into the box,
Glens countered with a slick break as Moffat broke forward and almost effortlessly glided past two defenders before cracking a shot from the edge of the box only for Stott on his six-yard to pull off a fine save and push the ball round the post.
McKee lofted the corner high to back post where Paton sent a high looping header back towards the near post and Crooks downward header looked to sneak in at the base of the post only for Stott at full stretch to tip it round the post again. McKee floated the ball deep into the six-yard box over a clutch of heads and try as he might Paton could not get the ball under control.
Beith countered and although Docherty run along the length of the 18-yard line he could not find a crack in the Glens defence to break into the box. The wily Frize had other ideas as he weaved past four red shirts and into the box but met his match with Pettigrew’s block, albeit at the expense of a corner kick on the right. Caddis won the header deep in the goalmouth sending the ball out for a corner on the left which was then scrambled clear by McWaters.
Into added time and Beith launched a long throw from the right deep into the box where Frize’s header at the near post fell for Monk at the back post who blasted the ball over the bar from 3 yards out!
The visitors won a free kick just inside the Glens half, tight on the right flank, where Monti floated it deep into the box only for Pettigrew to beat two of the Mighty and power a header to this side of the centre circle.
Soon after McWaters broke up the right and chipped the ball over the head of a defender to breech the box and then picked out Caddis who was forced out the box only for his return pass to McWaters to be intercepted and cleared.
The last throw of the dice, on 94 minutes, saw three players from each side, challenge for a Beith throw into the box and was the Men in Red that forced the ball out the box only to be recovered by the Galaxy Defenders (Men in Black) to set up a shot for the tireless Frize from the 18-yard line but with the red shirts closing in, the ball flew high and wide of target.
FT Glens 0 Beith 0
| GLENAFTON ATHLETIC |
|---|
| 1. David Markey 14. Lyall Holding 20. Ollie Rowe 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 3. Michael McMullin 2. Cammy Ross (9. Michael Moffat) 15. Cammy Crooks 6. Paul Paton 8. Gary Fraser (10. Alex McWaters )7. Sam McKee 18. Hugh Kerr (12. Liam Caddis) Subs Not Used: 11. Ryan Sinnamon, 16. Craig Johnston, 17. Harvey Gilmour, Ally Semple (gk) |
| BEITH JUNIORS |
|---|
| 1. Owen Stott 2. Evan Dunne 3. Steven Noble (18. Carlo Monti) 4. Scot Rough 5. Daniel O’Neill 8. Paul Frize (captain) 6. Ewan Wilson 7. Robbie Scullion (16. Mikey McWilliams) 11. Alan Docherty (17. Andy Monk) 10. Aaron Mason) 9. Ciaran Diver. Subs Not Used: 21. Scott McLellan 12. Martin Findlay 14. Declan Hughes 15. Andrew Lind |
| Match Photos |
| Glenafton Athletic v Beith Juniors |
Glenafton Athletic 