GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES	WOSFL PREMIER	Match 18
Glenafton Athletic	2 (1)	McCracken, Kerr
Auchinleck Talbot	1 (0)	McPherson
Sat 07 Mar 2026	KO 2:00 pm	Loch Park, New Cumnock

Glenafton made two changes to the eleven that started against Beith Juniors last week with Jamie Low and Michael Mullen making way for Craig McCracken and Chris Erskine.

On the Auchinleck bench was former Glenafton midfielder Cameron Crooks.

Although Glens kicked off it was Auchinleck that threatened immediately through Ross Clark on the right whipping a ball to the edge of the six-yard box for Cameron Keay only for former Talbot defender Craig McCracken to get a touch before Ollie Rowe launched the loose ball out the box. Soon after Keay’s low struck corner kick from the left was intercepted by Brannan McDermott on the edge of the six-yard box which fell to Tarek Abed only for his shot to fly well wide of the back post.

Lee Duncanson pushed up the left wing and threaded a square pass between Austin Sime and Abed for Shuggy Kerr to progress to the 18 yard line only for his attempted chip over a clutch of defenders to fall comfortably into the hands of the former popular Pollok adversary keeper Jordan Longmuir.

Back came Auchinleck through Luke Gillies weaving down the left, tight on the touch line, to whip a dangerous ball into the goalmouth and although it was too high for the leaping Connor Boyd it fell for Abed only to stoop and guide his header of the bar.  

Although the visitors were enjoying much of the territorial advantage the home guard stood firm with McCracken, Rowe, Craig Menzies aided and abetted by McDermott and Lee Duncanson as well as the confident handling by keeper Ollie Ecrepont.

Glens began to make some inroads into the Auchinleck half with the Jamies –  Wilson and Prete -pressing forward.

On 24 minutes Callum Wilson pushed through the middle to whack a shot from far out that flew well wide of the post.  Soon after he burst forward again before slipping the ball down the right for Kerr to chase only for the defender to knock the ball out for a corner. Prete floated a high ball into box fall for the unmarked Kerr to stoop and guide a header over a packed goalmouth only to be clutched cleanly by Longmuir.

Played then ebbed back and forth.

Chris Erskine from just inside the Glens half clipped the ball to Wilson on the left who quickly threaded it back to Erskine now on the edge of the centre circle in the Auchinleck half from where he took another couple of Talbot players out of play before picking out Wilson again, to burst forward to the bye-line only for Clark to win the goal-kick.

At the other end Boyd collected a shy on the 18 yard line, while Rowe looked after Keay in the box, the striker under pressure from McCracken still got a shot away only for Ecrepont to smother it on the line.

Back came Glens with Erskine breaking into the right-hand side of the box leaving Scott Schonville in his wake while Kieren Wood was tight on his back as he drilled a low angled shot that was comfortably held by Longmuir. 

Auchinleck won a corner on the left and although Neil McPherson won the aerial battle in a packed goalmouth his header fell comfortably into the arms of Ecrepont.

As the half drew to a close, Rowe from just inside the Auchinleck half launched a throw-in up the right-hand touchline for Kerr, positioned between two defenders, that ended in a clash of heads with Wood’s forehead catching Kerr on the back of the head.  Wilson’s free-kick clipped the head of Gillies, the one-man wall, that sent the ball high into the air before descending on the six-yard line into a pack of players only for the grounded Craig McCracken to pot the yellow-ball into the corner of the net. A class act in not celebrating against his former club while his team-mates rejoiced. Glens 1 Auchinleck 0, 45 mins.

As Auchinleck kicked-off the referee blew for half-time.

HT Glens 1 Auchinleck 0

The visitors won an early corner on the right which was floated into the goal mouth and although it skimmed past Schoneville’s head the diving McPherson’s header saw the ball bounce up and over the bar. Back came Auchinleck with Abed driving into the right-hand side of the box before lashing a low-angled shot that Ecrepont punched away with both fists and Menzies and Jamie Wilson double-teamed to prevent Keay from gathering the rebound while Rowe cleared the ball upfield.

Talbot continued to press but lacked the finishing touch to test the keeper.

