Glenafton Athletic

West Region Stagecoach Premier Division : Match 12

Saturday 21st December, Meadow Park, Irvine

IRVINE MEADOW 2 (0)

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC   0  (0)

Glenafton made two changes to the side that faced Rob Roy with Michael Reilly replacing Alain Kinney up front after the big striker failed a late fitness test and captain Craig Menzies returning to the heart of the defence in place of Craig McEwan.

Heavy dark rain clouds hovered low over Meadow Park as the home side kicked off with a strong blustery wind at their back. The Medda almost caught the visitors cold in the opening minute after winning a couple of tackles in the Glens box to set up Darren Miller only for his drive from 20 yards out sail over the bar. Five minutes later determined play down the left by Reilly and Cameron Marlow won Glenafton a corner kick from which Reilly, in a crowded six yard box, was unfortunate to see his stab at goal go agonisingly wide. Soon after Reilly’s drive from 25 yards was well held by Graeme Shepherd and then the keeper, on loan from Albion Rovers, was relieved to see a John Craig free kick whizz past the post.

Michael Reilly goes close

On 15 minutes Mark Sideserf’s cross from the left was met at the back post perfectly by Paul Maxwell but his powerful header bulleted wide of target. Five minutes later Ryan Caddis muscled his way through the middle of the park and as two red shirts closed in he drilled the ball low and hard from 22 yards beyond the reach of keeper Brian McGarrity.

Glens came close to levelling within three minutes only for Shepherd to pull off a magnificent save in geting a hand to a 30 yard pile-driver of a free kick from Jamie McKernon. The keeper then punched the ball clear from the head of Aaron Connolly as the visitors tried to convert the resultant corner. His counterpart McGarrity performed similar heroics from a corner kick to flick the ball from the head of Maxwell.  On 34 minutes the home side doubled their lead when Caddis on the left picked out Maxwell who then drove to the bye-line before whipping the ball to the back post where Gary McCann timed his leap to perfection to bullet a header downward and into the net.

Aaron Connoly hunts down the ball

Five minutes from the break Connolly slipped the ball to Marlow who stole behind the Medda defence but his angled shot from the corner of the six yard box was just off target, albeit the keeper had his near post well covered. H/T Meadow 2 Glens 0

The Meadow were first to threaten as McCann bolted down the right only for his cross to be cut out at the near post by McGarrity as Caddis waited to pounce. The home side forced a couple of corners that came to nothing before the Glens began to force their way into the game. On 53 minutes McKernon made excellent progress down the right flank before clipping the ball into the box for Marlow but his volley from 10 yards was blocked by Mark Staunton.

Glens, now with the wind at their backs, continued to press with McKernon and Findlay Frye controlling the midfield as Meadow dropped deeper back into defence. However, unlocking that ‘thick blue line’ was proving beyond the guile of the visitors, particularly with Shepherd in fine form.

A McChesney cross from tight on the right was punched from under the bar by Shepherd and booted clear by Staunton as Marlow looked to halve the deficit. Soon after, on 62 minutes, the keeper conjured up another top drawer save when at full stretch he pushed a Reilly rocket from 25 yards past the post. Back to back corners were cleared in determined fashion by the home rear guard.

Graeme Shepherd pulls off another fine save

As the Glens toiled to make most of their possession the Meadow threatened to add to their tally through McCann’s electric pace.  On 83 minutes he disappeared in the failing light down the right before picking out Maxwell in the box only for McGarrity to get the finest of touches to concede a corner kick which the keeper then clutched safely under the bar.  Two minutes later McCann and Maxwell combined again, on this occasion the striker had time onhis side to pick his spot, but again McGarrity came out on top with a stunning save.

With three minutes left Frye lashed a left footer from 20 yards out that flashed past the post. In the last serious action of the match substitute Shaun Fraser broke upfield at haste before feeding McCann on the right and although the one-two took McGarrity out of the play, McChesney slid in to prevent Hall from facing an empty net for a tap-in. FT Meadow 2 Glens 0

 Irvine Meadow: Shepherd; Darroch, Staunton, Twadlle, Halliday; McCann, Thomson, Miller (Fraser), Sideserf; Maxwell and Caddis (Hall).

