GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 06
Beith Juniors	2 (0)	Frize 2
Glenafton Athletic	1 (1)	Kerr
Sat 24 AUG 2024	KO 2:00 pm	Bellsdale Park, Beith

Glenafton made one change to the eleven that started against Hurlford on Tuesday 13^th August with Sam McKee replacing Cammy Ross. The bench was made up of three players from Glenafton U20s, two Trialists and Ross Lindsay (still carrying an injury).

Prior to kick-off a minute’s applause was held in memory of Community Coach Graham Greig who sadly passed away recently. His son Callum lead the Beith team out as the club mascot.

Beith kicked off down the slope and it was Glens that were first to show in the opening minute after Sam McKee beat Ricky Little to chase the ball uphill into the right hand-side of the box only for this ight angled shot to be comfortably held by keeper Owen Stott at the corner of the six-yard box.

Back came the visitors through Dylan O’Kane breaking up the left wing and then weaving his way along the bye-line to the edge of the six yard box to hold off Evan Dunne before threading a pass through the legs of Scot Rough for the incoming Shuggy Kerr to sweep the ball into the net beyond the reach of the keeper and Ricky Little on the line. Glens 1-0  on 3 minutes.

Beith responded well and were busy in and around the Glens box, both Lyall Holding and Stephen McLelland in turn blocked efforts from Alan Docherty and Jordan Stuart before Ryan Walker cleared the danger from the box.

Back came Glens with a long ball up the middle which Michael Mullen, with Ricky Little tight on his back, headed back to Kerr to crack a shot from 25 yards that drifted wide of the post. 

Play was raging back and forth (or up and down).

On 15 minutes Carlo Monti from the right whipped a corner-kick to the near post where Little fouled keeper Semple before ending up in the net while the ball sailed high and wide of the target.

Soon after, Monti trapped the ball on the edge of the box before blasting up a shot from inside the ‘D’ for the top right-hand corner only for the airborne Semple to pull off a great save, pushing the ball wide with both hands.

Dylan O’Kane picked up a pass on the centre spot and then pushed forward to fire a shot from 25 yards that Stott held well. Later on O’Kane broke up the left and gave Scot Rough the slip before curling a shot from the edge which sailed over the bar

Meanwhile at the other end Beith’s corner-kick count continued to mount with limited success as the Glens defence scrambled them clear, however on 30 minutes Semple had to be on his toes to outleap Dunne and punch the ball clear.

On 38 minutes Beith came close to levelling after Monti, from wide on the right, curled the ball high towards the penalty spot where Little won the aerial battle with Holding only for Semple to pull off a great save leaping to push the glancing header onto the bar while Lewis Currie and Ollie Rowe combined to clear their lines.

Jared Willet broke down another Beith attack on the outskirts of the box robbing Monti of the ball before threading a pass to Mullen in the centre-circle who took a touch before stroking the ball upfield between the central defenders for Kerr to chase and burst into the right hand side of the box and as the back-tracking Little closed in, he cutely took a touch with the inside of his right foot to set up a shot with his left only for Stott to get down low and push it wide of the post for a corner-kick which was headed clear.

Mullen gathered a Semple clearance wide on the left and whipped a long ball up the hill for McKee to chase with Little in pursuit, however it was his team-mate Stuart that arrived in time to block the angled shot from deep in the box.

In the closing minute Beith passed up a great chance to square matters before the break. A from wide on the right was floated to the back post where Lewis Lovering outleapt McKee and Holding to the nod the ball down to the unmarked Monti but rather than try to place it in either corner he blasted a shot at Semple only for the keeper to pull off great point blank save to push the ball away.

HT Beith 0 Glens 1.

The second half started off at a frantic pace with playing raging forth and back (or down an up) without either keeper being tested.

