| SJFA | Scottish Junior Cup | Round 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Bathgate Thistle | 0 (0) | |
| Glenafton Athletic | 3 (1) | Lindsay, Mullen, O’Kane |
| Sat 30 Nov 2024 | KO 1:30 pm | Creamery Park, Bathgate |
Glenafton travelled to West Lothian for face Bathgate Thistle in the 4th round of the Scottish Junior Cup on St. Andrew’s Day. Thistle play in the East of Scotland Football League and currently sit 2nd top of the Second Division.
Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against Troon three weeks ago with Ally Semple, Ryan McCubbin (cup-tied) and captain Craig Pettigrew (injured) making way for mid-week keeper David Markey returning to the Glens on a loan-deal from Whitletts Victoria, Jared Willet and Chris Erskine.
Although Glenafton kicked off it was Bathgate that enjoyed the early pressure with keeper David Markey forced to race from his line to block a shot from the inrushing striker Ryan Wilson. Attacks down both wings saw Thistle breach the Glens box but with no reward. A free kick from the left on the outskirts of the box was headed clear by captain for the day Ollie Rowe. Soon after, Thistle’s captain Glenn Thomson clipped a perfectly weighted ball through the middle for Wilson to break between two defenders and curl a low shot from 18 yards only for the keeper to make a great block with an outstretched right leg. A hectic opening 5 minutes for the visitors!
Glens began to grow into the game with Chris Erskine bossing the midfield and Cammy Ross and Jared Willet pushing up their respective wings; Ross enjoying tussles, ‘twists and shouts’, with Lennon Smith. Michael Mullen intercepted a pass inside the Thistle’s half and laid the ball off to Hugh Kerr who in turn fed Willet on the overlap down the left to whip the ball into the far side of the box which was headed high and clear by the lively Smith and although Evan Maley met it sweetly on the drop the ball flew well wide of the post.
The visitors continued to press through Mullen, on the outskirts of the box, gathering Lyall Holding’s throw-in from the right, only to be forced wide where Jordan Rodger clicked his heels. Ross Lindsay, from a few yards out from the right-hand corner of the box, whipped the free-kick wide of the one-man wall and the ball bounced just beyond the outstretched leg of defender Lewis Peddie and although it also eluded the inrushing Mullen and Rowe it continued its way into the far corner of the net with keeper Craig Saunders rooted on his line. Glenafton 1-0 up on 12 minutes.
Glens continued to dominate the midfield with Erskine and Maley leading the way, however although enjoying the lion’s share of possession there were few chances on show.
Midway through the half the visitors were forced to make a change with Jordan Allan coming off to be replaced with Lewis Currie.
Maley gathered the ball in the centre circle and drifted right before rolling the ball back to Holding who burst infield to ping an inch-perfect pass to Mullen to take a touch before slipping past McKenzye Campbell and cracking a shot from 25 yards that was deflected just wide of the post by Ryan Stevenson. Lindsay floated the corner in to the heart of the box where Willet rose head and shoulders above all, only for his header to skim to the right edge of the box where it was snapped up by Erskine who slipped past Thomson to drive to the bye-line and drill a low cut-back into a packed six-yard box that was booted out for a throw.
Play began to rage back and forth for a spell with Glens still looking the more threatening. Lindsay won a tackle tight on the left, just inside Thistle’s half, and Willet picked up the loose ball before laying it off to Mullen to burst forward and release Hugh Kerr on the overlap. The tireless striker pushed forward to the bye-line only for his cut-back to be cleared to the edge of the ‘D’ where Maley was ready to pounce only for Smith to strip him off the ball with a great tackle and set up a counter-attack that fizzled out.
On 24 minutes the visitors came close to doubling their lead. Willet dinked a great ball down the left for Kerr to chase and then whip a great ball into the six-yard box which took a bounce and as Mullen looked to side the ball into the net it deflected off Peddie and seemed destined for the top corner only for Saunders to pull off a great reflex save and claw the ball away.
Back came Bathgate through Campbell picking the ball up in the centre-circle and clipping a clever ball down the left for Smith to play a slick one-two with Wilson before driving for the bye-line only for his cross into the box blocked by his ‘shadow’ Ross. Smith perhaps overcooked the corner kick as it sailed over the bodies gathered in the six-yard box and Markey on his line out for a goal-kick.
Glens countered and won a corner on the left that Lindsay floated into the six yard box where some head-tennis by the Thistle defence cleared the immediate danger before Currie won the ball in the box and rolled it wide left to Lindsay to float another cross into the heart of the box where Kerr outleapt two defenders to send a glancing header towards the back post and as it seemed to be drifting wide, Rowe quickly intervened to guide the ball past the diving keeper. However, the assistant referee raised his flag immediately for offside while others would suggest either Stevenson and Peddie or both played Rowe on, with 31 minutes gone.
The visitors pressed again after Erskine gathered the ball on the left and skipped past two defenders before squaring a 20-yard pass to Willet on the left to instantly roll a perfectly weighted ball into the left hand side of the box to match Erskine’s run, who then whipped a low diagonal ball to the edge of the six yard box just beyond the reach of the inrushing Mullen while the incoming James Macadam blasted the ball out for corner, which was cleared.
There followed a spell of play going back and forth without either keeper being tested.
In the closing minute of the half Glenafton came close again, beginning and ending with Ross. The winger curled a ball deep into the six-yard box which Saunders punched away with both hands only for Erskine to gather the ball on the outskirts of the ‘D’ and play a one-two with Kerr in a packed box and although he was stripped of the ball it was quickly recovered by Lindsay who combined with Kerr to set up Willet on the left hand corner of the box to float a ball to back post for Ross arriving at speed only for his header flash across the face of the goal.
