SJFA	SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP	Round 3
Glenafton Athletic	3 (1)	Mullen, Lindsay, McLelland
Deveronside	0 (0)
Sat 19 OCT 2024	KO 2:30 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against Shotts Bon Accord two weeks ago with Lewis Currie, Cammy Ross (suspended) and Hugh Kerr (injured) making way for Lyall Holding, Dylan O’Kane and Sam McKee.

Today’s opponents, Deveronside JFC, are based at MacDuff, Aberdeenshire at the mouth of the River Deveron. ‘The Side’ currently sit mid-table of the McBookie North Region Championship and progressed to the 3^rd round of the Scottish Junior after a 3-2 victory at home over Stoneyburn.

Although the Glens kicked off it was the visitors that made a lively start. No. 10 weaved his way past a clutch of defenders into the right-hand side of the box before squaring the ball to the inrushing No. 9 only for his shot to be blocked by Lyall Holding, sending the ball over the bar. The corner kick was cleared from the box but fell for No. 6 and his low shot from distance was deflected high over the bar. for another corner which came to nothing. Soon after the visitors were left feeling aggrieved after a quick break down the left leaving the winger with seemingly a free run into the goalmouth only for a late offside flag to bring play to a halt, looked like a let-off for the Glens.  

The home side countered through Sam McKee only for his shot from 25 yards to sail over the bar. Chris Erskine then gathered a ball on the outskirts of the box and jinked past a defender before lashing a shot from 22 yards which whizzed over the outstretched hand of the leaping keeper before dipping well over the bar.

Deversonside passed up a great chance to take the lead on 10 minutes after No. 7, with only the keeper to beat, sliced his shot from 10 yards sending the ball well wide of the post.

Play was flowing back and forth now. Erskine on the move and from within a pocket of defenders slipped the ball to Dylan O’Kane to drive forward only for his low shot from 20 yard to trundle wide of the post.

On 15 minutes Glenafton broke the deadlock after a spell of pressure in and around a busy box the ball fell for Ross Lindsay in the ’D’ who picked out McKee wide on the left-hand side of the box who quickly clipped a perfectly weighted ball over the head of the keeper to the back post for Michael Mullen to nod it home from a yard out.

The home side continued to press. O’Kane gathered a great ball from Ryan Walker before driving into the box with defenders giving chase only to earn a yellow card for his tumble in the box.

Soon after, Mullen’s headed flick was met on the drop by Jared Willet who lobbed the ball into the box for O’Kane to chase down only for his attempted chip to be palmed away by the keeper and then scrambled clear.

Mullen gathered the ball at the edge of the box and rolled it back to Walker to fire the a low shot from 25 yards that beat the keeper but drifted wide of the post.

On 25 minutes captain Craig Pettigrew took a sore one while stripping the ball from No. 7 and although he returned to the field after treatment, he was unable to continue and was replaced by Lewis Currie.

Mullen gathered the ball on the left-hand side of the box and held off one defender before weaving past two others as he drove towards the near post only for the keeper to bravely dive at his feet to clutch the ball.

The visitors began to enjoy possession deep in the Glens albeit without creating any decent chances.

Nevertheless, the home side continued to look the more threatening in particular with Erskine roaming about the pitch at ease and initiating further attacks.

On 41 minutes O’Kane burst free from the centre circle before slipping the ball to McKee on the right-hand side of the box only for his low shot to be blocked and his attempt to fire home the rebound was deflected for a corner which was headed over the bar by Ollie Rowe.

At the other end Deveronside won a free kick on the outskirts of the Glens box which was curled round the side of the Glens wall forcing keeper Ally Semple to get down low on the goal line and push it away towards the right touch-line where No.7 won the race for the loose ball and whipped a wicked cross deep into the six-yard box where Semple under pressure from No.4 clutched it cleanly, before being ‘nudged’ over the goal-line.