On the hour mark Monti from the outskirts of the box curled a free-kick over the wall which dipped over the bar.  Beith continued to press with Robbie Scullion trapping the ball just inside the box, before turning and clipping a low angled shot that had Semple at full stretch to push the ball past the far post.  Monti from the right floated the corner deep into the goal mouth where Paul Frize while backing into Semple, more less on the goal line, got a touch to send the ball into the net. Despite claims of foul play from the Glens the goal stood and yet if Semple had pushed Frize a penalty would surely have followed. Beith 1 Glens 1 on 63 minutes

Soon after Glenafton manager Ryan Caddis aired his views to the match official and having already been booked was shown a red card.

The rain came and went as the home side continued to press with substitute Andy Monk looking lively up the left flank. On 75 minutes he chased a ball hooked up the wing by Monti weaved his way into the box to drill a low angled shot that Semple blocked with the soles of his boots and the rebound was gathered by sub Max Brown who back-heeled the ball into the path of Scullion only for his shot from 18 yards to be cleared by McClelland.

Frize then burst up the left before whipping the ball to the corner of the six-yard box where substitute Fraser Malcolm took a touch with the outside of his boot sending the ball over the bar. Soon after, Monk on the left laid the ball off to Frize to blast a shot from 25 yards that Semple at full stretch pushed away. It was eventually cleared to the outskirts of the box by Currie where it was gathered by Kerr only to be dispossessed by Little’s sliding tackle and as Willet looked to win the ball he caught Brown which harshly earned him a second yellow card and his marching orders. Glens down to 10 men on 78 minutes.

Monti lined up to take the free-kick into the box but played a short one-two instead with Frize before drilling a low shot through a crowded box only for Semple to get down low and smother the ball.

Another period of play ebbing back and forth foolowed before Beith scored what proved to be the winner in a controversial manner. Monk broke into the left-hand side of a packed box before picking out Monti to blast a shot that was blocked by McClelland, the midfielder falling awkwardly to the ground in the process, the ball landed on the outskirts of the box where as Ryan Walker hoofed the ball downfield into the Beith half, was caught on the shin from behind by Frize, already on a yellow card, leaving him writhing in pain in front of the referee. Nevertheless, play continued despite the ball now deep in the Beith half, from where Little laid the ball off to Steven Noble on the left to push up the wing and picking out Monti to roll into the path of Paul Frize to run past the floored and injured Walker into the box before drilling a lethal low shot from 16 yards that beat Semple at his near post. Beith 2 -1 on 85 minutes.

While Beith celebrated the Glens physio was allowed on the park and appeals to the referee were waved away. Meanwhile Stephen McClelland was replaced by Trialist (coach Darren Millar).

Glens pushed for an equaliser and won two corner kicks deep in added time the second of which saw Kerr’s header sail high over the bar.

Although the pain of the 9-0 defeat at Bellsdale last season has dissipated somewhat and to be fair it was a true reflection of that game, it was just as painful today as the Glens didn’t deserve to come away with nothing from the game.

FT Beith 2 Glens 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
Glenafton Athletic: 1. Ally Semple 2. Lyall Holding 4. Ollie Rowe 5. Lewis Currie 3. Jared Willet; 7. Sam McKee 6. Stephen McLelland (Trialist 1) 8. Ryan Walker 11. Dylan O’Kane; 9. Hugh Kerr (captain) 10. Michael Mullen Subs Not Used: Ross Lindsay Keon Thurston (gk), Morrison, Small; Trialist 1, Trialist 2, 3

BEITH JUNIORS
1. Owen Stott 2. Evan Dunne 3. Lewis Lovering (12. Max Brown) 4. Ricky Little 5. Scot Rough 6. Ben Lewis (15. Steven Noble) 7. Carlo Monti (14. Martin Findlay) 8. Paul Frize (captain) 9. Alan Docherty (17. Fraser Malcolm) 10. Robbie Scullion 11. Jordan Stuart (18. Andy Monk) Subs:, Conor O’Donnell, Scott McLellan (gk).

Match Photos

Beith Juniors v Glenafton Athletic