Glens countered after McDermott picked up a pass from Kerr to drive deep into the Talbot box only for his cut-back from the bye line blocked by Wood at the expense of a corner which was mopped up by the visitors.

Back came Auchinleck with the lively Clark pushing up the right flank into the Glens half before playing the ball inside for Abed. However under pressure from Petre he was forced to roll the ball back to McPherson on the half-way line only for his attempt to return the ball to Abed to be nicked by Erskine who pushed forward before curling a perfectly weighted pass towards the far-side of the ‘D’ to match the lung-bursting run of unmarked Shuggy Kerr’s and as Wood closed the strike took a touch, wrong-footing the defender, before drilling low shot that whizzed past Longmuir, rooted on his six-yard line and into the net. Glens 2 Auchinleck 0, 57 minutes.

Five minutes later Talbot made a triple substitution with Tarek Abed, Austin Sime and Cameron Keay making way for Kenzie Mitchell, Cameron Crooks and Kyle McAvoy.

The home side enjoyed a good spell of possession in the Auchinleck half without testing the keeper.

On 69 minutes Chris Erskine pulled and was replaced by Michael Mullen.

Glens continued to build attacks but forced to shoot from distance with Callum Wilson cracking a shot wide of the post one from 30 yards out. Soon after a Talbot free-kick floated into the Glens box was mopped up allowing Petre to gather the loose ball and clip a pass upfield for Callum Wilson to chase down, only to be brought down. The free kick floated into the box earned an offside flag!

Play raged back and forth with both defences still on top.

On 79 minutes Auchinleck made a double substitution with Jonny Lion and Argyll McCoist replacing Luke Main and Luke Gillies. On 83 minutes Glens brought on Ross Lindsay for the injured Jamie Prete. 

A minute later the visitors halved the deficit. Schoneville floated a free kick from the right of the box, some 15 yards from the goal line, to the back post over the heads of the leaping Mitchell and Wood only to fall for Neil McPherson to stoop and bullet home a header from close range. Glens 2 Auchinleck 1, 84 mins.

Glens made a final substitution on 92 minutes with David Blyth replacing the hobbling Shuggy Kerr.

The visitors then laid siege to the Glens goal with more corners than a dodecahedron.

On 93 minutes a corner from the right was floated high to the back post for the leaping Crooks to head the ball back across the face of goal where McPherson won the aerial battle only for his header to dip over the bar, while Glens claimed Crooks’ header was out of play in any case.  

Another corner, from the left, soon followed with McDermott’s header at the near post flash across to the back post where McCracken beat McPherson in the air at the expense of a throw-in. Schoneville, from the right, launched a high throw into a packed box, where McCracken won the header again before hoofing the ball up the park.

Back came Talbot to win another corner on the left, floated back to post where although Crooks leapt head and shoulders above all other, Ecrepont stretched up to get a finger-tip on the ball to push it off his forehead, sending it towards the base of post where Menzies and Blyth blockaded Boyd, before the former clipped the ball off the shins of the latter knocking it out of play for a goal-kick and the final whistle on 97 minutes!

FT Glens 2 Auchinleck 1

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
1. Ollie Ecrepont 2. Lee Duncanson 3. Craig McCracken 4. Craig Menzies 5. Ollie Crowe 6. Jamie Wilson 7. Brannan McDermott 8. Jamie Prete (17. Ross Lindsay) 9. Hugh Kerr (captain) (15. David Blyth -trialist)10. Chris Erskine (16. Michael Mullen) 11. Callum Wilson. Subs Not Used:  12. Callum McFadyen 14. David Craig 18. Cammy Ross 19. Jamie Low

JOHNSTONE BURGH
20. Jordan Longmuir 14. Ross Clark 3. Scott Schoneville 2. Kieren Wood 23. Neil McPherson 12. Luke Main (6. Jonny Lyon) 11. Luke Gillies (22. Argyll McCoist) 8. Austin Sime (21. Cameron Crooks) 30. Cameron Keay (24. Kyle McAvoy) 9. Connor Boyd 17. Tarek Abed (16. Kenzie Mitchell) Subs Not Used: 1. Wullie Muir 5. Aiden Wilson

Match Photos

Glenafton Athletic vs. Auchinleck Talbot