Glenafton Athletic

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against Hurlford last Saturday with Jordan Allan, Sam McKee and Chris Erskine making way for Ollie Rowe, Cammy Ross and Jamie Taggart

In the Beith dug-out was former Glenafton manager Mark Roberts, joining the current league champions at the start of the season as assistant to boss Chris Strain.

Glenafton kicked off but quickly lost possession allowing Abe Osemeke to progress to the outskirts of the box where he was brought down and up stepped Carlo Monti to whip the ball wide of the right-hand side of the four-man wall only for it to drift wide of the far post too.

At the other end Hugh Kerr was fouled wide on the right, some 10 yards from the box. Ross Lindsay clipped the ball high into the box and as keeper Scott McLellan rushed to edge of six-yard box he fumbled the ball sending it wide for a corner kick, which was scrambled clear at the near post.

Back came Glens as Kerr chased down a ball into the Beith half with three defenders on his tail, down to two by the time he reached the penalty spot, only to lose his balance as he overstretched to get a shot and tumbled in the six-yard box.

At the other end Monti floated a free kick from the left, just inside the Glens, into a packed box where Scott Rough leapt for a free header but sent the ball well wide from yards out. Soon after Callum Graham chased down a long ball into the box and although keeper David Markey won the race to punch it away Monti snapped it up at the corner of box before driving to the bye-line and squaring it across the face of the goal for Graham but couldn’t get a clean strike under pressure from Ollie Rowe.

Indeed, Ross Lindsay cleared the ball upfield for Jamie Taggart to hunt down and together with Cammy Ross he combined to win a corner, which Ross curled high to the back post where Lewis Currie got the jump on a clutch of defenders to win the header only for it to drop in the hands of the keeper.

Back came Glens as the lively Taggart from the corner flag, with Jude McLymont in close attention, whipped the ball to the far corner of the penalty box, where the incoming Jared Willet gathered, only for his shot to be blocked and cleared.

Play continued to go back and forth before Glenafton broke the deadlock on 17 minutes. Michael Mullen switched play from tight on the left to Cammy Ross on the right to drive inside towards the ‘D’ taking a sore one and fell badly, sandwiched between two Beith players. However, Jamie Taggart, from within a pocket of four Beith players, pounced on the loose ball to rifle it from 17 yards out, beyond the reach of McLellan and into the net for his first Glenafton goal jointly celebrated with his team mates.

The home side enjoyed a good spell with Ryan McCubbin and Lindsay managing the midfield while the pace of Taggart and Ross continued to torment Beith. Ross broke down the right and floated a ball into a packed goalmouth where Kerr won the aerial battle to bullet a header just wide of the back post. Mullen then held off Paul Frize and gave Lewis Lovering the slip before drilling a low shot from 25 yards that drifted wide of the left post.

At the other end Osemeke cut in from the left and tried to pick out Monti in the box only for Currie to intercept and clear the ball only for it to be instantly fired back by a Beith player, forcing keeper David Markey to leap and tip the ball over bar. Robbie Scullion curled the corner kick from the left to the near post where Ross leapt to head it high into the air and over the bar. The corner that followed as tipped over the bar by Markey while the third corner in a row was overhit and float out of play.

Beith continued to press through a Monti free-kick from the left that was floated towards near post where Osemeke won the aerial battle and his downward header bounced up from the six-yard line, only for Markey’s outstretched arm to tip the ball from under the bar, which was then headed back toward goal by Graham only for Rowe to head it clear of the box.

On 29 minutes Beith were forced to make a change with Alan Docherty replacing the injured Calum Graham.

Back came Glens as Lindsay clipped a free kick from the left on the outskirts of the box to the edge of the six-yard box and although the ball was scrambled clear it was quickly retrieved by Ross to burst down the right and fire the ball into the goalmouth where the keeper fumbled and Rough hoofed it clear as Kerr closed in.

A Beith attack was mopped up and Mullen who quickly launched the ball upfield over the heads of a clutch of defenders for Taggart to chase with Kerr for company. McClellan rushed out the penalty box to tackle Taggart and as he tried to retrieve the loose ball Max Brown pulled him to the ground, a yard outside the box. No response from the referee but soon after he was alert to Mullen being brought down by Lovering and Frize for good measure. Although Lindsay’s free kick from 24 yards beat the wall it fell comfortably into hands of McLellan.

