GARTCAIRN GET OVER THE LINE…

LEAGUE WAS WON OVER THE SEASON SAYS MICHAEL

Michael Dunlop has enjoyed many outstanding moments during a memorable football career.

And I’m pretty sure that when he gets time to sit down for a period of quiet reflection, Saturday will go down as one of them …even though that was not his immediate reaction in the aftermath of his Gartcairn side being crowned WoSFL First Division champions thanks to a battling 1-1 draw with Benburb in their final league game of the season.

“One of my most stressful 90 minutes ever” was how the Gartcairn team boss summed up his thoughts after his playing charges put him through the veritable wringer by serving up one of their most lacklustre performances of a 30 match campaign stretching back over the past ten months.

And his somewhat fraught reaction could be deemed perfectly understandable given the state of play that had come to exist with little more than five minutes left to play in the New Tinto Park contest .

At that very moment in time, Gartcairn were losing 1-0 in a game they had gone into boasting a three points lead as well as a better by six goals differential over nearest challengers St Cadocs whose valiant efforts to close the previously thought insurmountable gap had them leading 6-1 away to Ayrshire based Bonnyton Thistle according to a multitude of mobile phone users on the terracings.

WoSFL Chairman Matt Bamford’s was also to be seen on the Govan slopes, clearly in anticipation of a First Division trophy presentation taking place, but he was now landed in a` should I stick or should I go` state of flux because as things stood prior to the game’s 85^th minute, Gartcairn and St Cadocs were locked on 63 points with the same +34 goals differential and from the identical stats of 64 scored and 34 conceded.

But before any telephone call was made to have a “Helicopter” standing by, a calamitous mix up in the Bens defence allowed visiting front man Reegan Aitken a tap in opportunity to level the scores and this deadlock stayed the same until the final whistle, no doubt much to the relief of WoSFL Treasurer Neil Robertson?

Broadly smiling Gartcairn gaffer Dunlop celebrated out on the pitch with his joyful troops but made no attempts to gloss over their disjointed display.

“To be fair I thought we were fortunate out there and Benburb were by far the better side.” he admitted.

“It might be down to nerves as the guys just never played as they can but that said, league titles are won over a season and not a 90 minutes so today was just about getting over the line in what was an extremely difficult last game coming on the back of us playing seven midweeks in a row.

“We had tired legs out there but yet again the players did the job asked of them so I cannot praise them highly enough.”

Experienced campaigner Kevin Nicoll (holiday) was a notable absentee from the visiting line up which maybe explains their tentative start against a fired up Benburb who made most of the early running even though the first goal attempt of any note was from a 16^th minute volleyed shot by Gartcairn midfielder Ben Johnstone saved by Bens No 1 Callum Law.

Gartcairn’s former Pollok pair Gerry McLauchlan and Ross Dunlop were putting in a shift to keep the visiting goal intact however their defences were breached shortly after the half hour mark when lively Bens forward Aaron Black picked up a loose clearance just outside the penalty area and fired home a low shot that beat Cairn keeper Charlie Cowie all ends up.

The home team continued on top territorially but didn’t create any clear cut scoring opportunities before half time but the same cannot be said for when the second half got underway and Cowie superbly turned a Black free kick round his post prior to somehow keeping out a point blank Paul Coyle header from the resulting corner kick.

Black again came close with a shot just wide of target after wonderful lead up play from Bens midfielder Ally Taylor and the striker’s hunger for the fray was underlined yet again when he unleashed a netbound angular drive that Cowie parried away at full stretch .

Little was being seen of Gartcairn as an attacking force and more than a few of their supporters had resorted to reading the calculator apps as word leaked through of St Cadocs going from 3-1 up early in the second half to leads of 4-1, 5-1 and then 6-1.

But 85^th salvation arrived when Bens centreback Coyle and goalkeeper Law got themselves into a ` leaving it for each other ` fankle when a fairly innocuous ball was played in from out left which duly landed at the feet of totally unmarked Gartcairn hitman Aitken and he gleefully touched it home before wheeling away to be engulfed by celebrating team mates.