As the half drew to a close Erskine gathered Lindsay’s header in the centre circle before bursting between two players and after slipping the ball to McKee on the right, he high-tailed it down the wing to complete the one-two and collect the ball on the right-hand side of the box to drill a low ball into the six-yard box for the inrushing Mullen, only for No. 5 to intercept and send the ball over the keeper and the bar. Although the corner was won in the air by Currie the ball was cleared from the box only for McKee to whip it back in, where it was trapped by Willet and his shot from 10 yards flew high over the bar in the last action of the half.

HT Glens 1 Deveronside 0

A lower key start to this half with play going back and forth with the best chance falling to the visitors No. 9 however his close range shot at goal lacked the power to trouble Semple.

On 57 minutes Glens came close to doubling their lead after O’Kane gathered the ball at the right hand corner of the box before driving towards the near post and cutting the ball back to Mullen to drill a low shot from 8 yards and although he beat the keeper the ball was cleared off the line by a defender at the back post.  

Glenafton made a change on the hour mark with Dylan O’Kane making way for Stephen McLelland. Soon after the home side won a free kick just wide on the left and as Lindsay looked to float it high into the box only to drill the ball up the touchline for Erskine to collect and cut into the box and square it to the inrushing Mullen only for the keeper to get a strong hand to it and the danger was cleared.  

The visitors then broke up the right through No. 10 forcing his way to the bye-line before flashing the ball across the face of goal for No. 11 at the back only for McKee to intervene and the chance was gone momentarily. Deveronside recovered the loose ball and it fell for No. 10 but his shot from the 25 yards sailed high over the bar.

Back came the home side and won a corner on the left only for the keeper to come off his line to clutch the ball cleanly.  McKee then broke down the right to win a throw a few yards from the corner-flag which he lobbed high into the heart of the box where the ball was eventually scrambled cleared and fell at the feet of Ross Lindsay at the edge of the ‘D’ from where his sweet strike sailed inches above the reach of the keeper’s finger tips as he leapt high from the six-yard line with his arm at full stretch and he could only look on as the ball dipped inches under the bar and into the gaping net. Glens 2-0 up on 70 minutes.

Five minutes later Erskine released the tireless Willet down the left and his cut-back from the bye-line was slammed home by Mullen from 3 yards out, before Willet was deemed to have crossed the line and the score remained 2-0.

Played now raged back and forth with decent chances at both ends. Lindsay’s free-kick deflected off the two-man wall and McKee’s attempt to divert it into the net from the corner of the six-yard bow was well held by the keeper.

At the other end a corner from the right was met by a glancing header from No. 12 that initiated a scramble in a packed six-yard box that concluded with McKee’s clearance.

Back came Glens and Erskine glided to the edge of the box before threading a low shot through a busy goalmouth and past the stranded keeper only to drift wide of the far post.

On 83 minutes the Glens made a double substitution with Ross Lindsay and Michael Mullen making way for Brendan Arthur and Mason McDougall.

A minute later Deveronside came close to halving the deficit but No.10 under pressure from Currie couldn’t get his shot on target.

On 90 minutes Glens made it 3-0 after Willet gathered the ball in the ‘D’ and with no way forward he still managed to weave himself free from 4 or 5 defenders to slip the ball to McKee on the right who who skipped past a defender before whipping a ball from the bye-line to the near post and although it floated over the head of McDonald and his marker the young keeper, having played so well, fumbled the ball and the inrushing Stephen McLelland forced the ball over the line.

Credit to the visitors as they fought for a late consolation with No. 11 pulling off a great save from Semple and soon after another attack ended with a shot being deflected over the bar for a corner which sparked off another scramble in the Glens box.

FT Glens 3 Deveronside 0

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. Ally Semple 2. Lyall Holding 3. Jared Willet 4. Craig Pettigrew (Captain) (14. Lewis Currie) 5. Ollie Rowe 6. Ryan Walker 7. Sam McKee 8. Ross Lindsay (15. Brandon Arthur) 9. Dylan O’Kane (12. Stephen McLelland) 10. Michael Mullen (16. Mason McDougall) 11. Chris Erskine Subs Not Used: 22. Keon Thurston (gk), Evan Maley.

DEVERONSIDE JFC
Sorry no team lines

Match Photos

Glenafton vs. Deveronside

Huge congratulations to Sam McKee in making his 100th start for Glenafton today.