GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 22
Glenafton Athletic	1 (0)	Lindsay
Benburb	1 (0)	Kane
Sat 15 Mar 2025	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton made four changes to the eleven that started against Drumchapel United last Saturday with Lewis Currie (injury), Craig Pettigrew (injury), Michael Mullen (unavailable) and Jamie Taggart making way for Lyall Holding, Jordan Allan, Sam McKee and Chris Erskine.

Meanwhile congratulations to goalkeeper David Markey on making made his 100^th start for the Glens.

In the Benburb dug-out was former Glenafton striker David Winters, now joint manager of the Bens along with his brother Robbie Winters while in their starting eleven was former Glens midfielder Gary Fraser.

Benburb kicked off on a sun-kissed Loch Park albeit it was a bit chilly in the shade. The visitors made the early running and on 5 minutes won a free kick on the edge of the Glens box after the ball struck a grounded Ryan McCubbin on the arm. Declan McDonald blasted the ball into the leaping six-man wall and Gary Fraser pounced on the loose ball only for his shot from 22 yards to drift high and wide of the target.

Back came Bens through Reece McGuire breaking into the left hand-side of the Glens box before drilling a low-angled shot that the outrushing keeper David Markey pushed wide for a corner kick. Gary Fraser floated the ball into a busy goal-mouth only to be headed clear by McCubbin, however the visitors quickly recovered the ball and from wide on the right Ryan Kane whipped the ball to the near post where Robbie Halliday’s header, under pressure from Lyall Holding, flew inches over the bar. 

On 10 minutes the Bens won a free kick, wide on the left just inside the Glens half, from where Gary Fraser launched the ball high into the heart of the box and although Alan Lithgow won the aerial battle his header drifted wide of the post.

Glens then enjoyed some possession in the Bens half albeit without breaching their box.

However, on 19 minutes the home side won a free kick, on the right some 10 yards inside the Bens half, which Ross Lindsay floated high into box where Ollie Rowe outjumped Ryan Kane on the penalty spot to power a downward header past Gary Fraser on the six-yard line only for the keeper Glen Cameron to get down low and push the ball wide before Lithgow hoofed it upfield to prevent the corner-kick.

Soon after a Lindsay’s corner kick was headed clear as Glens continued to press.  Chris Erskine then slipped a pass deep into the box for Sam McKee to gather before drilling a low angled shot from 10 yards only for Cameron to come off his line to kick the ball clear as Shuggy Kerr closed in.

At the other end Gary Fraser’s corner kick from the right was headed clear by Lindsay at the near post and fell for Kane on the outskirts of the box only for his shot to fly well wide of the goal.

Glens responded through McCubbin and Cammy Ross combining on the right before clipping a ball high into the box and although Kerr got between two defenders his acrobatic attempt sent the ball sky high before descending into the six-yard box for the keeper to collect at the post.

Play continued to flow back and forth.

Bens came close only for Ollie Smith’s shot from 25 yards to whiz inches over the bar while Glens responded down the right with Ross squaring the ball across a busy goalmouth for the inrushing Kerr and McKee only for the keeper to get down low and punch the ball to safety.  

Soon after, Kerr and Robbie Halliday challenged for the ball on the outskirts of the Bens box and it popped into the air away from the box and over Gary Fraser’s head and as he turned to try and clear the ball he caught Jared Willet with a sore one on the back of the ankle. The referee with a clear view instantly pulled out a red card and despite his pleas and those of his team-mates, the former Glens player reluctantly left the field on 39 minutes. The free kick came to nothing.

The closing action of the half saw McKee gather the ball deep in his own half and drive to the half way line and feed Erskine who then drifted wide and released Ross down the right before he rolled it back to Lindsay on the outskirts of the box only to overhit his attempt to pick out Kerr and McKee on the penalty spot, along with two defenders.

HT Glens 0 Benburb 0

Glenafton made a change at the break with Ryan McCubbin making way for Ryan Walker.

The home side won an early corner on the right, which was clipped high into the goalmouth by McKee only for keeper Cameron to leap head and shoulders above defenders and attackers alike to cleanly clutch the ball.

Bens countered with a McDonald angled shot from deep in the Glens box which was deflected wide by Rowe. The corner was floated from the right to the unmarked Lorenzo Giovanazzi at the back post only for his header to drift wide of target. Soon after Shaun Fraser broke down the right before whipping the ball into the goalmouth only for Markey to leap and clutch the ball from under the bar.