Glenafton Athletic: McGarrity; McGeoghan, McChesney, Menzies, Cairns; Craig, McKernon, Frye, Marlow (Dimilta); Connolly, Reilly (Brown). Subs Dunsmuir, McEwan, Miller

Scottish Junior Cup 3rd round

Saturday 23rd November , Loch Park, New Cumnock

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC  2 (0)

ROYAL ALBERT 2 (1)

Glenafton made a number of changes from the starting eleven defeated Cumnock at Townhead last Saturday with Craig Menzies, Findlay Frye and Alain Kinney making way for Craig McEwan, David, Stevie Miller and Craig Brown.

Although the park had survived overnight freeze the match officials only gave the game the green light after the stand-side touchline had been sanded for the well-being of the assistant linesman.

Royal Albert certainly seemed to have little difficulty with the conditions underfoot as they began to stroke the ball about with some purpose putting the home on the back foot.  After winning possession wide on the right the visitors played the ball across the face of the 18 yard box in determined fashion before it was slipped into the left-hand side of the box  where it was met first time only for the shot to dip inches over the bar.

At the other end good work by Stevie Miller on the right saw him whip a cross from the bye-line to the back post which was missed by the defender allowing Cameron Marlow to stoop and head the ball home, or so he thought, but keeper Craig Smith pushed the ball onto the inside of the post before it was booted off the line to safety.

Craig Smith saves from Cameron Marlow

The keeper then made a fine save from Marlow’s shot from inside the box after the Glens midfield had gathered a great through ball by Craig McEwan. Smith came out on top again when he first blocked Marlow’s close range shot and then clutched Craig Brown’s attempt to bury the rebound.

John Craig on the ball

His counterpart Brian McGarrity then came to the home side’s rescue with a point blank save from a well struck volley by David Hamilton who had pounced on knock-down in the box from a free kick. However, the Glens keeper could do little to prevent the visitors taking the lead on 30 minutes. On this occasion the free-kick lofted in the box was headed well clear by Jamie McGeoghan only for Fraser Stobie let the ball take one bounce before lashing a guided missile of a shot from 30 yards out through a packed penalty box and into the net.

Glens came close to drawing level when Brown’s header from a John Craig free-kick crashed of the bar and Connolly poked the loose ball home but from an offside position. Soon after substitute Alain Kinney turned the defender in the box before drilling a low angled shot that was well held by Smith.

H/T Glens 0 Albert 1

The home side pressed from the kick-off and Craig split the Albert defence with a peach of the pass for Marlow to collect but again an alert Smith had his measure with a brave block. On 55 minutes it was substitute David Dimilta’s turn to catch out the Albert’s defence with a slick ball into the box for Connolly who was brought down by the back-tracking Campbell.  Up stepped Alain Kinney to send Smith the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Although Glens continued to push it was the visitors that regained the lead with 15 minutes to go. A throw in from the left was headed out the Glens’ box only for the ball to be quickly fed straight back in and then squared to Davie Dickson who finished in some style from 15 yards out and ignite a right Royal celebration.

Five minutes later a quickly taken free kick by Craig caught the Albert defence and found Connolly in the box who instantly turned and fired an angled shot which Smith could only Parry and the in-rushing Cameron Marlow prodded the loose ball home at the back post from a few yards out.

A long ball over the visitors defence was gathered by Connolly who ran through on goal but Smith ran from his line kept his composure to get a hand to the Glens’ striker shot. A Craig chip into the box was headed down by Marlow but as Kinney looked to pounce the advancing Smith dived at his feet to push the ball away and the presence of another defender forced the Glens striker to fire the loose ball over the bar.

In a rare Albert attack McGarrity had to be alert to hold a strike from distance. Another Glens’ break saw Connolly bomb down the right and his cross killed by Kinney before shooting for goal; claims that the shot was blocked by an Albert hand waved away.

In the dying minutes the visitors came close to claiming the cup-tie when a free-kick from an outrageous distance whizzed over McGarrity’s bar.

Glenafton:  McGarrity; McEwan, McChesney, McGeoghan, Cairns; Miller, Craig, McKernon, Marlow; Connolly & Brown. Subs used Dimilta, Kinney and Menzies

Glenafton TV Highlights: 1st half and 2nd half