GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES	WOSFL Premier Division	Match 27
Glenafton Athletic	2 (1)	McCubbin, Rowe
Gartcairn	2 (1)	Mitchell, Krol
Sat 19 Apr 2025	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton started with the same eleven that kicked off away at Troon last Saturday.

Although Gartcairn kicked off, it was Glenafton that mounted the first attack. Chris Erskine gathered the ball in the visitors half before releasing Jamie Taggart down the left to drive to the bye-line and clip the ball into the goalmouth which was mopped up by the Gartcairn defence to counter-attack down the left through Kamil Krol only for Cammy Ross to bring their attack to an end.

Back came Krol bursting down the left before cutting inside to the bye-line where Ross’s slide-tackle knocked the ball out for a corner. Dale Simeon curled the kick into the six-yard box where it took a bounce and struck the hand of Glens captain Ollie Rowe at the back post. There was little it he could have done about and the referee pointe to the spot ups stepped Harry Mitchell to send keeper David Markey the wrong way. Glens 0 Gartcairn 1, 7 minutes.

The home side responded in fine fashion. A throw from the half way line into the Gartcairn half saw Michael Michael Mullen win the aerial battle with Andrew McDonald to head the ball further upfield before peeling off and breaking up the right as Chris Erskine, on the outskirts of the box with his back to goal, gathered and shielded the ball from Scott Rumsby and after some juggling gave Kyle Hutton the slip before threading a perfectly weighted pass beyond his two markers to match Ryan McCubbin’s run into the box through the ‘D’, with  Lewis Clarke on his heels and keeper Charlie Cowie charging off his line, the midfielder met the ball on his stride to drill it home from 12 yards out. A special strike for his first goal for the club. Glens 1 Gartcairn 1, 11 minutes.

Two minutes later Erskine gathered the ball on the outskirts of the box and weaving his way into the ‘D’ he rolled the ball wide to Taggart breaking into the left-hand side of the box, only his shot didn’t match the quality of his run as the ball drifted high and wide of target.

Gartcairn then enjoyed a good period of pressure in and around the Glens box from corner-kicks and Lewis Clarke’s long throw-ins into the goalmouth, keeping the home defence on their toes with good clearing headers from Rowe and Jarred Willet. On the half-hour mark Clarke’s long throw from the right was cleared to the edge of the box by Ross only for Krol to crack a low shot that keeper Markey did well to get down low and smother the ball at the base of the post.

Glens countered with McCubbin winning a corner-kick on the right that was plucked out the air by keeper Cowie who then launched the ball upfield to mount another attack for the visitors. Back came Glens with Mullen breaking into the left-hand side of the box on a couple of occasions but ‘long-throw specialist’ Clarke foiled him with well time tackles.

On 40 minutes Andy McDonald from the left-hand side of a busy box cracked an angled shot to beat Markey at his near post only to hit the underside of the bar and then bounce off the inside of the far post and fall into the arms of the keeper, still at the near post!

Glens Evan Maley pulled up soon after and was replaced by David Craig.

On the stroke of half-McCubbin picked out Craig at the edge of ‘D’ who threaded the ball into the left-hand side of the box for Mullen to chase down only for Clarke to block his way, sending him tumbling to the ground and the ball un out of play. Appeals for a penalty were waved away!

HT Glens 1 Gartcairn 1

An early break for the Glens ended with Ross Lindsay’s shot from the edge of the ‘D’ flying over the bar.

Soon after, at the other end Gartcairn won a free kick on the outskirts of the box, on the left, which was floated to the back post and headed cleared of the box only for Hutton to gather tight on the right before rolling it down the line for Mitchell to clip into the box to be chased down for the inrushing Dale Simeon to square the ball between two defenders for the incoming Jonny Lyon, only for his fresh-air shot to allow the ball to trundle on for the  Kamil Krol to drill a shot from 8 yards into the net between two defenders and Markey on his line. Glens 1 Gartcairn 2, 50 minutes.