Back came Glens and after a corner from the left had been cleared the ball was gathered by Walker at the corner of the penalty box to curl a high ball into a busy goalmouth beyond attackers and defenders alike, including the keeper 2 yards off his line, before dipping at the junction of the bar and post.

The home side broke the deadlock on 58 minutes after McKee was tripped on the right between the touch line and the penalty box. Ross Lindsay curled the free kick just to the left of the two-man wall before the ball dipped over defenders and attackers strung along the six-yard line, including skimming over the head of the leaping McKee, before taking a bounce two yards from the goal-line and into the far side of the goal with the keeper stranded. Celebrations were enjoyed by players, dug-out and supporters.

The Bens pushed forward from the kick-off and it was Lindsay that stripped them of the ball at the edge of the Glens box before clipping it towards the centre circle for Erskine to chase down and slip it wide to Kerr on the overlap only for Giovanazzi to intercept and knock the ball into his own box, however Kerr never gave up the chase, forcing the keeper to race some 16 yards off his line and launch the ball up the park.

The clearance proved to be the source of Benburb’s equaliser as Reece McGuire chased down ball, wide on the left, only for Lyall Holding to knock it out for a shy.  This was gathered by Ryan McCrone who quickly picked out McGuire, in a tight group of players from both sides on the edge of the box, who took a couple of touches before clipping the ball to the far side of the ‘D’ for the unmarked Ryan Kane with the time and space to push forward and take a touch before lashing a shot past the outrushing Markey and Allan’s attempt to block his shot. The 10 men Bens were level at 1-1 on 60 minutes.

Glens countered as Erskine burst forward and played a slick one-two with Willet overlapping on the left before breaking into the box only for his chip for Kerr to be deflected wide for a corner. McKee floated the kick into goal mouth with Kerr, Rowe and Allan all challenging for the ball only to be scrambled clear by the Bens defence.

Both sides made changes with Bens bringing on Chris Bell for Ollie Smith while Glens brought on Evan Maley for Sam McKee and he was soon in the thick of things as Erskine played a one-two with him, before drilling a low shot from 24 yards which was comfortably held by the keeper.

At the other end Halliday floated a ball deep into the box where the aerial battle between Kane and Rowe saw the ball drop for McDonald to sky his shot high over the bar.

Back came the Glens with Maley breaking down the right to the touchline before clipping the ball to the back post for the inrushing Kerr only for his header to fly wide of target.

On 77 minutes Glens brought on Jamie Taggart for Jared Willet and he was on hand to gather the ball as Markey punched away a Bens a corner kick before bursting down the left only to be fouled on the outskirts of the box. Lindsay lobbed the ball into the busy box and although Kerr, sandwiched between two defenders, won the aerial battle his header flew wide of the back post.

It was the same scenario two minutes later as Ross from tight on the right whipped the ball into the box where Kerr leapt head and shoulders above two defenders to power a header that dipped over the bar.

The home side continued to press without however testing the keeper while the visitors, certainly not settling for a point suffered the same outcome.

Into added time and a frantic finish could not separate the sides.

For the Glens, Lindsay gathered the ball in the middle of the park and played a slick one-two with Kerr to break deep into the box only for his cut back to be deflected wide for a corner which saw the ball bounce about the box for a time before falling safely into the arms of keeper Cameron.

For the Bens, a break down the left saw the ball whipped across the face of goal beyond the reach of defenders and attackers alike to be chased down by substitute Mikey McWilliams only for his shot from a tight angle to whiz wide of the post.

Glens final attack fizzled out before the final whistle was blown.

FT Glens 1 Bens 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 2. Lyall Holding 4. Jordan Allan 5. Ollie Rowe (captain) 3. Jared Willet (14. Jamie Taggart); 7. Cammy Ross 6. Ryan McCubbin (12. Ryan Walker) 8. Ross Lindsay 11. Chris Erskine; 9. Shuggy Kerr 10. Sam McKee (15. Evan Maley). Subs Not Used: Brandon Arthur, Keon Thurston (gk).

BENBURB
1. Glen Cameron 2. Robbie Halliday 3. Alan Lithgow 4. Lorenzo Giovanazzi Ryan Kane (12. Mikey McWilliams) 6. Gary Fraser 7. Reece McGuire (14. Ally Taylor) 8. Shaun Fraser 9. Declan McDonald 10. Ollie Smith (15. Chris Bell) 11. Ryan McCrone (captain) Subs Not Used: 16. Ryan Livingston 17. Benji Wright 18. Shaun Grady 19. Ashton Dunsmore

Match Photos

Glenafton v Benburb