HT Bathgate 0 Glens 1
A lively start to the second half with play raging back and forth for a time before a fine run by Ross won the Glens corner which was floated into a packed six-yard and the leaping Willet’s header soared high over the bar. Soon after Mullen tried a shot from the edge of the box that bumped its way wide of the post.
At the other end Thistle’s long throw to the near post ended with a shot squirming past the post while a corner soon after was headed wide of target. Back came Glens and Maley burst down the left before cutting inside an breaking into the box only for his low shot to drift wide of the far post.
On the hour mark Thistle made a double substitution.
Ross took a short throw-in, from deep in the right, to Erskine who quickly returned the ball for Ross to float the ball to the far end of the six-yard box where Willet cushioned a header into the six-yard box for the incoming Kerr only for his header, under pressure from keeper and defender, to drift wide of target.
The home side enjoyed good spells of possession in the Glens half but without creating any chances of note.
On 65 minutes Glenafton made a change with Chris Erskine making way for Sam McKee.
A minute later the visitors doubled their lead as Thistle were pushing forward. Saunders launched the ball deep into the Glens half from where Holding powerfully headed the ball high into the air to drop onto the half-way line only for substitute Nathan Williamson to lob a high ball back into the Glens half from where Rowe burst forward to bullet a header over the heads of the well-advanced central defenders while the Glens strikers burst forward, Kerr peeling left to block Macadam’s run while Michael Mullen chased down the ball, and let it bounce a couple of times, before cracking a low shot from 16 yards beyond the advancing keeper . Glens 2-0 up.
The visitors continued to press and straight from the kick-off Ross nicked the ball from Williamson and laid it off to Kerr who turned to forge his way between two defenders before lashing a shot from 20 yards that flew wide of target.
Soon after McKee and Willet played a slick one-two down the left freeing McKee to break to the corner of the 18 yard box and pick out Kerr at the edge of the six yard only for his attempt to guide the ball home comfortably collected by the keeper on his line.
A long clearance form Markey was gathered by Mullen who weaved his way to thump a low shot from 25 yards out that Saunders spilled and Kerr’s attempt to bury the loose ball was foiled by Stevenson’s clearance only to be recovered by McKee leading to another corner for the Glens. Another session of head tennis eventually saw the ball cleared only to be recovered by Maley who combined with Holding set up Mullen to skip past a defender and whip a ball to the far post just a touch high for the inrushing Kerr.
On 78 minutes Glenafton made a double substitution with Lyall Holding and Shuggy Kerr making way for Ryan Walker and Dylan O’Kane.
It proved to be a hectic finish as both play ebbed back and forth.
McKee was proving a handful down the left and floated a ball to the back post which fell for Maley only for his shot to drift wide.
On 85 minutes the home side conjured up a great chance that could have made the closing 5 minutes a lot more tense for the visitors. Substitute Jay Tapping picked up a pass in the centre-circle before driving forward and stroking the ball into the left-hand side of the penalty box for Smith to chase down only for his low angled shot to fly past Markey, but the keeper had his angles covered, as the ball flew wide of the back post.
Play continued to flow from end to end but the defences were on top until practically the last kick of the game. Mullen held up the ball on the right touchline and held of Smith as he slowly dragged the ball to the corner-flag where he escaped his clutches to progress along the bye-line and into the box. From here Mullen cut the ball back to O’Kane only for his shot to be blocked by Stevenson but the young striker recovered the ball and rolled it back out the box for Lindsay to crack a low shot from 22 yards and although Peddie appeared to have blocked the shot, he lost control and the ball trundled onward to the six-yard line where the alert Dylan O’Kane pounced to clip the ball over the keeper on the ground, having already dived in an attempt to save Lindsay’s shot. Glens 3-0 up on 90 minutes.
The final whistle blew soon after and an entertaining game came to a close;
FT Bathgate 0 Glenafton 3
| GLENAFTON ATHLETIC |
|---|
| 1. David Markey 2. Lyall Holding (17. Ryan Walker) 5. Ollie Rowe (Captain) 4. Jordan Allan (14. Lewis Currie); 7. Cammy Ross 6. Evan Maley 8. Ross Lindsay 11. Chris Erskine (16. Sam McKee) 3. Jared Willet; 9. Hugh Kerr (15. Dylan O’Kane) 10. Michael Mullen. Subs Not Used: 16. Mason McDougall 21. Keon Thurston (gk) |
| BATHGATE THISTLE |
|---|
| 22 Craig Saunders 2. Kyle Mooney 3. Lewis Peddie 4. Ryan Stevenson 5. James Macadam 6. McKenzye Campbell 7. Jordan Rodger 8. Fraser Cormack 9. Ryan Wilson 10. Glenn Thomson (captain) 11. Lennon Smith Subs. Cody Thomson, Nathan Williamson, Brayden Docherty, Stewart Thomson, Jay Tapping, Finlay Mackay, Ally McInnes |
| Match Photos |
| Bathgate Thistle v Glenafton Athletic |
Footnote The teams met once before in the Scottish Junior Cup back in the 2nd Round 1990 at Loch Park with Glens running out 5-2 winners. John McCulloch, Andy Dunlop, Malky Adams and Norman Montogomery (2) scored for the Glens while Bathgate’s Hill and Conville put the two past keeper Alan Rough.
Glens were drawn away to Tranent in the 3rd round and will now travel to face Tranent in the 5th round of the competition.
Glenafton Athletic 