Glenafton Athletic

Glenafton faced Petershill in the 1^st leg of the promotion/relegation play-off on Saturday 4^th June at Loch Park.  The match failed to live up to cup-tie like expectations and a rather tense affair with defences on top ended goal-less. The hosts’ best chance arrived in 18 minutes but Gareth Armstrong’s close range shot through a ruck of players was blocked on the line by David Barr, with Glens’ appeal for hand ball waved away.  Deep in the second half the visitors’ claim that David Dickson’s attempt to convert a Mark McVittie cross was stopped by a Glens’ hand was also declined.

Hands up for hand ball !

Although everything was still to play for in terms of the play-off, the outcome of the title race was decided after Ashfield defeated Girvan at Saracen Park to pip Clydebank to the flag on goal difference.

Congratulations Ashfield …. now welcoming Premier Division visitors

In stark contrast to the first leg the concluding leg at Petershill Park on the Wednesday night burst into life from the kick-off with Glenafton carving out three decent chances in the opening 10 minutes.  The home side responded with a couple of close calls of  their own as a pattern of end to play was established that ensured the first forty-five flew by, albeit without a goal.

Willie Howie

Two minutes after the restart  Peasy’s Paul McLaughlin was denied by a super save from Ally Semple and two minutes after that Glens’ Stephen Docherty beat Scott Black with a thunderous shot from 25 yards but the ball crashed off the post. This heralded 15 minutes of power play from the visitors as they pinned Peasy back but try as they might with captain Willie Howie leading the way the Glens failed to the find the net. Petershill were on the ropes but the Glens couldn’t find the killer punch and inevitably were undone by a sucker-punch on 65 minutes when Stephen McGladrigan headed home a long throw from Mark McVittie.  The visitors regrouped but again converting chances into goals proved elusive and McLadrigan looked to have killed off the game with ten minutes to go but for a last-ditch tackle by Ryan McChesney. In the closing minutes Kevin McBride leathered a free kick low and hard and although a deflection left Black rooted to the spot the ball went agonisingly inches wide. The home side held out for the win and held on to their Premier league status while a gallant Glenafton faced another season in the Super League 1^st Division.

Peasy Play-Off Winner – Congratulations Petershill.

Six days after the play-off heartbreak manager Greg Denham began his remoulding of the side and transfer-listed a number of players, include the club captain Willie Howie, the longest-serving member of the current squad having signed for Glenafton in 2005/06. Two days later the club announced the manager had left Glenafton by mutual consent.

Glenafton Management

On the 20th June, former Dalry Thistle manager Darren Henderson was unveiled as the new manager of Glenafton with his former Dalry mentors John Garroch and Sammy Conn joining Stevie Kerrigan as assistant managers.

While Willie Howie joined Cumnock Juniors four former Dalry players Andy Bell, Cammy McKinnell, Cameron Menzies and Craig Potter all made the move to Loch Park. The month ended with the reassuring re-signing of new club captain Robbie Henderson.

Glenafton kept their promotion hopes alive with a 3-2 defeat of Kilwinning Rangers in a rip roaring Monday night encounter at Loch Park. The home side took an early lead through a Gareth Armstrong header in 5 minutes and the Glens leading goal scorer lobbed a spectacular second from 25 yards out ten minutes later. Trialist Chris McGroarity nipped in at the back post to tap in a third with half an hour gone. The Buffs battled back and a Ben Lewis header before the break and a stunning strike from Kris Mitchell ten minutes reduced the deficit to a single goal. Try as they might neither side could add to their tally as keepers Ally Semple and Scott Wilson and the woodwork stood firm.

Five goal thriller at Loch Park

Clydebank’s victory at Hurlford two days later ended the slimmest of chances the Glens had of winning the league as the Bankie’s  re-established their 8 point lead over the Loch Park side, with only two games remaining of their campaign.  Glenafton’s real threats from the promotion place were the chasing pack of Whitletts, Girvan, Ashfield and Shotts.

The visit of Ashfield, a proverbial six-pointer ended in a dismissal 3-0 defeat for the Glens. After a goal-less first half the visitors took the lead through a Tony Chalmers spot-kick before Paul Maxwell bagged a brace, to leave the Saracen Park side trailing second placed Glens by one point with three games in hand.  While Glenafton’s only real hope of promotion was now via the play-off place, league leaders Clydebank’s win at Bellshill ensured their promotion to the Premier Division, and only Ashfield could deny them of the Championship by winning all of their three remaining games.

Jim Wilson hopes in vain against Champions in waiting Ashfield

Glenafton hosted Shotts on Saturday 14^th May in their last league game of the season where the Hannah Park side still harboured hopes of homing in on the play off place, trailing the Glens by four points with two games in hand. After a goal-less and yet keenly contested first half the Glens made the breakthrough within 2 minutes of the restart, a Willie Howie releasing the Paul McKenzie into the box and the magical midfielder’s cut-back from the bye-line was drilled home by Gareth Armstrong, his 18^th goal of the season.  The Glens defence stood firm and the three crucial points secured to ensure the Glens finished with a league record of PL26 W12 D7 L7 F41 A32 43pts.

Play-off here we come as Glens shoot down Shotts

Ashfield were still one point behind 2^nd placed Glens with three games in hand and were odds on to secure the other remaining automatic promotion place. Of greater concern for the Glens were fourth placed Girvan who now required 5 points from their remaining three games to pip the New Cumnock side to the promotion play-off place. Glenafton were now spectators as the closing league games played out to a conclusion.

Two days later Ashfield completed the formality of securing promotion with a 5-2 thrashing of Hurlford at Saracen and on the following Saturday beat Clydebank at Holm Park to close the gap on the leaders to three points with 1 game to play. Of greater interest to the Glens was Girvan’s draw at Shotts, which simplified the arithmetic too to the Seasiders requiring to accumulate four points from their final two games, home to relegation threatened Renfrew and away to title chasing Ashfield.

The agony for on-watching Glenafton was prolonged when the Girvan v Renfrew game was scheduled for Sat 21^st May, leaving mid-week bare of fixtures – summer football anyone! However, the wait was worth it as ‘Frew fought off relegation fears with a 1-0 victory, ensuring the Glens would finish 3^rd in the league and face 3^rd bottom in the Premier Division in a two leg play-off.

Petershill  appeared destined to be Glenafton’s opponents but a 3-1 win over Auchinleck Talbot at Beechwood saw them leapfrog Cumnock, leaving the Townhead side the task of having to beat Rob Roy the following week to secure their Premier Division status.  Former Glenafton player Chic Connolly missed a first half penalty for the ‘Nock while another former Afton lad, Chris Zok scored to give the Rabs a 2-0 lead at the break and a Glenafton v Cumnock play-off was on the cards. Stevie Farrell’s fighters fired in five second half goals while Kirkintilloch fired blanks and the Glens would indeed face Petershill in the play-off.

Gareth Armstrong gave the Glens a first half lead at Blair Park before Hurlford drew level from the penalty spot, after a Willie Howie handball, just before the hour mark. The Glens were reduced to 10 men in the closing minutes following Armstrong’s second yellow card and the game drew to a close with the sides settling for a share of the points.

Stevie Kerrigan, former Camelon manager, joined the club as assistant manager to Greg Denham.

Bo bags one at Blair Park

The home league game against Annbank was one of only three league games that survived an early-March snowfall. Gareth Armstrong made it three goals in three games as he gave the Glens a first half lead. The home side were reduced to 10 men soon after the break when trialist Robbie Henderson collected a pair of yellow cards. Armstrong allayed any fears of a Bankies comeback by completing his hat-trick and after the Glens were reduced to 9 men (following Paul McKenzie’s straight red card), Bo added a fourth.

Cup football took centre stage beginning with the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup 1^st round match at home to Ayrshire District side Troon. A first half strike by Paul McInnes in a keenly fought contest was enough to settle the tie in favour of the Glens.  New signing Robbie Henderson made his debut in the West of Scotland Cup 2^nd round against Auchinleck at Loch Park. In another close encounter the Premier side progressed to the 3^rd round courtesy of a David Gillies freak goal and a second from Brian Young in injury time; Steven Greenlees shown a second yellow for trying to stop the Talbot man on way to goal.

Kevin McBride and Bryan Slavin

Despite collecting four points from two league games the month closed with the Glens sitting 8^th in the league (W5 D6 L5), 11 points behind leaders Clydebank and 7 points behind second placed Whitletts, with Girvan a point further back in third place. Of greater concern only four points separated the Loch Park side from the relegation zone, where Vale of Clyde, Hurlford and Cumbernauld were lurking all with games in hand, while Annbank appeared doomed to drop isolated on bottom spot with seven points.

Hannah Park proved to be a happy hunting ground as the Glens came back from a goal down at the break to secure the three points with goals from Stephen Docherty, his first for the club, and Paul McKenzie. The win extended Glenafton’s unbeaten league run to six games (W3 D3) and catapulted them to 5^th in the league, now six points behind leaders Whitletts, each having played 11 games.

Stephen Docherty heads up at Hannah Park

Aspirations of closing the gap crumbled when a classy Clydebank came calling and cuffed the Glens 3-0, including a brace from the dynamic Dymock known as Stevie.  Defender Scott Wilson, making his home debut saw red and due to a long-term injury has been side-lined ever since. More woes at Western Park as the Glens failed to break down the Renfrew defence marvellously marshalled by Neil Shearer, while the ‘Frew converted two of their handful of chances.  The Glens bombarded Bellshill in the early exchanges at Loch Park but had only a Jim Wilson goal to show for their dominance before the visitors drew level through a Stephen Bennet.  Danger-man Sean McKenna, who had scored all 4 goals in Bellshill Scottish Junior Cup win over Glens earlier in the season, put the visitors ahead with a 25 yard screamer, before Gareth Armstrong ensured the points were shared with a low drive five minutes from time. By the close of the month the Glens were 8^th in the league with a W4 D5 L5 record, 2 points ahead of the relegation zone and 9 points behind leaders Clydebank.

Richie McKillen blocks Bankies