The visitors continued to press and Simeon just, short of the bye-line, fired a shot from a tight angle that flew wide of the near post.

Glens responded with a couple of breaks down the left, the second of which saw Taggart’s cross met by Ross but his header from the penalty spot flew over the bar. Soon after, Erskine burst through the middle before rolling the ball into the box for Mullen to gather and turn and blast a low angled shot from 10 yards that beat the rooted keeper only to slip inches wide of the post. The home side continued to press but without penetrating Gartcairn’s box.

On 62 minutes Glenafton made a triple substitution with Kyle Fraser, Ross Lindsay and Cammy Ross making way for Lyall Holding, Sam McKee and Shuggy Kerr while Gartcairn brought on Kieren Wood for Andy McDonald.

Soon after, Mitchell floated a corner from the right to the edge of a busy six-yard line where the leaping Wood’s downward header was blocked on the line by McKee and the ball spun out for another corner which was won in the air by the towering Hutton only for his header to be deflected wide by his team-mate Wood.

Glens countered and won a corner on the right that McKee whipped into the six yard box where Kenny Barr headed the ball clear only to be returned to the box from where Rowe held off Clarke to blast a shot from 10 yards that Cowie, 3 yards of his line, pushed to the side with both hands before Clarke pounced to hoof the ball upfield.

The home side continued to press. Erskine on the right slipped the ball to McKee, tight on the right, only for his cross to be deflected out for a corner which he curled to the edge of the six-yard line where Ollie Rowe from a line of players bulleted a header into the net. Glens 2 Gartcairn 2, 70 minutes.

Back came the Glens, and from the right-hand side of the box, six yards from the bye-line, he whipped a high ball to the other side of the box which Kerr chased down and slipped it to Taggart who then skipped past Clarke and two yards from goal his attempt to clip it past the outstretched leg of the keeper slipped inches wide of the post. Two minutes later Taggart won a corner on the left which McKee floated into the goal mouth where McCubbin won the aerial battle only for header to dip over the bar.

Another McKee corner from the right was cleared to the edge of the box to be met by Holding only for his shot to fly over the bar.

At the other end Gartcairn enjoyed a spell of pressure beginning by forcing Markey to pull off a fine save. Soon after Clarke’s long throw-in from the right sparked a clash of heads between Hutton and Gray at the near post before the ball was scrambled out for a corner on the left. This was curled to the back post where Wood leapt high only for his downward header to drift inches wide of the target.

Play raged back and forward as both sides went in search of a winner and the in the closing minutes Gartcairn heaped the pressure creating a number of chances. Jordan Moore lashed a low angled shot from deep in the box that whizzed wide of the near post. Later the striker burst between Willet and Craig before blasting a low shot from the edge of the box that Markey got down low to push the ball wide of the post.

The corner from the right saw Rowe outleap, Rumsby, to send the ball over the bar and the corner from the left was cleared by Erskine, out for a throw-in from the right. Clarke’s long throw was won in the air by McCubbin and hooked clear by Erskine, just before the handshakes.

FT Glens 2 Gartcairn 2

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. David Markey 2. Kyle Fraser (18. Lyall Holding) 5. Ollie Rowe (captain) 3. Jared Willet; 7. Cammy Ross (16. Sam McKee) 6. Ryan McCubbin 8. Ross Lindsay (14. Hugh Kerr) 4. Jamie Taggart 11. Evan Maley (15. David Craig) 9. Chris Erskine 10. Michael Mullen. Subs Not Used: Dean Currie, Ryan Walker.

GARTCAIRN
1. Charlie Cowie 18. Kenny Barr 7. Jonny Lyon 4. Scot Rumsby 6. Andrew McDonald (15. Kieran Wood) 8. Kyle Hutton (captain) 12. Lewis Clarke 11. Dale Simeon 19. Jordan Moore 20. Kamil Krol (5. Rhys Dickson) 10. Harry Mitchell. Subs Not Used: 2. Callum Farrell 5. Rhys Dickson 21. Kieran Hughes

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic v Gartcairn