Supporters of Arthurlie and Pollok, particularly those in the advancing years bracket, are often to be found fondly reminiscing over the ferociously competitive clashes between the pair back when they were at the peak of their powers.
But sad to say, Saturday’s head to head at Dunterlie for what was their first coming together in almost four years, will not go down as one of them after both sides gave far from complete performances in serving up a hugely disappointing 0-0 stalemate.
Respective team bosses Craig Palmer and Stewart Maxwell did not mince their words afterwards in unstintingly reckoning the other was to blame for the poor fare on offer though one can more readily understand why the former might feel the point apiece spoils is a better gain for his side seeing as it lifted them out of the automatic relegation spots for the first time this season.
The Lie gaffer .whose starting line-up was bereft of a handful of regulars, most notably experienced campaigners Ryan McGregor and top scorer Gary Smith, insisted,
“I’d much rather talk about the superb group of guys wearing Arthurlie jerseys and giving their all out there today instead of moaning over who was missing and who wasn’t.
He went on “ Being perfectly honest it was one of the worst games we’ve taken part in this season but any attempts to play a bit of football at times came from us whereas Pollok resorted to playing back to front for the entire 90 minutes and never tried to pose a threat by working the ball into areas.
“All credit belongs to my players who haven’t played competitively in the past month yet dealt comfortably with everything thrown at them and actually created the better goalscoring opportunities over the piece.
“The guys were organized and outstanding defensively at set plays where their sheer determination to give nothing away made light of Pollok’s undoubted height advantage and nobody more so in this respect than Lee Roulston ,tasked with marking their centreback Callum Gow who towered over Lee, yet never won a header of any note.”
Picking up a mere point cannot be regarded as a good outcome for the title challenging Pollok however it’s not as if the Southside big guns could possibly come away from Barrhead imagining they deserved more.
JORDAN MADE VITAL STOPS
If ever a draw was a good draw then this was the game because Arthurlie were definitely at the heart of what few pulse raising moments there were as Lok goalkeeper Jordan Longmuir’s 27th minute tip over save to deny a net bound Jordan Leyden shot from fully 25 yards can typify .
The experienced No 1 was called into action again just minutes later when he raced from his line to thwart Dale Simeon’s attempt to clip the ball over him after the Lie midfielder ran clean through on goal while Pollok’s nearest thing response arrived around the half hour mark as a deflection took the ball wide when a well struck Stephen Docherty shot looked a certain score.
A similar pattern marked second half proceedings as home team substitute Dylan McBride passed up a glorious headed opportunity prior to a sweeping exchange of passes down the left flank culminating in a low drive across goal that Lie striker Gary Carroll was favourite to convert at the back post before a last gasp Mark Sideserf saving challenge that injured the visiting defender and left him unable to continue .
Docherty’s day was also done when he was replaced for the closing 30 minutes however neither incoming hitman Adam Forde or fellow bench introductions Chris Duff and Gary McCann could come up with the necessary penalty box breakthrough as Lok manager Maxi went for broke with the full array of attacking options at his disposal.
He spoke in sardonic terms later ,”It wasn’t a game of football was it ? Look, we knew beforehand the extremely tight pitch would lend itself to adopting a more direct style but we couldn’t have played any worse in trying to change our approach..
“Arthurlie by comparison were happy to go 4-5-1 and sit deep while looking to hit us on the counter and my players simply didn’t do enough in the final third and got more and more frustrated as a result.
“ It’s another clean sheet but losing two points is a sore one .”
FINAL THIRD IS NOT TO MAXI’S LIKING
The perceived greater share of possession enjoyed by Pollok throughout the second 45 minutes failed to impress Lance Pearce whose display underpinned Arthurlie’s defensive solidity.
He summed up his thoughts in saying , “Keeping our shape as we did allowed us to do exceptionally well as a team collective and if truth be told I always felt that we looked the more likely winners .
“Yes, Pollok had a lot of the ball second half but our structure all alongwas to allow them space in certain areas and then apply a press to win the ball back and get flooding forward.
“It almost worked a treat and if just one of the chances we created had been scored then I do believe we would have taken all three points.”
Pollok’s lapse allowed Darvel to extend their lead atop the Premier Division to five points thanks to five different marksmen , Alan McKenzie, Ian McShane, Jordan Kirkpatrick, Scott Ferguson and Jordan Allan , finding the target in a 5-1 rout of Petershill for whom Jordan Scott’s second half couter was no more than a consolation.
Fellow basement strugglers Cambuslang Rangers moved a point clear of the Peasy at the foot of the table virtue of Grant Brennan and Ryan Devine scores enabling Paul McColl’s side to twice come from behind at home to Largs Thistle and eke out a 2-2 draw.
The only other top flight encounter saw Irvine Meadow deservedly end a run of six games without a win with a 2-1 triumph over Cumnock.
Callum Graham and Connor Boyd netted for the Medda while substitute Jamie Dolan on target for the visiting Nock whose cause was not helped by Ryan Carnwarth’s dismissal (2 yellows) against his former team.
In the First Division stakes,Benburb staged a recovery from falling behind to an own goal at home to Bonnyton Thistle to chalk up a 2-1 victory from Aaron Black and Lewis Lovering that promotes the Bens to third top spot in the standings.
The biggest upset in the West of Scotland League Cup ties was caused by Shotts Bon Accord for whom Ally Martin (2pens) and Paul McGeough were on the mark in a 3-2 defeat of strong going Beith while top flight Troon were similarly embarrassed at home to Ashfield in losing out 5-3 on a penalty kick shoot-out following a 2-2 draw.
Emphatic nap hand victories were recorded by Neilston, Kilwinning Rangers, Clydebank and Gartcairn while a solitary Mark Shankland goal enabled Auchinleck Talbot to overcome Johnstone Burgh at Beechwood Park.
WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Arthurlie 0 Pollok 0, Cambuslang Rangers 2 Largs Thistle2, Darvel 5 Petershill 1, Irvine Meadow 2 Cumnock 1.PDM Buildbase First Division. Rutherglen Glencairn 5 Thorniewood Utd 1, Benburb 2 Bonnyton Thistle1.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Glasgow Utd 2 Craigmark 3, Renfrew 1 Wishaw 0, St Anthonys 4 Greenock 3, Maryhill 1 Maybole 4, Glasgow University 3 Glasgow Perthshire 2. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Bellshill Athletic 2 Saltcoats Vics 0, Vale of Clyde v Lanark Utd,Girvan v Royal Albert , Carluke Rovers 2 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 5, Lugar Boswell 1 Port Glasgow 2. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division.St Peters 3 Rossvale Academy0, Threave Rovers 3 Easterhouse F.A 0. West of Scotland League Cup.Gartcairn 5 Blantyre Vics 0, Kilwinning Rangers 5 Thorn Athletic 1, Beith 2 Shotts Bon Accord 3, Kello Rovers 1 Neilston 5, Hurlford Utd 3 Rob Roy 0, Cumbernauld Utd 3 Finnart 1, Kilsyth Athletic 0 Clydebank 5, Glenafton 3 Kilbirnie Ladeside 1, Troon 2 Ashfield 2(Ashfield win 5-3pens), Auchinleck Talbot 1 Johnstone Burgh 0, West Park Utd 1 St Cadocs 4.
Regards
Jim O’Donnell
About Author
Delighted to see Craig get his chance in Management at Dunterlie Park, where he also played. I remember he suffered a terrible ankle injury at Rutherglen Glencairn, where I first met him. Liked nothing better than getting forward from the left -hand side of the back four, and also put a shift in getting back to defend superbly. Off the park, always willing to have a chat. Really good guy👍