Soon after, Lindsay floated the ball to the outskirts of six-yard box where Mullen had drifted behind the defenders but his header lacked the power and direction and was cleared by Rough

Back came Beith as Brown played the ball up the right for Monti but with Currie and Willet in close attendance he was forced to retreat into his own half with Willet still on his tail, both players tussled before Monti lashed out an caught Willet on the face, fortunate to only be shown a yellow card.

For much of the remainder of the half the Glens were on the front foot without creating any chances.

HT Glens 1 Beith 0

Beith made a change at the brake with Evan Dunne on for Jude McClymont.

Brown fired a free-kick from just inside the Glens half high into a packed box where Pettigrew won the aerial battle sending the ball high into the air while its descent kicked off a scramble that concluded with Willet launching it upfield. Scullion gathered the loose ball just inside the Beith half only for the tenacious Taggart to hunt down his pass back and clip it forward for Michael Mullen to chase, forcing keeper McLellan to race from his goal-line and reached the penalty spot before the Glens striker calmly and confidently lobbed a perfectly weighted ball over the stranded keeper’s head and into the gaping.  Glens 2-0 up on 48 minutes, sparking joyous celebrations.

Played then raged back and forth with neither keeper tested until 55 minutes when Taggart picked up a short pass from Mullen and skipped into the box before drilling a low angled shot the McLellan got down low to hold.

The home side enjoyed a good spell of pressure particularly down the right. On 65 minutes Lindsay gathered the ball in his own half and gave Frize the slip before releasing Taggart down the right who rolled a pass into the right-hand side of the box to match Mullen’s run only for his low angled shot deflected wide by Lovering, while Lindsay’s corner to the near post was headed wide by Docherty.   Glens quickly recovered the ball through Ross and his trademark lung-bursting run down the right ended with his low ball into the box for the inrushing Taggart to be intercepted by Lovering at the expense of another corner. Lindsay lofted this one high into the goal mouth and although Ollie Rowe won the ball in the air it was eventually scrambled clear.

On 68 minutes Beith brought on Ben Lewis for Abraham Osemeke. Soon after they won a free kick on the outskirts of the Glens only for Monti’s effort to be blocked by the leaping defensive wall.

Back came Glens and Kerr outjumped Scullion to nod the ball down to his right for Ross to pounce and burst into the box to unleash a powerful shot that whizzed wide of the post. Soon after Kerr pushed down the right and skipped past Rough into box to square the ball to Mullen and although Lewis intercepted the striker recovered the loose ball and turned on a tanner before cracking a powerful shot from 10 yards and with McLellan diving at full stretch across the goal line the ball battered off the base of the post.

The home side continued to press with Ross bursting down the right and cutting into the box a couple yards from the goal line only for his cross to be blocked by Scullion and deflected wide. Lindsay floated the corner into a packed six-yard box and as it was scrambled clear Kerr’s claim for hand-ball was waved away.

Another spell of play ebbing back and forth followed on 80 minutes by a trio of substitutions, a forced one for the Glens with the injured Cammy Ross replaced with Lyall Holding. As for Beith, a subdued Paul Frize was replaced by Andy Monk while Jordan Stuart made way for Connor O’Donnel.

Taggart burst down the left, for a change, with Rough tracking him into the box and evading the tackle he drilled a low angled shot to the back post only for the diving McLellan to get his finger tips to the ball pushing it wide for a another corner. Lindsay curled this one high into the box and although the keeper leapt with an out-stretched arm he missed the ball and it drifted out wide of the back post.

Beith countered down the right with Monti driving to the bye-line only for his cut-back to be blocked by Currie and then cleared of danger with an overhead kick by Mullen which fell for Taggart to break down the left again and on this occasion his low angled shot from deep in the box was comfortably gathered by the keeper.

Back came Beith with a powerful shot from the edge of the box by Andy Monk that cannoned of Pettigrew and fell for Monti but with a line of 4 red shirts between him and Markey in goal he rolled it back for Lovering at the left hand corner of the box only for it to rebound off the post.

On 85 minutes Glenafton brought on Ryan Walker for Michael Mullen, after another great shift.  After another spell of back and forth play Glens made a double substitution on 90 minutes with the tireless Jamie Taggart and Ross Lindsay making way for Jordan Allan and Finn Monaghan from the Glenafton U20s, the youngster taking a great touch in his first action.

The 3 minutes of added time drew to a close with the home side worthy winners.

FT Glens 2 Beith 0