Glenafton Athletic

Glenafton made two changes to the side that faced Hurlford United midweek with Jared Willet and Callum Wilsom making way for Lewis Currie and Ross Lindsay. In the Glens line-up were three former Pollok players – Shuggy Kerr, Ross Lindsay and Lee Duncanson, signed this season.

Glens were first to threaten after Shuggy Kerr was fouled on the outskirts of the ‘D’ only for Michael Mullen’s well struck free to be gathered comfortably by keeper Christopher White.

Pollok then enjoyed a good spell pressure beginning with Jordan Leydon from inside in his own half launching a high ball into the right-hand side of the box for Jake Stirling to chase and although David Craig beat him to the ball his header back to keeper David Markey fell short allowing Stirling to shoot at goal only for the outrushing keeper to block and Craig pounce on the rebound and clear it upfield.

Back came Pollok and following a game of head tennis between Ryan McCreath and Ollie Rowe the ball fell for Leydon who picked out Cameron Henry on the half-way line who jooked past Mullen before driving forward and firing a diagonal ball to the edge of the box where Bob McHugh, with his back to goal, trapped the ball on this chest before turning and cracking a volley that swerved over the bar.

At the other end Mullen nicked the ball from Jordan Scott deep on the right and then evaded the tackle from Jack Walsh before whipping the ball across the face of goal for the inrushing Kerr only for White to pluck it out the air.

The home side responded through McHugh floating a ball from the right-hand corner flag into a busy six-yard box for the Trialist and although he won the header his claims that it struck Evan Maley on the arm were waved away and Maley cleared the loose ball.

Soon after Leydon floated a free kick deep into the Glens box where Lindsay beat McHugh to the ball sending it to left hand side of the box where the Trialist quickly clipped it back into a packed goalmouth and another header sent the ball downward bouncing off the six yard line only for Markey to beat the Trialist to gather it safely.

Midway through the half Glens came close to breaking the deadlock. Craig from just inside the Glens half and wide on the left launched a free kick high to the edge of Loks’ box which was headed back upfield by McCreath and trapped by Lindsay who played a neat one-two with Craig breaking up the left before whipping a great ball into the box for the inrushing Kerr to meet it on the drop some 7 yards from goal, only for the alert White to kick the ball high into the air which was headed out of the box by Leydon and met by Mullen to blast a shot from 22 yards that was blocked.

The visitors continued to press with a wave of attacks that each were foiled in turn including Duncanson’s break down the right that concluded with Scott clearing the ball only for it to fall for Lindsay to trap and lay it off to Chris Erskine to crack a low shot from 24 yards that forced White to get down low to push the ball sideways initiating a chase between Mullen and Scott, and it was the Pollok defender that cleared up the danger.

On 26 minutes the visitors made the break through. Duncanson tight on the right touchline overhit the ball upfield for Shuggy Kerr where it was gathered by McCreath in space. The defender weighed up his options of playing the ball inside to Henry or back to keeper White, he chose the latter as Kerr made his move, with a gently stroked ball to White who chose to wait at the penalty spot on the ball arriving before taking a touch to set up a clearance only to give the inrushing Kerr the opportunity to block the ball sending high into air and dropped two yards wide of the six yard line to be met by the Glens striker who then leathered the ball beyond the outstretched leg of the back-tracking keeper and high into the net from the tightest of angles. The former ‘Lok striker enjoyed the celebrations down the touchline in front of supporters of both clubs. Pollok 0 Glens 1, 26 minutes.

Although Pollok countered with several attacks the Glens defence stood firm.

Andrew Gaffney broke into the left-hand side of the box with Blair Anderson chasing him down and not only did the defender win the ball on the bye-line, he managed to play it off the attacker to win the goal kick. McCreath, from the left, whipped a high ball to the far corner of the six-yard box for the incoming Stirling only for Craig get between him and the outrushing Markey, allowing the keepr to leap and clutch the ball before touchdown on the Pollok park. Soon after the lively Trialist burst into the left-hand side of the box only to be stripped of the ball by Anderson – the defender had taken a knock earlier on and was clearly in some distress, and on 34 minutes he was replaced with Kelvin Daniel.

On 37 minutes Glens pressed up the left with Erskine and Craig who then played a one-two before cutting inside and picking out Mullen on the outskirts of the ‘D’ who clipped the ball back to Erskine only for Leydon to intercept and although Craig got a touch, Leydon won the ball again and rolled it back towards White who rushed from his line to pick up the ball just outside the six-yard box. Both sets of players thought the passage of play was over but the referee booked the keeper for picking up a pass back.  Pollok lined up the wall on the goal-line and Craig touched the ball for Mullen to blast which inevitably rebounded off one of several advancing Pollok players and sailed over the bar.  

Although the corner kick was cleared, the ball was retrieved soon after by Mullen in the centre circle who broke left and as Glens pressed Erskine gathered the ball and gave Leydon the slip before picking out Kerr in the ‘D’ for a one-two only for McReath to block his run. Up stepped Michael Mullen to take the free kick some 22 yards out and unleashed a ferocious shot that curled over the wall and beyond the reach of the airborne keeper into the top right-hand corner of the net. Pollok 0 Glens 2, 42 minutes.

The half concluded without further chances.

HT Pollok 0 Glens 2

Although Glens enjoyed some good early possession it was Pollok that threatened first after Leydon pushed forward up the right before launching a high ball into the left-hand side of the Glens box where Gaffney whipped it across the face of the goal beyond Markey at the near post but also beyond the incoming Trialist at the back post.

At the other end Lindsay, from wide on the left, whipped a free kick into a busy box for Kerr and Lewis Currie to challenge only for Henry to get a toe to it and send the ball back across the face of the goal and out for a shy close to the corner flag. Craig’s short throw was gathered by Lindsay to clip the ball to Kerr on the penalty spot only for his shot to bounce off Scott and resulted in a stramash in and about the six-yard box with Mullen’s claim off being pushed by Stirling waved away.

On 56 minutes Pollok halved the deficit. Gaffney from deep on the left floated a perfectly weighted ball for the Trialist to burst through between Rowe and Currie, and although the latter gave chase the striker advanced to the edge of the box before delicately chipping the ball over the outrushing Markey into the gaping net. The young striker picking the ball out the net and returning it quickly to the centre circle. Pollok 1 Glens 2, 56 minutes.

The momentum changed as Pollok turned up the heat in search of an equaliser on a glorious sunny day. Leydon clipped the corner from the left to the near post for Henry only for the ball to take a bounce into the goalmouth where the Trialist looked to chest the ball home from a few yards out only for Duncanson to get a boot to the ball and send it over the bar.  

On the hour mark Daniel and Kerr combined to clear the corner that followed only for Pollok to retrieve the ball through Stirling, wide on the right, to drive to the bye-line only to be fouled by Mullen and the free kick was scrambled clear.

Soon after, the Trialist chased a ball from the right that bounced along the 18 yard line and as he set up to shoot Markey raced from his line, however Duncanson intervened to clear the danger.

Pollok continued to press and the busy Leydon gathered a throw-in from the left on the touch-line at the edge of the 18-yard box before hooking the ball to the near post where Daniel ducked expecting it to fall for the keeper only to bounce off Rowe’s shins and hit the post before going out for a corner. The ball was floated to the back post where Daniel won the header which then deflected off Henry out for a goal kick and some respite.

Glens enjoyed a brief spell of possession in the Pollok albeit without threatening the goal.

On 65 minutes Glens made a change with Jared Willet on for Evan Maley.

Back came Pollok though. Henry, from the right, fired a ball along the bye-line to the near post for McHugh only for his shot to deflect off Craig for another corner kick which Daniel ultimately cleared from a packed six-yard box.

At the other end Willet gathered a loose ball and picked out Erskine just inside the Pollok half and was soon joined by Craig as they wrestled the ball away from a clutch of Lok defenders only for Henry to take the feet from Craig. Lindsay floated the free-kick into the box where Currie outleapt Scott sending a header high above tree level before dropping into the six yard and safely caught by the keeperas Kerr threatened.

On 75 minutes both teams made substitutions with Glens bringing on Cammy Ross for Lee Duncanson.

Pollok substitute Lewis Watt broke down the right before firing a low ball to a busy near post where the ball fell for the Trialist only for his shot to be blocked by Rowe and his next attempt blocked by Daniel sending the ball up in the air for Daniel to head clear from the post and Willet launched the loose ball upfield.

Some respite for the defence as the Glens pushed upfield. Willet’s throw in from left was gathered by Mullen in the box who being surrounded by three defenders clipped the ball to Erskine in the ‘D’ to drive a low shot that was deflected wide for a corner kick. Lindsay floated the ball into the packed six-yard box only for White to leap and pluck it out of the air.

Craig robbed the ball from Stirling on the half-way line to break upfield and give Henry the slip to push forward only for the whistle to blow as Stirling was in some distress. Glens continued to enjoy a good spell of possession in the Pollok half – the best form of defence.

However, the home side rallied and mustered one final fling in a minute into added time. Scott floated a free kick from the left into the box with players from both sides stretched along the 18-yard line and as the ball was headed deeper into the box an almighty stramash ensued.  The ball fell for McHugh and his close range shot was blocked by Markey and it appeared that the Trialist’s attempt to poke home the rebound came off the post only for McCreath to force the ball nearer the goal line and Trialist so edged it over the line, seemingly from an offside position. The celebrations were short-lived on the sight of the assistant referee raising his flag for offside. The final whistle blew when Markey launched the free-kick up the park.

FT Pollok 1 Glens 2

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started against St. Cadoc’s last Saturday with Kyle Fraser, Ryan McCubbin and Cammy Ross (suspended) making way for Sam McKee, Evan Maley and Chris Erskine (returning from injury).

In the Pollok dug-out was goalkeeper coach Billy Peacock who of course a member of the Glens Scottish Junior Cup, Premier League and Evening Times League Champions Cup treble in Season 2016/17.

Glenafton were accompanied by the Glenafton 2014s as they marched on to Loch Park bathed in glorious sunshine in the last game of the season for the New Cumnock side while Pollok have two remaining fixtures. 

Pollok kicked off and were soon on the front foot in terms of territorial possession. On 7 minutes a shot was deflected inches wide of the post for a corner kick. Jamie Bain floated the kick from the left to the back post for Calum Gow only for Ollie Rowe to block the ball allowing keeper David Markey to rush from his line to smother the ball.

The Glens defence was kept busy with Lyall Holding leaping high on the six-yard line to head clear Sean O’Donnell’s attempt to pick out the inrushing Stephen Docherty. Markey was kept busy having to race the far corner of the penalty box and soon after cleanly clutch a high ball to the near post.

On 15 minutes former Lok midfielder Ross Lindsay robbed the ball from Bain to progress to the centre circle and release Chris Erskine up the right which concluded with Glens winning a corner. Lindsay curled the kick to the far side of the six-yard where former Pollok striker Shuggy Kerr outjumped Scot Forrester only his header to fly high over the bar.

Back came Lok and Chris O’Kane, from the left and some 25 yards out, bulleted a header high towards the near post for striker Adam Forde and although Markey won the aerial battle, he could only finger-tip the ball, pushing it across the face of goal and then beating Forde to collect the loose ball.

Forrester launched a free-kick high into the Glens box and it was Forde’s header that flew across the goalmouth only beyond the reach of Forrester who chased it down and from close to the corner whipped it back into the six-yard box for Forde only for Holding to intercept sending a high looping header to the edge of the ‘D’ where Rowe cleared after a couple of attempts.

Midway through the half O’Kane burst down the left touchline and squared the ball into the box for the Docherty to blast a shot of goal only for it to crash of Rowe sending him to the ground triggering three Lok players to raise their arms to claim for a penalty, but the referee in close proximity played on. Andrew Gaffney chased down the ball and clipped it back into the box for Forde only for Holding to intercept and head it back to Markey.

At the other end Glens won a free kick on the right with players from both sides stretched along the 18-yard line. Lindsay whipped the ball deep into the box with Rowe first to break ranks and flash a header from 8 yards out beyond the reach of the diving keeper Ryan Truesdale and inches wide of the post.

Time for a water-break as the sun continued to beat down on Loch Park some 40 miles nearer the equator than the sooth-side of Glesca.

The water-break worked wonders on the home side as the Glens beginning with Willet’s throw-in from deep on the left and followed with a dozen or so passes involving most of the team that saw the ball ‘recycled’ as they say – up the left, across the park, back down the right, across the park for Willet to roll up the left wing for David Craig to square inside to Mullen and although O’Kane stabbed the ball from his toe it fell for Lindsay who fed Evan Maley, in space in the centre-circle in the Pollok half, from where the midfielder pushed forward to the outskirts of the ‘D’ and cracked a shot beyond the diving keeper, at full stretch some five yards off his line. Glens 1 Pollok 0, 27 minutes.

 Despite the heat the tempo of the game picked up as play now raged back and forth with defences very much on top. Maley turned provider and clipped a ball up the right for Kerr to chase and break into the right hand side of the box and with two defenders on tail he opted to drill a low diagonal shot that Truesdale smothered on his six-yard line. At the other end Forde burst into the left hand of the box with Rowe in pursuit, only for Markey to race of his line block the striker’s shot at the expense of a corner. Bain’s kick was headed high into the air at the near post by Erskine and cleared on its descent by Maley.

On 43 minutes Willet, on the left and deep in Pollok’s half, took a short throw to Erskine who took a sore one, before Willet picked up the loose ball and slipped it to Kerr to drive to corner of the box and few steps later with a wall of Lok players in his way he rolled the ball back to Mullen on the 18 yard line to curl a thunderous shot round a clutch of players and beyond the keeper who could only watch as the ball smashed off the crossbar and in danger of taking out the oystercatcher that had been circling the ground for most of the game. Meanwhile Chris Erskine required treatment from physio Laura Pagan, in what was her final match with the Glens.

HT Glens 1 Pollok 0

Glens brought on Jordan Allan for the injured Chris Erskine.

The home side kicked off and two minutes later Kerr and Mullen combined to evade a band of defenders on the outskirts of Lok’s box before Mullen edged his way into the ‘D’ and lobbed a shot beyond the reach of the keeper on the six-yard line only for this bar to deny him a goal as well.

Glens dominated possession in the Pollok half without testing the keeper while the visitors enjoyed occasional breaks upfield, in particular Doherty down the left.

On the hour mark Allan, from tight on the left, clipped the ball forward to Kerr who in turn rolled the ball into the box for Craig to chase and with Calum Gow on his heels, the young midfielder drilled a low angled shot that keeper Truesdale did well to get down at the corner of the six-yard box and push it wide to his left and cleared by Forrester as Mullen threatened.  The home side continued to press and Willet’s lob from the edge of the box flew high over the bar.

Pollok countered down the right moving with neat short passes before chipping the ball forward for Forde on the outskirts of the box only for Allan to intercept and head the ball down for Lindsay to gather and square the ball to Sam McKee on his right, still deep in the Glens half. From here McKee set off on a wonderful run, drifting out to the right wing where a double shuffle saw off the chasing Docherty who surrendered on the half-way line before the midfielder cut inside to drive to the edge of the box where he threaded a perfectly weighted ball between Lee Duncanson and O’Kane to match the run of Michael Mullen darting between Gow and Kyle Faulds before drilling a low angled shot from 8 yards past the advancing keeper; a fitting finish to McKee’s brilliant assist. Glens 2 Pollok 0, 64 minutes

Pollok mustered a couple of attacks including one up the left that backfired after Maley forced substitute Liam Lapsley to roll the ball back to Duncanson only for McKee to divert it into the path of Kerr on the half-way line and gather the one-two before slotting it forward for Craig who skipped past the back-tracking Lapsley before stroking a glorious long ball into the right hand side of the box for Kerr to burst in from the wing and beat Duncanson to the ball just short of the by-line and after a quick turn lashed the ball from the corner of the six yard box into the far side of the net. Glens 3 Pollok 0, 72 minutes.

The celebrations had the striker showing his boxing moves that will be on show on the forthcoming ‘Loch Park Rumble’ charity event.

On 78 minutes Glens made a double substitution with Lyall Holding and Evan Maley making way for Dean Currie and Ryan McCubbin.

Soon after Kerr gathered the ball on the outskirts of the box and set himself up for a shot from the left-hand corner of the box only for the keeper to get a touch sending the ball inches wide of the back post, and the corner-kick that followed was cleared.

On 82 minutes the home side made another double substitution with Kyle Fraser and Ryan Walker replacing Ross Lindsay and Sam McKee.

Pollok enjoyed a spell of possession in and around the Glens box and Walker’s challenge on Faulds earned a free kick on the outskirts of the box. Forde curled the ball taking a nick of the head of the leaping Currie forcing Markey to claw the ball away from under the bar and then race to catch the loose ball as Lapsley threatened; much to delight of the young Markey fan club behind the goals!

 Glens countered in lethal fashions as Mullen burst into the left hand side of the box only for his cut-back from the goal-line for the inrushing Craig to be intercepted by Gow before the alert Jared Willet pounced to drill the loose ball from the corner of the six yard through a ruck of players and into the net. Glens 4 Pollok 0, 87 minutes.

Credit to Pollok they pushed forward in numbers in search of a consolation winning a corner kick that was eventually scrambled clear.

Into added time and Mullen and Kerr combined in a busy box, playing a couple of one-twos that latter of which saw Kerr’s shot from inside the six-yard box bravely blocked on the line by Forrester.

FT Glens 4 Pollok 0

So, the Glens season drew to a conclusion with their largest league win of 2024/25.