The 1-1 scoreline was not to Benburb manager Paul Lovering’s liking but he refused to criticize his players .

“We were the better team by a country mile and so much in control that a draw feels like a defeat if truth be told.

“But if you don’t fully concentrate agiant good teams then you can expect to end up punished and hopefully that’s a lesson we will take on board for when we’re back in with the big boys again next season.

“The players have been magnificent this season and deserve the chance to celebrate their promotion without any harsh words from myself so we’ll leave things at that!”

REEGAN (centre) HAS NEVER SCORED A MORE IMPORTANT GOAL

Managing to make Gartcairn’s winning margin so infinitely slimmer would have been of scant consolation for a St Cadocs side that got away to a dream start at the Synergy Stadium through a brace of Grant Anderson goals earning them a 2-0 lead duly halved by a Ben Carson response for their Ayrshire hosts .in the run-up to half time.

Richie McKillen added a third goal for the Newton Mearns outfit shortly into the second period before a hat trick of goals from Smart Osadolar ensured a `so near but so far` conclusion to their title bid.

In other games, Darren Jones netted the only goal of the game as Neiston triumphed over Shotts Bon Accord while Scottish Junior Cup finalists Rutherglen Glencairn gave themselves a much needed confidence boost ahead of next Fridat night’s tilt against Cumnock in running out 6-0 winners over Kilbirnie Ladeside with doubles from Ross Smith, Matthew Gear and Ryan McManus..

Already relegated pair Cumbernauld United and Rossvale met at Guys Meadow where United were 1-0 to the good at the halfways stage through Dale Fulton but came away with nothing to show for their efforts after Fraser Malcolm bagged a second half brace for the visiting Vale.

Blantyre Vics top marksman Scott Jarvie was another to help himself to a couple of goals but he could not prevent the Vics losing 3-2 at home to Johnstone Burgh for whom Kieron Brophy, Noah Young and Mark Donaldson were on target .

TWO GOALS FOR KEARON IN CANDY COMEBACK

And a remarkable comeback ensued at Robertson Park where goals from Dan Kindlan (2) and Ally Small had Thorniewood United 3-0 ahead and seemingly coasting to victory against St Rochs only for scores in the first 15 second half minutes by Ross McDonald and Kearon Daw (2 pens) to level matters and set the scene for Daryn McGuire to net a winner for the Candy Rock.

WEEKEND RESULTS: PDM Buildbase First Division. Cumbernauld Utd 1 Rossvale 2, Benburb 1 Gartcairn 1, Bonnyton Thistle 1 St Cadocs 6,Thorniewood Utd 3 St Rochs 4, Blantyre Vics 2 Johnstone Burgh 3,Neilston 1 Shotts Bon Accord 0, Rutherglen Glencairn 6 Kilbirnie Ladeside 0.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Renfrew 4 Maybole 1, Glasgow University 2 Craigmark 5, Ashfield 6 Muirkirk 0, Greenock 2 Wishaw 3, Glasgow University 2 Yoker Athletic, Glasgow Perthshire 3 Glasgow Utd 1, Ardeer Thistle 2 Kilsyth Rangers 2, Forth Wanderers 2 Yoker Athletic 3, Maryhill 2 St Anthonys 2.PDM Buildbase Third Division. Saltcoats Vics 1 Carluke Rovers 4, Dalry Thistle 0 Lesmahagow 1, Lanark Utd 1 Finnart 4, Bellshill Athletic 2 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1, Larkhall Thistle 2 Kello Rovers 1, East Kilbride Thistle 0 Lugar Boswell 4, Vale of Clyde 6 Newmains Utd 0, Girvan 3 Royal Albert 1, Vale of Leven 2 Irvine Vics 3. South Challenge Cup Final .Spartans v Drumchapel Utd.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell