GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 13
Glenafton Athletic	1 (0)	Mullen
Drumchapel United	1 (1)	Hopkirk
Sat 21 DEC 2024	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, NewCumnock

Glenafton made one change to the eleven that started against Clydebank last Saturday with the unavailable Cammy Ross making way for Ryan McCubbin, returning from injury.

Despite kicking off against the wind the Glens enjoyed a good spell of possession and won a handful of corner-kicks in the opening 25 minutes.  The most threatening of which saw Ross Lindsay float the ball to the far side of the box where it was hooked clear of the box and gathered by Sam McKee who quickly played a one-two with Lindsay before curling the ball to the back post for the incoming Lewis Currie only for keeper Ryan Scully to get a touch and as the ball was scrambled off the goal-line Jarred Willet’s shot was deflected over the bar and the ensuing corner cleared.

The best chance from open play fell when a defender’s sclaffed clearance sent the ball back into the Drumchapel box and Michael Mullen chased it down before twisting wide of two back-tracking defenders he curled a low shot that beat the diving keeper at full stretch only for the ball to slip wide of the post.

The flood lights were now on as conditions began to deteriorate as the scoreline did for the home side. Drumchapel broke towards the box where Jared Willet raised his knee in an attempt to prevent No. 10 gathering the ball only for him to tumble to the ground and despite the home side pleas the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped David Hopkirk to slam the ball home past keeper David Markey and put Drumchapel ahead on 26 minutes.

The goal sparked a good spell of pressure from the visitors including a shot from 25 yards drilled through a busy box that drifted wide of the post and another that was well held by Markey.

Glens countered and Lindsay on the outskirts of box squared to Evan Maley, his shot flew over the head of the leaping keeper and the bar.

Play then entered a period of back and forth with both sides winning corner-kicks that were comfortably dealt with the respective defences.

HT Glens 0 Drumchapel 1

Drumchapel kicked off against a wind that was getting stronger and they enjoyed a spell of pressure that with crosses into the box but with no takers.

Glens countered through substitute Jordan Allan driving down the left to the bye-line before whipping the ball into the goalmouth where defender and keeper combined to hold off McKee, at the expense of a corner, which Lindsay whipped in from right only for the ball to bounce off the top of the bar and out for goal kick.

Chris Erskine collected ball inside Drum’s half and released McKee on the right to drive forward and curl a ball deep into box as Willet and Mullen arrived, however the keeper did well to clutch it cleanly in worsening conditions.

On 59 mins Erskine gathered the ball inside the Drum half and threaded a forward pass between two defenders to Willet who quickly completed the one-two, for Erskine to drive to the edge of the box, where with the ball at his feet he circled before pinging a ball to McKee breaking down the right, to take a touch before squaring a perfectly weighted pass along the six yard line, taking out 2 defenders,  for the inrushing Michael Mullen to cutely guide the ball wide of the  keeper and into the ne to drwa level.

Another break on the right by McKee saw him forced to cut across the face of the box and lay the ball off to Mullen to crack a ferocious angled shot the Scully got both hands too, and the gathered the loose ball as Erskine threatened.

At the other end Drumchapel broke up the right and the ball was whipped into the six-yard box  only for Markey to clutch and hold as the inrushing striker hoped to pounce on any spills.

The squalls were now blowing horizontal rain from the Glens goalmouth to Drumchapel one both sides deserve great credit for continuing to make a game of it, in such difficult conditions.

The visitors floated a free kick from the right into a packed box where a glancing header was heading wide only for a team-mate to intervene and lash a vicious shot from a tight angle that flew inches wide of the far post. At the other ended Erskine’s shot from the edge of the box sneaked wide of the post.

The rain stopped but the wind continued with Drumchapel fighting fiercely against it, a free kick from the left whipped into box was scrambled clear by the Glens defence.

The home side made another substitution with Ross Lindsay making way for Ollie Rowe.

Scully’s clearance upfield was caught in the wind and McKee was in the right place in the centre circle to cushion the ball on its descent and clip it down the right for Mullen to chase down into the box but his low angled shot flew wide of the post.

The home side came close in the closing minutes following a break down the left from where the ball was floated into the box as  Erskine and Rowe were arriving, only for the cushioned header from Erskine to drift wide of the post.

FT Glenafton 1 Drumchapel 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 2. Lyall Holding 5. Craig Pettigrew (Captain) 4. Lewis Currie 3. Jared Willet; 9. Evan Maley (15. Jordan Allan) 8. Ross Lindsay (14. Ollie Rowe) 6. Ryan McCubbin 7. Sam McKee 11. Chris Erskine 10. Michael Mullen. Subs not used: 16. Brandon Arthur 21. Keon Thurston (gk)

DRUMCHAPEL UNITED
Ryan Scully; Martin Orr (captain), Martin McNiff, Ruaridh McIntyre, Jamie Mills; Greene, David Templeton, Dom McLaren; Kieran Moore, Argyll McCoist, David Hopkirk. Subs: Crawford, Jamie Bradley, Munir Idris