PDM HUWS GRAY	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 30
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Darvel	1 (1)	Moore
Wed 15 May 2024	KO 7:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Both sides met each other in the opening league game of the season at Recreation Park where Leon Murphy opened the scoring on his Darvel debut only for a Michael Moffat double to secure the three points for the Afton. Later in the season Darvel beat the Glens 3-0 in ‘big’ Scottish Cup and 2-1 in Scottish Junior Cup at Loch Park – Vale having since progressed to the final where they will face Arthurlie. Today both sides meet in the final league game of the season.

Although Darvel kicked off under the overcast sky it was Glens that were first to threaten after Dylan O’Kane won a corner-kick on the right which Alex McWaters drilled into the box for Liam Caddis only for his shot to be deflected wide for another corner.  McWaters floated this one high to the six-yard line where Craig Pettigrew won the aerial battle with Stephen Bronsky only for his header to sail high over the bar.

Glens continued to press with Harvey Gilmour and Cammy Crooks combining in the middle of the feeding O’Kane down the right and McWaters down the left. It was the latter than won the Glens third corner and then curled it into the six-yard box where it was headed clear by Mark Sideserf.

On 17 minutes Darvel won their first corner which was floated to the back post where Bronsky came out on tops on this occasion only for his header to fall to into the clutches of keeper David Markey.

Back came Glens with a sustained period of passing play. The Caddis brothers combined in the centre circle before feeding Gilmour who slipped it back to Crooks to quickly release Ryan Sinnamon down the right to pick out Gilmour at the corner of the penalty box and although there was no way through the Glens regrouped and strung another series of slick passes before losing possession in the Darvel box; while the visitors counter-attack fizzled out.

Glens pressed again with Crooks picking out O’Kane on the right to loft a long ball into the box for Liam Caddis only for Bronsky to intervene with a powerful header. The ball was later launched up the park where Jordan Moore and Pettigrew challenged only for the latter to trip (or be tripped?) while the former broke into the box before cracking a shot beyond the reach of the diving Markey; Darvel 1-0 on 22 minutes.  

Meanwhile, throughout the half overcast conditions had progressed to drizzle which was now heavier.

The home side responded well with Gilmour slipping a glorious ball down the right for Sinnamon to chase down and gather at the edge of the six-yard box only for his cut-back for Liam Caddis to be cut-out by Bronsky.  Indeed, much of the remainder of the half was played in the Darvel half without Glens however creating any real chances – Ryan Caddis had a couple of shots from the outskirts of the box which drifted wide of target while McWaters low driven free-kick was comfortably smothered by the keeper Wilson.

Five minutes before the break Darvel threatened to double their lead after Moore chased down a through ball and managed to squeeze a shot from 18 yards between Pettigrew and Crooks that drifted just wide of the far post.

HT Glens 0 Darvel 1

Darvel started well Moore cracked a low shot from right hand corner of the six-yard box that Markey blocked with an outstretched leg, to deny Sideserf behind him a tap-in. However the alert Moore snapped up the rebound (rather than take the corner) and whipped the ball into the outskirts of the six-yard box where the incoming No. 6, under pressure from Ollie Rowe, clipped it over the bar.

Glens came close to drawing level on 51 minutes. Liam Caddis seemingly stuck in a pocket of three blue shirts slipped the ball out to Gilmour in the centre circle in the Darvel half who then threaded a great forward diagonal pass to O’Kane wide on the right with Sinnamon arriving for support. O’Kane floated the ball high into the box where it was gathered by Liam Caddis and with David Syme tight on his back, he picked out Sinnamon breaking into the right hand side of the box to drill the ball across the face of goal for Ryan Caddis at the back post only for Bronsky to slide in and send the ball goalward where keeper Wilson kicked it off the goal-line.

Darvel countered down the right through Moore and on reaching the corner of the box he chipped the ball to the left-hand side for Sideserf to trap and then push back out toward the 18 yard line from where he curled a shot that bounced off the side of the post back towards Moore to hit the ball first time, sending it inches wide of the near post.

Back came Glens and O’Kane’s burst of speed along with twists and turns were proving to be a handful for the Vale.  Inevitably some of these ended with the feet being taken from him without however the Glens making the most of the set-pieces. From open play on the right Sinnamon launched a long ball into the far-side of the six-yard box where the inrushing McWalters beat the defender to the ball only for his angled shot to be well held by the goalie.

