PETERSHILL PUT DOWN SURVIVAL MARKER

STEVIE IS LEADING FROM THE BACK

If their experience of the big boys playground, aka the WoSFL’s Premier Division, turns out to be nothing more than a season long involvement for Cambuslang Rangers then this all too brief top flight dalliance of theirs can be attributed to a whole range of shortcomings but a lack of heart is certainly not one of them.

That much was painfully obvious to any of their supporters watching through their fingers on Saturday when the Wee Gers , playing in a must win relegation contest against Petershill, shot themselves in the foot with a calamitous quarter of an hour spell heading into the half time interval.

During this unfortunate period, they lost a man , two goals , and on hindsight, one would have to say the game itself even though their hopes of picking up the points on offer were not put to bed until finicky whistler Alistair Grieve blew for time up.

An uneventful and decidedly unexciting beginning to the Springburn contest gave every indication of this meeting of the league’s bottom two clubs turning out to be a somewhat staid affair given that both sides appeared to have set out their stalls to give nothing away.

A snap header from Peasy striker Christian Nade drifting fully a yard beyond the far post and a speculative 35 yard shot from the same player straight down the throat of visiting keeper Andy Wilson were as near as onlookers got to what you might call highlights until Mr. Grieve took it upon himself to give proceedings a much needed shake by sending off Cambuslang defender Alan Reid .

To be fair the full back gave him little choice with a lunging challenge that floored the home team’s Jordan Marshall and fully merited the initial yellow card flashed in his direction prior to the Referee feverishly following this up with one of the red variety on account of Reid’s caution for an earlier infringement.

He had barely completed his disconsolate trudge to the dressing rooms when matters took a turn to the worse for his depleted team mates after Peasy midfielder Darren Miller’s pass sent Del Hepburn running goalwards and he made himself space with a delightful shimmy before curling a low shot into the far corner of the net beyond the diving Wilson .

Shotly afterwards , visiting team boss Paul McColl was then yellow carded by Mr Grieve on the say-so of touchline assistant Stephen Clark( more of that later) and the Wee Gers gaffer’s mood would have been further soured in the third minute of added on first half time when a driven Miller corner kick was deflected into his own goal by Lang centreback Jack Breslin ,formerly on Petershill’s books.

Cambuslang heads might have been expected to go down when the second half got underway, losing 2-0 and numerically disadvantaged into the bargain however they proceeded to make a decent fist of things and were both tidy and organized in possession without seriously troubling a Petershill side seemingly content to protect their lead and see the game out.

A spirited final 30 minutes rally was sparked by a powerful Sam Greenwood header that looked odds on to be halving the Lang’s deficit until Petershill No 1 Steven McNeil pulled off a terrific diving save however just minutes later the experienced player/manager was left helpless as the visitors did manage to pull a goal back.

No danger was imminent as a punt upfield sent Peasy full back Conor McGregor running back towards his own goal , comfortably ahead of pursuing Wee Gers winger Ben Richford . however McGregor was then lamentably short with an attempted backpass which allowed Richford to apply the merest of toepokes, taking the ball past the advancing McNeil and against the far upright before crossing the line …just.

A suitably buoyed Cambuslang were not looking a man short at this stage however the inescapable feeling that Petershill had it in them to find another gear was promptly underlined as a Hepburn cross from the left side found striking discovery Lennon Houston diving full length to spectacularly power a header past Wilson.

A 3-1scoreline then became 4-1 when Hepburn again advanced down the left before cutting inside onto his right foot and directing a low shot into the net however a defiant Cambuslang had the last say in injury time when a cross to the back post saw substitute Nikky Fraser net from close range.

The absence of Ian Currie (work commitments) brought Peasy goalkeeper and co-manager McNeil to appear and give his thoughts later,

” You don’t have to be pretty to be effective and today was always going to be more about us digging deep to get the three points on offer rather than putting in a top performance.

“The guys did well in that respect though we got a bit complacent in the second half ‘s early stages which brought a bit of unwanted pressure however we weathered the storm and came back strongly.

“Winning doesn’t guarantee our safety and all we can do is keep taking one game at a time …starting with Kilwinning Rangers on Wednesday night …and see where it gets us?”

The stark realization that their latest defeat has made Cambuslang’s battle to avoid the drop all the more difficult was apparent when management duo Paul McColl and Billy Campbell spoke.

Said the latter, “ Our disappointment comes from knowing the players didn’t turn up for long periods today and you cannot allow that to happen in our situation .

“Basically it was a case of too little too late and we’ve left ourselves needing to win just about every one of our remaining fixtures which is a tall order to say the least.

”Showing a willingness to battle right to the end is all very well but we simply have to do better .

