Glenafton made five changes to the eleven that started against Kilbirnie Ladeside last Saturday with Craig McCracken, Lewis Currie, Blair Anderson, Michael Mullen and Chris Erskine making way for Kelvin Daniel, Paul Paton, Brannan McDermott, Robbie McDougall and David Craig.

Ollie Rowe and Cammy Ross were joined on the injury list by Dylan O’Kane and Chris Eskine while Craig McCracken and Michael Mullen were rested looking ahead to next week’s Scottish Communities Cup tie.

Young striker Robbie McDougall was given his first start having made several substitute appearances while recent signing defender Brannan McDermott signed from Gala Fairydean made his Glens debut.  

Indeed, it was the two ‘debutants’ which combined in the first-half to score what proved to be the only goal of hard-fought game. Callum Wilson gathered the ball in the Glens half and thread a perfectly weighted pass upfield for Hugh Kerr to collect and drive forward only to be tripped on the outskirts of the ‘D’.  Although Wilson’s free-kick bounced off the Newton Stewart wall he was quick to react and drill a low shot from 22 yards that cracked off the base of the left post and the ball was hooked cleared of the box only for Paul Paton to gather the ball on the right before combining with McDermott down the wing who then whipped a glorious ball into the box and with the keeper stranded at the near post Robbie McDougall got between two defenders to perfectly cushion a header into the net. Glorious celebrations followed.

HT Newton Stewart 0 Glens 1

In the dying minutes of the game Newton Stewart lay siege to the Glens goal but marshalled by keeper David Markey a clean sheet was secured.

FT Newton Stewart 0 Glens 1