3Pillars Financing	SCOTTISH COMMUNITIES CUP	Round 4
Glenafton Athletic	0 (0)
Armadale Thistle	0 (0)
Sat 29 November 2025	KO 2:30 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton played host to Armadale Thistle in 4^th round of the Scottish Communities Cup who currently sit at the top of the East of Scotland First Division. The two clubs have met once before in the Scottish Junior Cup, some sixty years ago in season 1965/66 in the 2^nd round at Volunteer Park, where Dale won 2-1 with McLean scoring for the Glens.

Glens made three changes to the eleven that started against Kilwinning Rangers last Saturday with Lewis Currie, David Craig and Chris Erskine (injured) making way for Blair Anderson, Evan Maley and Ross Lindsay.

Armadale kicked off and within a minute Craig McCracken pulled up injured after chasing down a ball and was replaced by Lewis Currie.

Back came Dale through Felix Hall breaking in from the left, deep into the box, only for his shot from a tight angle to be blocked by the feet of keeper Max Currie before Ryan Cowie pounced on the loose ball to fire it over the bar from 8 yards out. Craig Baillie then weaved his way into the left-hand side of the box to drill a low angled shot to the near post where keeper Currie diverted it out for a corner-kick, which was cleared. Soon after Baillie, from the left again, floated a ball to the post for the incoming Ben Craig-Hylslop only for Brannan McDermott to intercept at the expense of a corner-kick, and then head that clear.

Some respite for Glens as Blair Anderson clipped a ball into a busy Dale box which was eventually gathered by Callum Wilson who held off tackles from two defenders to engineer a shot from 8 yards only to be deflected over the bar for a corner on the left. Wilson curled the ball high into a packed six-yard box where it was scrambled out for another corner on the far-side. Wilson floated this one to the far corner of the six-yard box where Ollie Rowe leapt to head the ball down into the box only for Shuggy Kerr’s volley from 5 yards out to whiz past a group of players and inches wide of the post.

Play then raged back and forth in equal measure before the visitors began to press again.

On 25 minutes Lennox Smith launched a throw-in from the left to the near side of the six yard box where Ewan Herriot’s header sent the ball high into air before descending into the goalmouth for Craig-Hyslop to engineer a header that keeper Currie cleanly clutched. Soon after, a free-kick from the right was curled deep into the Glens box and headed out by Kerr only for a good old stramash to follow ending with Hall going down after a challenge from Ross Lindsay, a yard outside the box. Although Cowie blasted the free-kick into the four-man wall the visitors recovered the ball to win a corner on the right which eventually fell for Cowie only for his net-bound shot to be pushed over the bar by the leaping Currie. Back-to-back corner kicks were followed by another sustained siege in the Glens box only for the defence to stand firm.

The home side then enjoyed a good spell of sustained possession with slick passing in the Dale half, albeit without breaching their box or creating any shots against a well drilled defence. Indeed, after another attack broke down just inside the Dale half, the visitors counter-attacked with Baillie breaking through the middle and on reaching the ‘D’ laid the ball off to Craig-Hyslop bursting into the right-hand side of the box only for his return ball into the goalmouth to be intercepted by McDermott at the expense of the corner, which saw Heriot’s header sail high over the bar on 35 minutes.

Play then reverted back to another phase of raging back and forth without either keeper tested.

HT Glens 0 Armadale 0

The floodlights were switched at the break.

Two minutes into the second half Glens were first to threaten after Evan Maley pounced on a headed clearance to crack a low angled shot from 25 yards that whizzed wide of Herriot and keeper Andrew Murray at full stretch, which one deflected the ball wide for the corner is unclear, perhaps both! 

Wilson floated the kick high to the back post for Rowe only for Baillie to intercept with a header which fell for Ross Lindsay on the penalty spot and his volley sailed high over the bar; while claims it struck Stewart were waved away.

Back came Glens with Mullen breaking down the right to the corner flag where he gave Jack Sayers the slip before taking Smith out of play with a square ball to Lee Duncanson who lobbed the ball high into the goalmouth where McDermott played a one-two with Wilson before his shot was gathered on the line by the keeper.

The tide turned however with Dale breaking forward in numbers or floating free kicks and corners into the Glens box packed with players from both sides only for the ball to be scrambled clear.

In between times both teams made substitutions with the visitors bringing on Lewis Shankland for the injured Lennox Smith and the home side brought on the fresh legs of Jamie Low for Blair Anderson,

Midway through the half, Hamilton on the right from deep in the Glens half launched a long throw to the near post where Lewis Currie and Heriot leapt together with one or the other knocking the ball down which fell for Sayers to drill a low shot that deflected off Rowe and out for a corner which was overhit and cleared. 

On 70 minutes Dale made another change with Jayden Fairley replaced by Alan Higgins.

Mullen held off Stewart to release Maley down the right to drive to the corner only for his cross to be blocked by Shankland. Wilson floated the ball towards a clutch of players gathered near the penalty spot where Rowe and Baillie leapt together deflecting the ball back towards the 18 yard line where Lindsay took a touch curling a low shot only to be intercepted by Higgins, sending the ball high over both the keeper’s head and crossbar.

Wilson curled this corner to the outskirts of the six-yard box where Kerr and Stewart jumped together sending the ball high into air and descending on the penalty spot only for Low to leap and knock it back towards the six-yard box through a crowd of players before Shankland launched the ball upfield.

On 76 minutes Glens made a double substitution with Branna McDermott and Callum Wilson making way for David Craig and Dylan O’Kane.

Dale won a corner on the right which was driven low to the near post where Shankland, with two Glens players tight on his back, took a touch deflecting the ball high into the side netting.

On 80 minutes Glens came close to breaking the deadlock. Mullen won a corner on the right where Low played it short to Mullen before retreating up the touchline to complete the one-two before curling the ball high into the box where both Rowe and Kerr leapt with Sayers sending the ball high into the air again. On its descent Kerr gathered the ball and laid it off to Lindsay with a delicate back heel, who then skipped past Sayers and held off Shankland to drive to the edge of the six-yard box some three yards from the bye-line before firing a shot from an acute angle only for keeper Murray to pull off a magnificent save to push the ball round the post and high into the air for a corner, which was cleared.

Back came Dale with Baillie bursting down the left to the bye-line with Lewis Currie on his heels to whip a great cross to the back post for the incoming substitute Callum Heath only for keeper Currie at his near post to claw the ball away.  The visitors laid siege to the Glens box from both wings only for the Glens defence to stand firm although it seemed Dale would fashion a last-minute winner.

Cowie chased a ball down the left with 4 red shirts in pursuit and evaded a challenge from Duncanson on the bye-line before attempting to chip the ball over Currie at his near post for the unmarked substitute Dominic Kane breaking towards the back post, only for the keeper to push the ball up into the air to drop at the near post where Low held off the challenge of Stewart to win the header albeit sending it towards the top corner of the goal where Lewis Currie was on guard to head of the line before Rowe completed this bout of head tennis. Dale had another bite at the cherry as the loose ball was snapped up by Higgins only for his low diagonal shot to be blocked by Rowe and the ball cleared by Lindsay

FT Glens 0 Armadale 0

And so to the penalty shoot-out: Dale were first to kick and after four penalties the score-line was 2-2. Dale missed their next penalty and Glens next penalty was saved; still 2-2. The score-line then progressed to 4-4 and so on to a sudden death penalty shoot-out – Dale scored and Dale’s keeper Andrew Murray saved Glens last spot-kick. Thistle progress to the next round winning 5-4 on penalties.

Good luck to Armadale Thistle.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. Max Currie 2. Lee Duncanson 3. Blair Anderson (16. Jamie Low) 4. Craig McCracken (14. Lewis Currie) 5. Ollie Rowe 6. Evan Maley 7. Brannan McDermott (15. David Craig) 8. Ross Lindsay 9. Hugh Kerr (captain) 10. Michael Mullen 11. Callum Wilson (17. Dylan O’Kane). Subs Not Used: 12. Callum McFadyen 18. Kelvin Daniel 17. Dylan O’Kane

ARMADALE THISTLE
1. Andrew Murray 2. Gavin Hamilton 3. Lennox Smith 4. Jack Sayers 5. Ewan Herriot 6. Jayden Fairley 7. Felix Hall 8. Ben Stewart 9. Ryan Cowie 10. Craig Baillie 11. Ben Craig-Hyslop Subs: 23. Callum Nelson (gk) 12. Callum Shanks 14. Lewis Shankland 15. Alan Higgins 16. Dominic Kane 17. Callum Heath 18. Kai Coyle

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic vs. Armadale Thistle