An equally dejected McColl insisted ,”We were poor and the best team won so there’s no complaints on that score though the sending off was definitely the turning point in the game and it killed us because up until then it was anyone’s game.

“ The Referee is not the reason we lost the game but his interpretation hasn’t helped us because while Alan’s second booking is a definite ,his first was not and a word in his ear should have sufficed.”

Asked why he had fallen foul of the match officials brought the Lang gaffer to reveal “ The linesman has signaled the Referee over and said `he has asked me to move away from the touchline and I wouldn’t do it” so I get a yellow card despite the fact I’m standing in my marked out technical area and cannot go anywhere else???

WEE GERS BOSS PAUL RECKONS SURVIVAL IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE

Elsewhere in the relegation stakes , Rob Roy slid further into the mire following a 1-0 reverse at home to Irvine Meadow whose first half penalty kick conversion by Callum Graham was the only goal of the game and Arthurlie’s recent climb away from the basement was brought to a shuddering halt by a 7-1 trouncing from league leaders Beith for whom hitmen pair Josh Fowler and Andy Monk bagged scoring braces to go along with counters from Paul Frize, Connor McGlinchey and an own goal.

And Hurlford United eased their drop fears considerably through a 2-1 win away to Glenafton which saw Lewis Morrison (, back at his former club on loan from Darvel) net both United’s goals before Michael Moffat made the scoreline more respectablefor the home team.

Beith’s nearest title challengers Darvel had a Craig Moore scoring double to thank for a 2-0 triumph over Largs Thistle while Pollok remain in third top spot virtue of a high scoring 5-3 Newlandsfield victory over Troon.

Scott Rumsby, Daz Christie, Adam Forde ,Stephen Docherty and Stuart McCann were Pollok’s scorers while Ben Black, Josh Black and Stevie Wilson (pen) responded for the Ayrshiremen.

Showing signs of being back to his scoring best is Cumnock hitman Jordan Moore after he weighed in with a double to go along with an own goal as the Nock ran out 3-2 winners over Clydebank for whom Josh Weir and Lee Gallagher were on target.

All change again atop the First Division stakes , where draws for St Cadocs( against Blantyre Vics) and Kilbirnie Ladeside (Whitletts Vics) allowed Benburb to take over top spot for the first time this season with a 3-1 victory over Thorniewood United .

Shock of the day in the South Challenge Cup quarter finals was Gartcairn’s 4-1 elimination of higher league Kilwinning Rangers through doubles notched by Danny Burns and Con Smith while Auchinleck Talbot were another top flight faller in losing 2-1 away to Caledonian Braves.

Cup favourites Spartans are through to the last four after beating Stirling University 4-2 while also keeping the West flag flying are Drumchapel United on the back of a 4-1 defeat of Sauchie .

WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M.Buildbase Premier Division. Petershill 4 Cambuslang Rangers 2, Rob Roy 0 Irvine Meadow 1, Pollok 5 Troon 3, Largs Thistle 0 Darvel 2, Beith 7 Arthurlie 1, Cumnock 3 Clydebank 2, Glenafton 1 Hurlford Utd 2. PDM Buildbase First Division. Blantyre Vics 0 St Cadocs 0, Rutherglen Glencairn 1 Johnstone Burgh 0, Benburb 3 Thorniewood Utd 1, St Rochs 2 Shotts Bon Accord 1, Bonnyton Thistle 2 Rossvale 1, Kilbirnie Ladeside 1Whitletts Vics 1.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Ashfield 4 Greenock 0, Maybole 1 Wishaw 0,Craigmark 0 Renfrew 2, Muirkirk 1 Ardeer Thistle 0, Glasgow Utd 0 Maryhill 4, Glasgow Perthshire 3 St Anthonys 2.Yoker Athletic 2 Forth Wanderers 2, GlasgowUniversity 2 Kilsyth Rangers 3. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Lugar Boswell 2 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 4, Royal Albert 2 Carluke Rovers 0, Finnart 1 Vale of Clyde 3, Lesmahagow 5 Dalry Thistle 2, Kello Rovers 0 Larkhall Thistle 1,Girvan 2 Vale of Leven 1, Irvine Vics 2 Port Glasgow 1, Saltcoats Vics 0 Newmains Utd 1.PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Harmony Row 2 Easterhouse 4, Campbeltown Pupils 1 Glenvale 0, BSC Glasgow 1 Eglinton 2, Threave Rovers 2 Thorn Athletic 0. South Challenge Cup.Quarter Finals. Kilwinning Rangers 1 Gartcairn 4, Sauchie 1 Drumchapel Utd 4, Caledonian Braves 2 Auchinleck Talbot 1, Spartans 4 Stirling University 2.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell