BENS BOSS LOVERING GOT OVER THE LINE
Working out the maths to the WoSFL First Division has become infinitely simpler now in the wake of a momentous and somewhat defining weekend for a whole host of clubs.
For instance, leading lights Gartcairn’s 4-0 victory over Cumbernauld United thanks to a brace of goals from Daz Smith along with a Darren Bowie counter and Reece Donaldson own goal guaranteed a relegation fate for their hosts but the Guys Meadow outcome but has even more crucially left the Cairn facing up to the prospect of a trip through to Govan next Saturday afternoon knowing they need to come out on top in their 30th and final league match against Benburb in order to be crowned champions.
That much is certain after their every bit as ambitious title rivals St Cadocs stoically recovered from the shock of falling 1-0 behind to Connor McAteer’s opener for Rossvale to inflict a crushing 5-1 defeat on the league’s bottom markers through Owen Ronald (2),Dylan Dykes, Ross Barbour and Grant Anderson scores.
As things stand ahead of this looming final day of reckoning, St Cadocs sit three points adrift of Gartcairn whose potentially vital + 6 goals differential which will come into its own if the double scenario wished for by their growing army of supporters unfolds and the Newton Mearns side manage to overcome their own last-up opponents , third bottom of the standings Bonnyton Thistle by a handsome margin along with Benburb coming up trumps.
The third top Bens were themselves looking as if they needing back-to-back wins in their closing couple of fixtures when Paul Lovering led his troops down to Valefield for a Friday night contest against Kilbirnie Ladeside aware that anything less than full points would open the door for fourth placed Drumchapel United to leapfrog over them in the table.
And that very storyline looked to be on the cards halfway through the Valefield encounter with the Ayrshiremen 2-0 to the good through Greg Maitland and James Marks counters .
Top marksman Declan McDonald halved the visiting deficit shortly into the second period but flickering Bens hopes of staging a comeback looked dead in the water after Ladeside’s two goals advantage was duly restored by another Marks strike making the scoreline read 3-1.
However the realisation their step-up hopes were all but going for a burton provided an extra jag of motivation for the Benburb players and they rolled up their sleeves to mount a stirring counteroffensive that brought goals for McDonald, Lewis McTaggart and that man McDonald (again) in chalking up a quite stunning 4-3 triumph.
How fitting then that the Glasgow side’s magnificent never-say-die efforts were further rewarded just 24 hours later by their promotion being assured through Drumchapel failing to take matters to a last day decider after going down to an unexpected 5-0 defeat away to Shotts Bon Accord for whom Paul McGeough(2), Joshua Watt, Peter O’Donnell and Josh Cameron were on target.
And yet another sensational high scoring affair ensued down in Ayr as Whitletts Vics guaranteed their safety from the drop virtue of a 7-2 hammering of Johnstone Burgh with Jordan Baird(3), Andy Kerr, Callum Ogson and Jordan Boyd (2) on the mark.
Meanwhile, anyone hoping (like I was) that the nothing at stake clash of Rutherglen Glencairn and Blantyre Vics could possibly result in a footballing feast of sorts would have been bitterly disappointed at the fare served up at the Hamish B Allan Stadium.
These two teams had previously met as recently as last Wednesday evening when the Vics ran out 1-0 winners in the corresponding league fixture on their own patch but there was never any sense of the Glens , with a Scottish Junior Cup Final date against Cumnock looming up two weeks down the line , looking like they wanted to extract even a semblance of revenge.
The home side’s failure to go for the jugular and tamely succumbing to yet another single goal reverse did not appear to concern seasoned team boss Willie Harvey judging by his frank and forthright summing up afterwards.
He insisted “You wouldn’t have caught me doing cartwheels if we’d won the game so I’m not taken any negativity from the defeat if truth be told.
“ I never will like losing but myself and the backroom guys are not overly disappointed because we know that wasn’t our team out there given as many as 7 regulars were posted missing and we had players wearing jerseys who haven’t kicked a ball for 8 weeks or more.
“ The Cup Final is what’s most important for us and our focus is on keeping players ticking over while at the same time taking no chances with injuries which is why our main strikers Jack McIlveen and Ryan McManus were nowhere to be seen on our team lines.
“They picked up almost identical top of their feet knocks last Wednesday night and could have played today at a pinch but the advice from our Physio was to give it a rest so we left them out.”
GLENCAIRN NEEDING TO GET RYAN McMANUS BACK
The former goalkeeper added, “ It was pointed out that a few Cumnock players were watching on today and if they want to take something from our poor performance then let them ! .”
Glencairn putting out a weakened line-up was not dissimilar to the visiting Blantyre whose own lack of attacking strength was furthered just two minutes in when Scott Jarvie cleverly played in winger Andy Gallagher who proceeded to pull his hamstring in the act of firing an angular shot goalwards that visiting keeper Stephen Barr saved with his feet.
Jamie McVey was introduced as Gallagher’s replacement however it would probably not have made much difference if all four of their named substitutes had come onto the field such was the dominance exerted by the respective backlines in keeping scoring chances to a minimum.
Indeed it speaks volumes when the next shot on target , for either side following Gallagher’s near thing, was a 74th minute Sam McNee drive for the Vics, easily saved by Glens No 1 Scott Law.
With the tedium up to then finally ended , the only goal of the game arrived just two minutes later when Jarvie powered in a close range header from a corner kick that saw Law demonstrate superb reflexes in parrying the ball out but unfortunately for him, the lurking Jarvie reacted quickest to slam home an unstoppable shot via the underside of the crossbar for 1-0.
Being left with no other option other than to go for broke, saw Glencairn dominate the closing stages and a flurry of penalty box activity ensued albeit without ever seriously threatening to bring about an equalizer .
His team’s sixth win without conceding a goal in their last seven starts was warmly greeted by Vics gaffer John Gibson’s take on playing matters.
He admitted “ Yes, there wasn’t a lot for spectators to get excited about but I have to be happy with the way our defenders and midfield did their jobs to get us yet another clean sheet and of course the three points on offer.
“ To claim a sixth place finish in the table after such a bad run earlier in the season is a wonderful achievement by the players and more so when you consider we had five Under 20 players on the park at the final whistle today so there’s a lot to be satisfied about in terms of their development.”
GIBBY WAS LEFT A HAPPY MAN
Elsewhere in the WoSFL ,Maybole clinched the third and final promotion place from the Second Division despite losing 3-2 away to Ashfield after word came though from across city of their rival contenders Craigmark suffering a 3-2 Lochburn Park defeat against Maryhill.
And the champagne was belatedly uncorked at the Show Park after Vale of Clyde secured the Third Division title on the back of a Pat Donaghy brace and further goals from Kevin Turner, John McCue and Darin Walker securing a 5-1 victory over East Kilbride Thistle in tandem with the only team able to overhaul them atop the pile , Larkhall Thistle, dropping two points via a 3-3 draw away to Ardrossan Winton Rovers.
Barring a remarkable sequence of results ,their latest demise seems certain to doom the E.K. Jags to a a drop into the lower reaches of the Fourth Division and leave their ever dwindling fan base contemplating coming up against the likes of Campbeltown Pupils next season … An altogether unseemly prospect for a once mighty club in what is nearing the 40th anniversary (29th May) of their historic Scottish Junior Cup success … the Ibrox staged 2-0 victory over Bo’ness United in 1983.
WEEKEND RESULTS: PDM Buildbase First Division. Cumbernauld Utd v Gartcairn, St Cadocs v Rossvale, Whitletts Vics v Johnstone Burgh, Shotts Bon Accord v Rossvale, Kilbirnie Ladeside 3 Benburb 4, Rutherglen Glencairn v Blantyre Vics,.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole 2 Ashfield 3, Wishaw 3 Greenock 1, Glasgow Utd 1 Yoker Athletic 4, Maryhill 3 Craigmark 2, Muirkirk 3 St Anthonys 2, Renfrew 2 Glasgow University 0, Kilsyth Rangers 0 Forth Wanderers 3. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Bellshill Athletic 4 Carluke Rovers 0, Dalry Thistle 2 Lanark Utd 3, Girvan 3 Port Glasgow 3, Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3 Larkhall Thistle 3, East Kilbride Thistle 1 Vale of Clyde 5, Kello Rovers 2 Irvine Vics 3, Royal Albert 6 Lugar Boswell 2, Lesmahagow 5 Vale of Leven 0, Newmains Utd 0 Finnart 2.
Regards
Jim O’Donnell
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