Glenafton Athletic

Glenafton made three changes to the eleven that started at Largs last week with Michael McMullin, Charlie Maxwell and Adam Frizzell making way for Lyall Holding, Gary Fraser and Sam McKee. While midweek signing Liam Caddis, from Craigmark Burntonians, was on the bench.

Today’s visitors Dundonald Bluebell currently sit midway in the East of Scotland Premier Division. The two sides played each other in a pre-season friendly in 2019/20 at Cardenden, with the Fife side winning 3-2.

Bluebell kicked off on a sunny crisp day with a blustery breeze for company.

In the opening minute Scott McLean fired a ball down the left wing for Sam McKee to chase all the way to goal line only for his cross to be deflected out for a corner. McLean floated it high to the edge of the six-yard box where the tall keeper leapt high to punch the ball well clear of the box an although the Glens quickly recovered the ball the follow up attack was thwarted as well.

Dundonald countered with a quick break down the left by No. 16 who then cut into box before curling a shot that flew over the bar.

Back came the home side with a break down the right where Alex McWaters cutely back-heeled the ball into the path of Ryan Sinnamon to whip a cross into the goalmouth and although this was cleared McLean snapped up the ball on the left wing and progressed to the edge of the box to pick-out McKee only for his side-footer to sail over the bar.

Soon after Sinnamon on the right floated a high ball to the back post for the inrushing McKee but the keeper was taking no chances and tipped it wide for another corner. McLean clipped a carbon copy of the previous corner and again the keeper came off his line but could only flap the ball away on this occasion past his back post for Glens’ third corner which was comfortably clear.

Sinnamon chipped a ball to the edge of the box where Michael Moffat stooped to cushion a header into the path of Luke McBeth only for his shot from 22 yards to drift wide of the target. McBeth continued to venture forward to support the front men

On 9 minutes Paul Paton clipped a ball down the right for Sinnamon to nod into the box for the incoming McWaters only to skew his shot from 12 yards wide of target.

Although Glens continued to enjoy the bulk of the pressure there were now fewer chances on show as Bluebell got back on numbers and indeed began to break upfield on occasion but suffered the same fate against a well drilled defence with Craig Pettigrew and Lyall Holding at its heart.

On 19 minutes Dundonald countered with a slick and patient passing move that took them to the outskirts of the box where No. 14 attempted to played a one-two with No. 16 only for the latter to be blocked by Pettigrew, at the expense of a free-kick a yard outside the box. No. 16 stepped up only to drill a low shot into the wall, blocked by McLean and cleared by McBeth. The visitors recovered the ball and whipped a cross into six-yard box where Holding headed it wide for a corner, which came to nothing. Soon after, playmaker No. 5 launched a high ball from the half-way line into the six-yard box where keeper David Markey leapt to push the ball away from the head of No. 7.

At the other end McLean drilled a low shot from the edge of the box which the keeper got down low to smother.

On 26 minutes Ryan Sinnamon required treatment after taking a bad knock and soon after was replaced by Zak Ross. In between times No.7 squared a ball from the left-hand side of the box to pick out No. 6 in a busy box, forcing Pettigrew to stand tall with hands behind his back to prevent hand-ball, but his effort from 6 yards slipped wide of the post.

Play raged back and forth with good passing play from both sides defensive intervention of lacking the finished touch ensure the match remained all square and goal-less.

A final flurry before the break saw Bluebell win a free-kick at the right- hand corner of the box which although flew past the two-man wall the ball was comfortably clutched on the line by Markey.

No. 5 launched a free-kick high into the box where Pettigrew leapt to outjump two Bluebells and Ross mopped up the loose ball. Another Dundonald attack saw Paton rob the ball at the left-hand corner of the box and roll it forward to McBeth who played it forward to Moffat to then square to Paton on the right to switch play a long diagonal ball for McKee to chase down the left only for his square ball into the box for the inrushing Moffat to be blocked and the chance gone.

On 45 minutes a Bluebell break broke down at the half-way line and McWalters pounced on the loose ball before clipping a great ball down the left for McKee to burst deep into the box and fire a shot that the keeper deflected wide with an outstretched leg. McLean’s corner-kick was headed clear by No. 5 before the half-time whistle blew.

HT Glens 0 Dundonald 0

Glens kicked off and 3 minutes into the new half broke the deadlock. McBeth pushed up the right wing but with his way blocked the turned before sweeping a long ball to McLean on the left who slipped it up the wing McKee but with his path blocked the rolled it back to McLean who then picked out Gary Fraser in acres of space in the middle of the park to lash an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out beyond the reach of the keeper on his six-yard line to bulge the net. Glens 1-0 on 48 minutes.

Play quickly reverted to back and forth with defences on top.

On the hour mark Glens brought on new signing Liam Caddis for Michael Moffat, while the visitors also made a couple of changes.

The visitors enjoyed a good spell of pressure but didn’t make the best of set pieces with a free-kick and corner-kick coming to nothing.

On 70 minutes Glens countered with McKee playing a one-two with Fraser on the outskirts of the box before lashing a diagonal shot from 25 yards that the keeper held. Soon after a ball deep into the box for Caddis saw him hold of a defender before rolling it out to Fraser to blast a low shot from 18 yards only for the keeper to come out on top again.

Back came Bluebell No. 9 chased a ball into the box forcing Markey to rush from his line only for the back-tracking Holding to nick the ball with a well-timed sliding tackle sending it out for a corner.  No. 16 floated the ball to the near post where Fraser headed it clear of the box, where No. 12 chested it down before picking out No. 16 on the right to curl a high ball deep into the goalmouth which Markey had to keep an eye on its descent as it dropped over the bar.

At the other end McWalters clipped a ball into the box for Caddis to chase, driving between two defenders, only for one of them to make a timely tackle and the chance was gone.

Bluebell responded with a long throw deep into a busy six-yard box only for Pettigrew to win the aerial battle again and Paton clear the loose ball.

Play went back and forth and the visitors looked certain to equalise on 77 minutes with No. 16 through on goal but for McLean’s well-timed intervention.

Soon after McLean made another fine block on the edge of the box and Fraser squared a pass to McKee facing the Glens box. However aware of No. 2 closing in, he back-heeled the ball and spun 180 before unleashing the afterburners and in a flash, he was at the edge of the Bluebell box where he picked out Caddis in the ‘D’ who from a pocket of defenders rolled it back to Fraser but his shot from 24 yards rebounded off a defender’s back.

Another blistering run down the left from McKee ended with his cross to the back post just go beyon the inrushing McWalters.

At the other end No. 9 weaved his way into the left-hand side of the box before setting up a shot from 6 yards out only for Holding to rob him with another superb tackle.

On 83 minutes McBeth gathered the ball on the outskirts of the Glens box to drive forward before clipping the ball to McKee but with defenders abound, he played it back to McBeth before setting off at speed to collect the return ball over the top and break into the box to fire a low diagonal shot from 15 yards which the keeper got down low to hold.

Dundonald countered immediately and No. 7 gathered a pass on the 18-yard line and with only the keeper the beat but under pressure from McLean he curled his shot high over the bar. A hands-on-heads moment for the visitors but their heads never went down as they went in pursuit of a late equaliser.

Another long throw into a packed box was headed back out by Paton only to be returned by a high looping header from No. 6 which dropped into the six-yard box only for No.7’s backward header to fall safely into the hands of Markey.

Bluebell continued to press as they pegged Glens back in their own half but couldn’t find an opening against a well drilled defence. Indeed, they almost got caught out on added-time as McKee breached their box only for shot to be blocked and cleared. Still, one last chance for the visitors with another long throw into a packed box where McLean won the header, McBeth cleared the loose ball and goal-scorer Fraser had the last kick off the match.

FT Glens 1 Dundonald 0

Glenafton made six changes to the eleven that started against Gartcairn last Saturday.  In came Lyall Holding, Zak Ross, Alex McWaters, Sam McKee and Alan Frizzell replacing Craig Pettigrew, Michael McMullin, Scott McLean, Ollie Rowe and Dylan O’Kane while after returning from holiday David Markey replaced stand-in keeper Scott Johnson.

In goal for Kello was former Glenafton keeper Ryan Dunsmuir however the Rovers were missing six other first-team regulars, including former Glens defender Sean Bennie.

Kello kicked-off and both sides had mounted attacks without testing the keepers before Glens opened the scoring on 6 minutes. Alex McWaters gathered the ball tight on the right wing before skipping past a defender to whip a curling ball high into the box where Michael Moffat got between two defenders to guide a glancing header home from 6 yards out.

Back came Kell and the lively Lochie Reid won the ball near the Glens’ corner flag from where he whipped a cross into the box but just beyond incoming player (No. 12) and the ball drifted wide of the back post.

At the other end the visitors won a corner kick and although it was cleared, the Glens continued to press and on 16 minutes doubled their lead following a well-worked move.

Paul Paton, from just inside his own half, squared the ball to Lyall Holding who clipped it forward to McWaters who in turn fired it up the right wing for Ryan Sinnamon to chase. From here Sinnamon switched play, launching the ball high to the far side where Sam McKee gathered and rolled it back down the touchline for Alan Frizzell to lob it high into the goal mouth and Michael Moffat once again got between two defenders to guide a header into the far corner of the net.

On 20 minutes the Glen extended their lead through a superbly struck free-kick by Alex McWaters from the left-hand corner of the penalty box that whizzed over the Kello wall and in at the near post despite Dunsmuir’s effort to get a glove on it.

The home side were struggling to breach a well marshalled Glens defence while the visitors continued to threaten with counter-attacks down both flanks one of which finished with them winning a corner-kick on the right. Sinnamon clipped a short pass back to Paton on the outskirts of the box to curl a high ball to the back post where Frizzell stooped to get a head on it, only for an attempted clearance from Kello to end up in the opposite corner of the net for an own goal. Glens 4-0 up on 26 minutes.

The visitors were threatening to run riot breaking forward in numbers. Moffat won a corner which Sinnamon floated high into the goal mouth and both Holding and Luke McBeth leapt high above the Rovers defence only for the latter’s header to sail over the bar.

However the home side enjoyed their best spell of the match thus far. Reid and No. 12 combined to break deep into the right-hand side of the box only for Holding to win the ball at the expense of a corner. No. 12’s header at the near post was intercepted by McBeth’s header and the ball cleared only for Rovers to recover it. Reid on the left wing weaved his way past defenders to break into the box and lay the ball off to No. 12, but his shot was blocked by David Markey and deflected out for a corner. The kick was eventually scrambled clear from a packed box as Rovers continued to press.

Paton pounced on the loose ball deep on the right and quickly switched the ball to McKee on the left to skip past two players before releasing Alan Frizzell up the wing, but with his path into the box blocked, he retreated to corner of the penalty box. From here he cracked a thunderous low shot that whizzed past defenders and attackers alike, as well Dunsmuir at the near post who could only look on in expectation that the ball would fly wide of the far post, only for it to smack off the inside of the post and nestle in the net behind the goalie , Glens up 5-0 on 39 minutes.

Although play raged back and forth in the closing minutes of the half it was the visitors that looked more likely to add to their tally with McWaters floating some dangerous crosses to the back post including one for the inrushing McKee, but Dunsmuir was on his toes to pluck the ball cleanly out of the air.

HT Kello 0 Glens 5

Glens kicked off the second half and were immediately on the front foot with Charlie Maxwell driving through the middle before laying the ball off to McKee on the left who then picked out Zak Ross on an overlapping run into the box where he cut the ball back to the inrushing Maxwell only for Nos. 14 & 16 to combine and block his shot.

The visitors continued to press with back-to-back one-twos between Paton and McKee before the latter drilled a low shot from 22 yards that appeared to have Dunsmuir beaten but slipped inches wide of the post

On 52 minutes Glens added a sixth goal. McBeth slipped the ball down the right for McWaters to chase before joining a number of his team-mates in breaking into the Rovers box to compete for the incoming cross. It was Zak Ross that gathered the ball and kept his cool to curl a shot through a defender’s legs and into the far corner of the net beyond the reach of the keeper.