Play continued to rage back on forth on the wet surface. On the hour mark a Darvel shot from 30 yards on the right was deflected wide for a corner on the left which was headed clear to the edge of the box by Crooks. Her O’Kane gathered the ball before slipping it back to Lyall Holding who quickly launched it upfield for Crooks, who then set off on a great run holding off one defender and forced to go wide with two others but still managed to fire a low shot from 20 yards out that flew wide of the back post.

Soon after Sinnamon from the right pushed forward into the Darvel half and curled a ball to the edge of the box where although Syme took a touch, Ryan Caddis pounced on the loose ball and set up a shot from the ‘D’ that was blocked by Bronsky and the ball cleared.

Down the right again and Sinnamon slipped the ball up the touchline to O’Kane who then, faced with two defenders, cut the ball back inside to Gilmour who in turn held off two blue shirts before playing it back to Pettigrew. The Glens captain then completed the cycle by slotting it back up the wing for O’Kane, now in space, to whip a ball deep into the box for Liam Caddis, only for Bronsky to get between him and the keeper to lay the ball off to Syme to clear.

Back came Glens with O’Kane breaking into the Darvel half and clipping the ball inside to Liam Caddis who completed the one-two with a perfectly weighted pass threaded between two defenders into the box only for the ball to be nicked from O’Kane’s feet.

Soon after Pettigrew pushed forward before sending the ball up right where Liam Caddis and Sinnamon combined to win a corner which McWalters played short to Sinnamon at the corner of the box to curl a ball into the six-yard box for Pettigrew only for it to glance off a defender’s head diverting it goalward and although the airborne keeper failed to get a hand to it, the defender on the line, headed it back out before Syme hoofed it clear.

On 72 minutes Darvel broke up the right and Moore trapped the ball at the edge of the box only to be robbed by Rowe and the loose ball mopped up by Crooks to roll it out to O’Kane and so began one of the finest breaks seen at Loch Park in many a year. Off he buzzed up the right and on crossing the half-way line cut inside and soon had a blue shirt on his tail that he held off all the way to the outskirts of the box where Bronsky attempted to close him only for the young striker to lash a shot that whizzed over the fingertips of the flying keeper at full stretch only for the ball to crash over the bar and fall kindly to a blue shirt to be cleared.

At the other end (almost) Bronsky leathered the ball from the edge of the centre circle in the Glens half but it was still rising as it flew over the keeper and the bar. Soon after Moore gathered the ball in the left-hand side of the Glens box and rolled it back out to No. 6 who curled a shot from the ’D’ that whizzed inches wide of the right post.

Back came Glens through McWaters blasting a low angled shot from 25 yards that Wilson did well to get down low and hold the ball firmly.

On 78 minutes the home side then made a triple substitution with Ryan Caddis and soon after Harvey Gilmour and Alex McWaters all came off to appreciative applause and were replaced with three trialists from the Glenafton U20 side, who all gave a good account of themselves.

The visitors broke down the right before the ball was cut back to the six yard line for the incoming blue shirt only for his shot to be blocked by Markey at the expense of a corner which was lofted into a busy six yard box where Bronsky’s header was held on the line by Markey.

At the other end Crooks and Caddis combined to win the ball on the outskirts of the box before it was slipped wide to O’Kane in space to break into the right hand side of the box and cut inside Sideserf before drilling a low shot between him and Bronsky only for Wilson to safely clutch the ball.

Into added time and O’Kane had time for another mazy run. He shook off a shirt pull tight on the right and cut inside on a diagonal run to far side of the 18 yard line only for Bronsky to block his shot.

FT Glens 0 Darvel 1

In a hugely entertaining game the Glens were unfortunate not to get a share of the points while Darvel completed the treble over the Glens at Loch Park.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 11. Ryan Sinnamon 20. Ollie Rowe 5. Craig Pettigrew (captain) 14. Lyall Holding; 19. Dylan O’Kane 17. Harvey Gilmour (Trialist 3)  15. Cammy Crooks 10. Alex McWaters (Trialist 4); 9. Ryan Caddis, 12. Trialist 1 -Ryan Caddis (Trialist 2) Subs Not Used: 21. Ally Semple.

DARVEL
A.Wilson, Brown, Bronsky, David Syme (captain), Duncan, Sideserf, Baird, Walker, R. Cairns, Ronney, Jordan Moore Subs: Paterson, McGee, Carmichael, Miller, O’Halloran, Andy Leishman (gk)

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Darvel