THAT WAS MUCH MORE TO CURRIE TASTE

Desire is a fundamental attribute needed to play and win football games and nobody demonstrated it fist-pumping better than Petershill in their 2-1 defeat of Cumnock on Saturday.

The sounding of the final whistle through in Springburn brought whoops of delight on the terracings as well as the sight of maroon clad players punching the air and chest-bumping each other…and little wonder because only seven days have elapsed since near enough this same playing squad…the only fresh face introduced was that of grizzled stopper Terry Hewitt…(pictured above ) were looking a sorry and bedraggled lot after taking a 7-1 pasting down at Beith.

The difference between then and now can only be described as palpable yet anyone assuming Peasy gaffer Ian Currie deserves credit for tactical tweaks would be `barking up the wrong tree` given the seasoned campaigner’s after  match summaryof events.

” We did nothing other than ask the players for more effort, more commitment and to show heaps more desire than they gave us against Beith and today’s performance was the payback you get.” he admitted.

“A crying need to shut down the Cumnock players and prevent them getting time on the ball was stressed over and over again so it was pleasing to see this message getting across to the guys yet probably even more satisfying was the work we did on set plays out on the training ground this week paying off with our well worked first goal.

“ We had no failures out there as everyone did the job asked of them but the key factor was our passion and if we can just show more of the same going forward then who knows what might happen.”

From a territorial viewpoint, the visiting Ayrshiremen dominated the opening exchanges but it couldn’t help but be noticed that Peasy No 1 Stevie McNeil was untroubled and not called into action of any sort until nearing the twenty minute mark when his blocking save thwarted Nock midfielder Findlay Frye who had slid in unmarked at the far post to meet an inswinging Jared Willet free kick.

Cumnock remaining on the ascendancy brought a couple of bigger frights, firstly when George Sewell headed home a Greg Ferry driven cross from close range only for celebrations to be cut short at the sight of the far linesman signaling for offside, while on the half hour mark, striker Josh Moore was put clean through on goal but sent his parting shot against the outrushing McNeil.

It took all of 38 minutes for Petershill to register their first goal attempt on target , a speculative Derek Hepburn volley from 30 yards sailing into the waiting arms of Jamie Barclay however it was nevertheless totally against the run of play for the Cumnock goalkeeper to be picking the ball out of his net nearing half time after a long shy ploy set up Jordan Marshall to rifle home a low shot from around 18 yards range .

Currie was heard screaming for his charges to keep things tight in order to see the first half out but he must have thought his words had fallen  on deaf ears when right on the stroke of half time a Cumnock attacking sortie down the right culminated in  a Mark McLennan cross that found Ferry diving full length in acres of space to plant a headed equalizer  into the far corner of the net.

The second period getting underway saw the sting of Currie’s  undoubted half time criticism sparking a  home team refusal to allow Cumnock to build attacks from the back thus forcing their opponents into playing long and high punts upfield which were proving food and drink for towering Peasy stopper pairing  Hewitt and Ross McCabe.

Said big Terry afterwards, “Look there’s no denying Ross and I have our shortcomings but at the same time, we have developed a good understanding since he came back to the club which comes into good effect when teams like Cumnock try to put us under pressure.

“If you stand off guys at this level you invariably get hurt but we didn’t allow that to happen not least because we have lost none of our enthusiasm for a physical battle and that liking for an old-fashioned ding-dong certainly rubbed off on the guys around us today as I felt our defensive unit never looked like conceding throughout the second half.”

It was from a searching pass forward in the 58^th minute that Petershill created their lead to defend after Hepburn’s curving run enabled him to latch onto the ball and veer in the direction of Barclay whose advance from his line forced the striker into a clipping a shot goalwards which was turned home by team mate Craig Quinn, standing almost on the goal line.

Going 2-1 down invoked a rash of substitutes by Cumnock but Brian McGinty’s side were never to exert the same control on the match and indeed could have lost by a greater scoreline but for Ferry’s superb last ditch tackle to foil Ben Cappie in the act of scoring that was followed in 79 minutes by an obviously tiring Hepburn hitting a tame effort against Barclay when put through on goal with only the Cumnock keeper to beat.

Petershill anxieties over seeing out the closing stages were considerably worsened in injury time when Craig McGregor, injured as a result of kicking the studs of Graham Boyd, was left shocked after receiving treatment ,to be the recipient of a straight red card from whistler Ross Menzies.

GINTS IN A HAPPIER FRAME OF MIND

Nock boss McGinty’s steely gaze as the teams trooped into the pavilion spoke volumes over the anger  felt about his team’s display.

He appeared later to blast ,” To be losing soft goals at one end and missing clear cut chances at the other is not a good recipe so we need to put things right and quickly.

“That said our apparent inability to pass the ball five yards is our worst failing of all and I’ve told my players they shouldn’t be playing the game at this level if they cannot do that .”

Petershill’s victory , only their second in 17 league starts , lifted them off the foot of the table , 2 points clear of new bottom markers Cambuslang Rangers whose scheduled meeting with Kilwinning Rangers was one of four Premier Division Fixtures  postponed because of an unplayable pitch.

Of the games that did go ahead, Troon and Arthurlie played out a 0-0 stalemate at Portland Park while an intriguing poser was surely set for WoSFL beaks by the injury time abandonment of Largs Thistle v Beith when the visitors were leading 3-1 .

Largs had battled back to level matters at 1-1 from the loss of Connor McGlinchey’s opener for a Beith side that managed to regain their slender  advantage through an Andy Monk score early into the second half.

Livewire front man Josh Fowler appeared to put the result to bed when netting  a third goal for the Mighty in added on time however its alleged his subsequent  goal celebrations saw him run through the massed Largs dugout area provoking an irate reaction that in turn sparked an angry melee involving players, substitutes and backroom staff alike.

When the dust looked as if it was settled, Referee Callum Haswell thought it appropriate to send off respective team managers Stuart “Arnie” Davidson and Chris Strain however they reputedly indulged in a further altercation while taking their `walk of shame` and  a further outbreak of hostilities duly led to Mr Haswell abandoning the contest.

His null and void call could be potentially damaging for both clubs particularly  for Beith’s league title aspirations if they are denied three points by the  powers-that-be  deciding the game will not be replayed.

Meanwhile , Gartcairn regained top spot atop the First Division pile thanks to Daz Smith (2) and Darren Bowie counters earning a 3-1 triumph away to Bonnyton Thistle.       

 Second Division title contenders Renfrew were dealt a damaging blow with the loss of two points at home to Greenock after Gregor Wylie’s first half goal that looked enough to take the spoils was cancelled out  by Nock substitute Aidan Duffy.

Renfrew’s slip up enabled nearest challengers Ashfield to move four points behind , crucially from one game fewer played,  following a brace of Booby Barr goals, Jordan Pirie (pen) and Johnny Black doing the necessary to earn a hard fought  4-3  success over Glasgow University.

The only Fourth Division match to pass muster saw league leaders Kilsyth Athletic move nine points clear of the chasing pack with a 5-1 hammering of Easterhouse F.A. with Ryan Gibson , Matt Murphy, Jordan Carr, Kerr McCormick nd Paul Archibald on target.

WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Largs Thistle v Beith, Troon v Arthurlie,  Petershill v Cumnock. PDM Buildbase First Division. Bonnyton Thistle 1 Gartcairn 3.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Renfrew 1 Greenock 1, Yoker Athletic 2 Muirkirk 2, Ashfield 4 Glasgow University3. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Girvan 3 East Kilbride Thistle 3, Carluke Rovers 2 Port Glasgow 5. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Kilsyth Athletic 5 Easterhouse F.A 1.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell

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