WHARTON ANSWERS CALL FOR HELP

WHAT A DIFFERENCE BRYAN MADE ?

How appropriate given the time of year that St Cadocs and Arthurlie played out a 4-4 draw on Saturday in the best Halloween tradition …or if you want to be more exact, 90 plus minutes of guising as Jekyll and Hyde.

Hard to say otherwise given a second half transformation in both sides which had to be seen to be believed, St Cadocs going from being well in control and looking surefire winners (as you might expect when 4-1 to the good at the halfway stage ) to be left frighteningly hanging on for dear life ,or in footballing vernacular, a share of the spoils, against an Arthurlie side that served up a second half treat along with the tricks of winger Connor Bolger that worked wonders insofar as restoring the smiles to the faces of their previously fearing the worst supporters.

Now it would be easy, particularly given the time of the year, to say the Barrhead men got their reward for `never giving up the ghost` but truth is team boss Colin Reilly totally changed the complexion of a laboured first half display from his troops by making a subtle tactical tweak aided and abetted through the interval introduction of newcomer Bryan Wharton off the substitutes bench.

Signed only on Friday, the former Johnstone Burgh , Irvine Meadow and Pollok defender’s robust playing style and full black beard can make him appear a scary prospect but on this occasion there can be no denying his very presence, experience and no-nonsense approach to his defensive duties worked the oracle and plugged all the gaps in the Barrhead team’s hitherto mistake-ridden backline.

Wharton’s vital contribution wasn’t missed by manager Reilly when making his post-match summations.

“ We started away well , got on the front foot for 15-20 minutes and have deservedly, in my book ,taken a 1-0 lead “said the Lie gaffer.

“But conceding an equalizer almost immediately has totally deflated the guys to the extent we’ve lost our shape ,our press, our confidence and we’ve sat off St Cadocs in all the wrong areas of the pitch and they’ve proceeded like any good team would to take full advantage by banging in another three goals in a 17 minute burst.

One time Dundee United signing Reilly continued, “ Hearing the half time whistle was a relief as it allowed us to sit the guys down , change our shape in order to chase the game and make a few personnel changes such as throwing Bryan in for his debut in what you might describe as the most telling circumstances.

“ Straightaway, he began calling the shots by crunching into tackles as well as winning his headers and the icing on the cake was his headed goal which gave us a platform at 4-2 and more importantly a belief that all was not lost yet.

“The rest of the guys took their lead from him and demonstrated great character to play outstandingly well and with great intensity to get us back on level pegging and hand on heart I have to say a point was no more than we deserved on the day.”

The quiet spoken Reilly took time out to further laud the performance of another of his substitutes Kyle McLaughlin.

He added, “ Kyle has been on the books of Albion Rovers and is only 17 years of age so it was taking a risk to throw him into the cauldron out there but I felt he was excellent in his use of the ball and willingness to run at the St Cadocs defenders

ARTHURLIE BOSS REILLY RANG THE NECESSARY CHANGES

Any designs the visitors may have nursed about sitting on their lead went for a burton just sixty seconds later when a hopeful punt upfield found Lie centreback Michael McNeil chasing back towards his own goal pursued somewhat forlornly by St Cadocs front man Bob McHugh.

No danger whatsoever was imminent until visiting goalkeeper Max Clarke advanced off his line to collect the bouncing ball just as McNeil chose to nod it back to him and both were left pointing fingers and hopelessly stranded as his header found the net for a 1-1 scoreline.

This touch of ill fortune acted to demoralize the visitors who proceeded to offer up nothing more than token resistance as a suitably fired-up St Cadocs added another two scores in the ensuing six minutes ,firstly when Reece McGuire flicked the ball home following good build up play between Anton Brady and Daniel McManus prior to yet another calamitous mix-up in the Arthurlie defence providing McGuire with an opportunity to double his day’s scoring tally with a close range shot for 3-1.

Saints winger Neil McLaughlin duly burying a 22 yard free kick into the far corner of Clarke’s net just five minutes before the break would and should have raised thoughts of a heavy defeat being on the cards for those of a |Barrhead design however Wharton & Co soon put those fears to bed.

Just six minutes into the resumption ,he strolled upfield for a corner kick and managed to find time and room for himself send a powerful back post header across goal and into the net despite the best saving attempts of St Cadocs defender BJ McColl.

Nobody in the visiting camp appeared to be more revitalized than winger Connor Bolger who in quick succession volleyed high over from a good position before setting off on a mesmerizing run across the 18 yard line only to flash his parting shot just wide of Max Currie’s goalpost.

His two close calls did not dissuade Bolger in the slightest and somewhat appropriately he reduced his side’s deficit to a single goal just after the hour mark when he hammered home a free kick from out on the left side of the penalty box for 4-3 and to set up a stirring finale .

The clock ticking down heading into the closing stages had more than a few Arthurlie fans wanting to prematurely turn their mobiles and watches to Greenwich Mean Time but that was before a 92^nd minute launch forward by Lewis Magee set Ciaran McPherson on a curving run goalwards that was unceremoniously ended by Saints keeper Currie advancing to all but wipe out the young striker and cause whistler Euan Birch to unerringly point his finger at the penalty spot.

Mark Docherty showed no signs of nerves as he comfortably despatched the award past Currie to earn his side a 4-4 draw that St Cadocs manager Martin Fellowes graciously conceded was probably the correct result.

He reasoned afterwards, “We’ve conceded really soft goals and should have managed the game far better from the position we were in but I cannot be too critical given that’s now 9 wins and 3 draws from our last 12 games.

“And for the record, I didn’t think we were at it first half which maybe sounds crazy but I came in at half time disappointed from knowing we hadn’t actually cut Arthurlie open with our performance but had required individual errors on their part and long kick outs from our goalkeeper to be 4-1 up.

“ I felt the scoreline after 45 minutes painted a false picture of the game and frustratingly, Arthurlie came more and more into things throughout the second half and we couldn’t do the basics well enough to do anything about it so they thoroughly deserved a point in the end up.”

MARTIN FELT A DRAW WAS THE RIGHT RESULT

It might have come as some solace to Fellowes to later discover the solitary point earned by his team’s playing efforts has actually improved their sixth in the table Premier Division position after the two teams immediately above them in the standings, Darvel and Benburb both suffered damaging defeats.

Crisis hit Darvel ,fresh from selling star midfielders Ian McShane and Thomas Reilly to Gartcairn in midweek (???)were 2-0 down to Mark Shankland and Kyle Gilroy goals at home to Troon before a Stephen Bronsky header put a better complexion on the scoreline while through at Largs , front man David Ramsay netted the only goal of the game as the Thessel put a serious dent in Benburb’s title aspirations.

A rare Gareth Armstrong score did the trick to help a previously ailing Auchinleck Talbot chalk up a sixth win on the spin against Rob Roy at Beechwood Park while a 1-1 stalemate ensued down at Glenafton where Hurlford United’s late Lewis Morrison equalizer cancelled out a Liam Caddis counter for the Glens.

And on Friday night, Gartcairn’s rise to respectability in the big boys playground continued apace as Mick Dunlop’s men ,boosted by the addition of McShane ,ran out 4-1 winners away to Irvine Meadow , a result that leaves the Medda down in bottom spot.

A Darren Smith double and Mark McGuigan score had the visitors 3-0 ahead inside 20 minutes and despite Medda stopper Isaac Kerr pulling a goal back before half time, a further McGuigan strike put Gartcairn in easy street despite the setback of a late in the day red card for skipper Kevin Nicoll.

The never ending changes to the First Division placings were to the fore again as Rutherglen Glencairn went back atop the pile thanks to an Alan Woodhouse goal chalking up a 1-0 victory over Thorniewood United while that same scoreline was replicated by the new third top spot occupiers Blantyre Vics for whom Nadeem Zeb was on the mark to help defeat Renfrew,

Splitting the Glens and Vics are Drumchapel United ,after a 6-0 crushing of Shotts Bon Accord in which David Hopkirk(2), Munir Idris, James Marks, Jordan Love and Jack Breen were on target.

DRUMCHAPEL’S TOP MARKS`MAN FOUND THE NET AGAIN

Elsewhere, a mixed bag awaited WoSFL clubs participating in the Scottish Gas Cup contests where Beith (1-3 against Broomhill), Kilwinning Rangers (beaten 1-0 by Cowdenbeath) and Clydebank (on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline away to Formartine) went tumbling out of the competition

On the positive side, Cumnock recovered from falling behind to a first half Neil Gauld goal for Turriff United to overcome the Highland League outfit (reduced to ten men by Mark Foster’s 59^th minute red card) with second half comeback goals from Mark McLennan and Andy McLaughlin.

And a first half sending off for Gala Fairydean full back Kyle Semple (30 minutes) was a decisive factor in Pollok carving out a 5-2 win that sealed their place in tonight’s Third Round draw .

A brace of Ryan McGregor scores either side of a Gala equalizer (Nikky Reid) at Newlandsfield had Stewart Maxwell’s side 2-1 in front only for the plucky Lowland League outfit to again get back on level terms through Daniel Galbraith on the stroke of half time .

Thankfully, Lok’s top scorer Adam Forde got on the scoresheet with a couple of second half strikes before substitute Hugh Kerr added the Glasgow club’s fifth and final goal of the game.

WEEKEND RESULTS: SCOTTISH GAS CUP Second Round .Kilwinning Rangers 0 Cowdenbeath 1, Beith 1 Broomhill 3, Formartine Utd 3 Clydebank2, Pollok 5 Gala Fairydean 2, Cumnock 2 Turriff Utd 1 .P.D.M HUWS GRAY Premier Division. Largs Thiste 1 Benburb 0, Auchinleck Talbot 1 Rob Roy 0, Darvel 1 Troon2, Irvine Meadow 1 Gartcairn4, St Cadocs 4 Arthurlie 4, Glenafton 1 Hurlford Utd 1.P.D.M HUWS GRAYFirst Division. Blantyre Vics 1 Renfrew0, Kilbirnie Ladeside 4 Neilston 0, Cambuslang Rangers 3 Maybole 2, St Rochs 0 Ashfield 3, Drumchapel Utd 6 Shotts Bon Accord 0, Petershill 3 Whitletts Vics 3, Rutherglen Glencairn 1 Thorniewood Utd 0.PDM HUWS GRAY Second Division. , St Anthonys 0 Craigmark 2, Yoker Athletic 3 Forth Wanderers 2, Cumbernauld Utd, 0 Maryhill 2, Vale of Clyde 2 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3, Muirkirk 2 Larkhall Thistle 6, Wishaw 0 Kilsyth Rangers 2, Glasgow University 1 Bonnyton Thistle 2, Glasgow Perthshire 3Caledonian Locomotives 5. PDM HUWS GRAYThird Division. Threave Rovers 3 Lanark Utd 2, Bellshill Athletic 2 Vale of Leven 1, Port Glasgow 1 Irvine Vics 2, West Park Utd 0 Finnart 3, Kello Rovers 2 Glasgow Utd 1, Greenock 3 Lesmahagow 1, Kilsyth Athletic 1 Ardeer Thistle 2, Dalry Thistle 4 Girvan 1. PDM HUWS GRAYFourth Division. Royal Albert 2 Thorn Athletic 0, Campbeltown Pupils 3 Rossvale 2, Giffnock SC 2 Lugar Boswell 0, v Eglinton, Easterhouse 1 BSC Glasgow 2, East Kilbride Thistle 2 Glenvale 6, Newmains Utd 6 Saltcoats Vics 0, Knightswood 3 Eglinton 1, St Peters 3 Carluke Rovers 1.

Regards Jim O’Donnell