| GREENVERSITY RENEWABLES | WOSFL Premier | Match 23 |
|---|---|---|
| Johnstone Burgh | 0 (0) | |
| Glenafton Athletic | 0 (0) | |
| Sat 04 Apr 2026 | KO 2:00 pm | Keanie Park, Johnstone |
Glenafton made two changes to the eleven that started against Largs Thistle last Saturday with Jamie Wilson (injured) and David Blyth making way for Callum Wilson and Sam McKee. On the sparse bench were Cammy Ross, Jamie Low and manager Paul Paton.
No place in the Burgh squad today for former Glenafton captain Craig Menzies and had to settle as an interested spectator.
Sam McKee kicked off for the Glens as the rain poured down on the Keanie Park bowl, well served by various covered areas. It was McKee that forced an early save from keeper Luke Scullion with a low angled shot from just inside the right hand-side of the box.
Burgh then piled on the pressure only to be repelled time again by the visitors. Ian McShane floated a free kick from deep on the left into a packed goalmouth, with Blair Rossiter the target, only for Brannan McDermott to intercept and head the ball clear.
Rossiter, now on the right, played two ‘one-two’s from a corner with McShane before the latter clipped a ball into the box only for Malky McDonald’s head flick to be headed clear by Shuggy Kerr. Another Rossiter corner from the right was floated to the back post for the incoming former Killie player Kyle Lafferty only for keeper Ollie Ecrepont’s leap to push the ball off its flight path, to fall for David Craig to re-route it upfield. Soon after Rossiter rifled a low shot from well outside the Glens box which whizzed past the airborne Ecrepont at full stretch and inches past the base of the near post.
On 18 minutes Brannan McDermott held off a challenge from Darren Christie to drill a low ball from the centre circle through the middle for Kerr to chase and although he gave Malky McDonald the slip, keeper Luke Scullion raced from his goal-line to launch the ball up the park from within the ‘D’.
Midway through the half Callum Wilson floated a free-kick into a busy Burgh box and although it was initially cleared it fell for David Craig in the ‘D’ to slip a pass to Michael Mullen only for Scot Forrester to nick the ball and pick out Christie deep on the right touch-line. From here he switched play to Rossiter on the left-hand side of the centre-circle in the Glens half, to switch again to Lafferty on the right-hand corner of the 18-yard box to roll a perfectly weighted ball to the six-yard line for the incoming Broque Watson only for Ecrepont to pull off a marvellous point blank save and the loose ball cleared.
Rossiter’s rambling runs, Ian McShane’s patient passing and Matty Grant’s shuttle service up and down the park stood out as Burgh piled on the pressure forcing another two superb saves from Ollie.
On 25 minutes Grant engineered his way to the right-hand side of the ‘D’ to slip a pass into the box for Rossiter to take a touch and as Craig closed-in, he curled a powerful shot from 10 yards only for the leaping horizontal keeper to get a strong hand to push it high and wide of the target before the loose ball was cleared by Ollie Rowe.
A minute later, back came Burgh through Grant breaking just inside the box and with Ricky Little and Craig McCracken looking to block, he drilled a low pile driver only to be foiled by Ecrepont on the ground at full stretch to push the ball wide for Rowe to mop up again.
The home side continued to press but without testing the keeper for a spell.
On 30 minutes some respite for the Glens as McKee pushed forward into the Burgh half and slipped a forward pass to McDermott on the overlap to drive to the left corner of the 18 yard box before lobbing a ball high towards the penalty spot where players from both sides were congregated including Mullen who cracked a shot that took a deflection to fly just wide of the post. Wilson’s corner was floated into the goalmouth and although the leaping keeper dropped the ball, he quickly recovered it.
Back came Burgh as Grant whipped the ball from the right hand side of the box for Lafferty only for McCracken to intercept sending a header out to the left wing which was snapped up by Kian Gilday to return the ball into the heart of the box where Esplin won the aerial battle sending a glancing header inches wide of the back post.
Glens enjoyed some possession in the Burgh half without breaching their box forcing Wilson to fire an angled shot from the outskirts of the box that Scullion, on his line, did well under the conditions to cushion with both hands before gathering the loose ball. His counterpart at the other end did well after Lafferty drilled a low cross into a busy six-yard box where Ecrepont got down low to smother the ball as Christie waited to pounce on any spillage.
Despite the difficult conditions play raged back and forth in the closing minutes of the first half as both sides looked to break the deadlock but had to settle for the half-time oranges!
HT Burgh 0 Glens 0
Glens fashioned an early chance on 48 minutes after McDermott, on the left inside the Burgh half, switched play to Lee Duncanson on the right to clip a ball into the goalmouth for Kerr and although McDonald won the aerial duel the ball fell for McDermott breaking into the left side of the box at the edge of the ‘D’ to crack a fierce shot that Forrester literally met head on to send the ball looping high out of the box only to be met by Mullen but his shot drifted wide of target.
At the other end the tireless Grant forced his way to the right-hand corner of the box and as McKee and McDermott closed-in, he whipped a vicious low shot that the airborne Ecrepont at the near arched his back to push the ball wide of the back post.
McShane floated the corner to the near post where McDonald and Little jumped together, the Glens defender winning the header which cannoned off the back of McDonald’s head and the loose ball scrambled clear.
On 52 minutes Glens won a corner on the right which Wilson floated into the box where Little, marked by Kilday, won the header which struck the outstretched arm of McDonald and while the visitors claimed for a penalty Grant hoofed the ball out of the box.
Soon after the Glens were left frustrated again when McKee was breaking through the middle with Kerr on the overlap heading for the gap between McDonald and Forester, timing his run only for the offside flag to go up when the ball arrived at the striker now beyond the central defenders with a free run into the box.
At the other end McShane switched play from wide on the left via Esplin to Christie on the right-hand side of the ‘D’ to take a step or two into the box before unleashing a ferocious shot that whizzed over the bar.
On the hour mark Christie from tight on the right, some 15 yards from the bye-line, launched a ball high towards the penalty spot where Watson cushioned a looping header into the six yard box, and Rossiter got between McCracken and Craig, to leap and head the ball goalward from four yards out only for Ecrepont on his goal-line to get both hands on it and push it out to left of the post. Lafferty’s attempt to clip the ball back into the goalmouth was blocked by McCracken shooting the ball high into the air where Wilson won the aerial battle with Elspin and Glens cleared the ball upfield.
Burgh continued to press through McShane on the right hand side of the box squaring the ball along the six-yard line for Rossiter to cutely nutmeg McCracken with a back-heeler that rolled beyond the reach of Ecrepont at the front post, only for the other Ollie to clear the ball at the expense of a corner as Lafferty threatened.
Rossiter floated the ball to the back post and although McDonald won the aerial battle with Little, it was the Glens defender that nicked the ball, leaving McCracken to launch it upfield.
Some respite for the visitors midway through the half after Kerr was fouled by Forrester just inside the Burgh half. Wilson floated a high ball into a busy box only for Scullion to venture out of his six-yard box to leap and pluck the ball cleanly out of the air.
On 71 minutes Burgh made a double substitution with Matty Grant and Darren Christie making way for Sam McGarva and Aaron Mason.
Watson cut in from the left before driving to the outskirts of the ‘D’ to crack a dipping volley that Ecrepont watched it descend before palming the ball onto the soaking-wet ground.
On 78 minutes Burgh brought on Aiden Gilmartin for Kyle Lafferty.
Glens enjoyed a spell on the front foot. McDermott, well inside the Burgh half, gathered the ball on the left before cutting inside and picking out Duncanson in space on the right to drive into the box but after being quickly outnumbered he rolled it back to Craig who skipped past Gilday into the box and squared it to Mullen on the penalty spot only to dummy it and let it run to McDermott to drill a low shot that Forrester cleared off the line and although the ball fell for Wilson his shot from the edge of the ‘D’ flew well over the bar.
On 82 minutes Callum Wilson took a soar one and was replaced by Cammy Ross.
Burgh made a double substitution at the same time with Derek Esplin and Blair Rossiter making way for Stuart Faulds and Jude Cummins.
Faulds released Mason down the right who quickly cut inside to drill a shot from the 18 yard line which Ecrepont smothered at the near post. Soon after McShane gathered the ball in the Glens half of the centre circle and pushed forward to the edge of the ‘D’ to drill a low angled shot that slipped inches wide of the far post.
On 90 minutes with Burgh encamped in the Glens box but with no way through Mason weaved back and forth looking for an opening before curling a low shot from the edge of the ‘D’ that bounced just inside the six-yard to be welcomed by the kneeling Ecrepont as McDonald hovered for any spillage.
Faulds slipped a ball down left for McShane to drive to the bye-line and cut the ball back for Cummins only for McCracken to intercept and launch the ball upfield for some respite.
Back came Burgh with McShane from the outskirts of the ‘D’ threading a pass between Rowe and McCracken for Cummins to take a touch before trying to guide the ball past Ecrepont only for the young keeper to pull off another great block. The the loose ball fell for Faulds but with the goal at his mercy with the keeper grounded he clipped the ball well over the bar while the final whistle blew seconds later.
Credit to both sides in delivering an entertaining game in such difficult conditions. Of course great praise for the depleted Glenafton squad putting up such a determined performance with a special mention for young keeper Ollie Ecrepont defying Burgh time and again.
| Match Photos |
| Johnstone Burgh v Glenafton Athletic |
| GLENAFTON ATHLETIC |
|---|
| 1. Ollie Ecrepont 2. Lee Duncanson 3. Ricky Little 4. Craig McCracken 5. Ollie Rowe 6. Callum Wilson (12. Cammy Ross) 7. Brannan McDermott 8. David Craig 9. Hugh Kerr (captain) 10. Michael Mullen 11. Sam McKee. Subs Not Used: Jamie Low, Paul Paton. |
| JOHNSTONE BURGH |
|---|
| Johnstone Burgh: 1. Luke Scullion 2. Matty Grant (17. Sam McGarva) 3. Kian Gilday 4. Malky McDonald 5. Scott Forrester 6. Ian McShane 7. Darren Christie (16. Aaron Mason) 8. Derek Esplin (Captain) (14. Stuart Faulds) 9. Kyle Lafferty (17. Aiden Gilmartin) 10. Blair Rossiter (18. Jude Cummins) 11. Broque Watson. |
Glenafton Athletic 