However, great credit to Kello they caught the Glens cold from the kick-off and the alert Reid cut across the face of goal and clipped the ball into a gaping net much to the delight of the young supporters congregated behind the goal. After a brief celebration, he quickly returned to recover the ball and to re-spot it one the centre. Showing a sense of urgent despties Rovers trailin 6-1 but still with 36 minutes of the half remaining!

However, Glens were soon on the front foot again with McKee down the left and McWaters down the right, a cross from the latter was met by Frizzell in the box only for his header to sail over the bar.

On the hour mark Glens made a double substitution with Paul Paton and Michael Moffat coming off for Gary Fraser and Dylan O’Kane.

Matters took a turn on 64 minutes as Glens were reduced to 10 men. Still pushing forward in numbers Maxwell lost control of the ball and his sliding tackle in an attempt to recover it ended with Rovers No.16 taking a sore one on the shin, enough for a red card considered the referee.

Glens immediately made another change with Luke McBeth making way for Ollie Rowe – or ‘Mr. Rowe’ as the assembled ‘fan club’ from the nearby Sanquhar Academy referred to their teacher.

Rovers made the most of the extra man and were clearly determined in their attempts to reduce the deficit. A free kick from the corner of the box was pushed over the bar by Markey. The corner-kick fell for No. 6 with a wall of players from both sides in front of him, his low drilled shot took a wicked deflection off another Kello player sending the ball across the goalmouth beyond the reach of the keeper only for the ball to slip inches wide of the back post.

Glens countered through O’Kane on the left cutting into the box before drilling a low shot from 15 yards from a tight angle that Dunsmuir did well to smother at his near post.

Back came Kello and a free kick was floated deep into the box and although No. 8 made contact his header lacked power to bother Markey.

At the other end Dunsmuir raced from his line to dive at the feet of O’Kane and steal the ball safely. Soon after McKee and Frizzell combined down the right and a ball to the back post for Sinnamon was intercepted at the expense of a corner kick which eventually fell for McWaters to thunder a shot from 15 yards that appeared destined for the top corner only for Dunsmuir to pull off a fantastic reflex save, with his arm at full stretch to finger-tip the ball over the bar.

Rovers cleared the corner-kick and broke upfield only for the cut-back across the face of goal to be easily gathered by Markey. Rowe then broke down another Kello attack sending the ball up the left wing for McKee to chase and break into the box and from within a pocket of 3 defenders curled a shot that Dunsmuir palmed down with both hands.

On 75 minutes Kello won a free-kick on the outskirts of the left hand corner of the box. The ball was whipped past the two-man wall and although the outstretched leg of No. 8 just failed to make contact the ball continued to dangerously fly across the face of goal and beyond the far post.

Play continued to ebb back and forth while half-chances for both sides came and went.

With 10 minutes to go Glens made their final change with Alan Frizzell (who had covered every blade of grass) making way for Gary Harkins.

Kello’s No. 6 then thumped a low shot form the edge of the box which was comfortably held by Markey and soon after the keeper dived at the feet of No. 19 to foil another attack.

Back came Glens and Harkins leapt to head the ball over the last two defenders leaving O’Kane with a free run into the box only for Dunsie to get the better of him again by getting one hand to the ball and then grabbing it with both hands.

Kello then engineered a couple of other chances, a low angled shot from Reid that was well held by Markey. The same player then broke down the left before squaring the ball into the box only for No. 8 to fire his shot wide of target under pressure from Ross.

At the other end McKee forced his way to the left-hand side of the box and as No.4 closed in he clipped a high ball from a tight angle which seemed netl-bound only for Dunsie to leap at the near post and push it over the bar. Rowe then rose to bullet a header over from Sinnamon’s corner.

The game continued to flow from end to end with possibily the better of the chances falling to the home side. Markey got down low to push No. 12’s close-range angled shot out for a corner and soon after Reid burst down the left to drive to the bye-line and cut it back for No. 19 to guide a shot goalward only for Markey to deflect it away with an outstretched leg before the final whistle blew.

FT Kello 1 Glens 6