JAY SEALED POLLOK’S WIN
How appropriate that Junior gaffer Stewart Maxwell has a `Nelson` to call on as he attempts a turnaround of the big ship that is Pollok F.C.
Maxi has not had his problems to seek since taking up the Newlandsfield helm close on five months ago seeing as the Glasgow giants had already been knocked out of all the Cup competitions and were considered no better than also-rans in the Premier Division title.
And not all has gone according to plan either as lapses against Arthurlie, Hurlford United, Beith, Auchinleck Talbot and Troon assuredly testify however Saturday’s clocking up of a third win on the spin, a 2-0 victory over the Barrhead outfit, could be taken as a sign of him getting the Southsiders back on course.
Again though, he will not have been best pleased by his playing charges not religiously adhering to their script, particularly during an opening 45 minutes when Arthurlie ,after surviving a 5th minute scare through Lok stopper Scott Rumsby making a hash of a back post headed opportunity, created the better scoring chances and could and most probably should have been a goal or two to the good.
There’s no denying Pollok were on top territorially however the visitors were content to sit deep and hit on the break through Jordan Shelvey and Dale Simeon whose willingness to make runs into space proved problematic for the Lok backline and also provoked a rush of blood to the head of goalkeeper Jordan Longmuir with 16 minutes on the clock.
No danger was apparent as Simeon chased after a half hit Jordan Leyden shot that was seemingly about to go out of play when Longmuir crazily advanced six yards along his bye line to career into the diminutive front man and cause whistler Alastair Grieve to point unerringly to the spot.
Lok midfielder from last season, Ryan McGregor, assumed the spot kick responsibility, and maybe he shouldn’t have ,because either from memory or by good fortune, Longmuir duly made amends for his gaffe by correctly diving down to his left to make a superb stop, much to the delight of the cheering home supporters in the 900 strong crowd.
McGregor’s own atoning lifeline opportunity arrived minutes later when a terrific Conor Bradley cross found him all alone eight yards at best from goal only for the experienced ace to screw his diving header attempt wide of target when it looked easier to score .
Hard working team mate Andy McLaughlin then sclaffed a shot wide from a good position before the half ended as it started with a clear cut scoring chance for a Pollok central defender (Davie Brownlie this time ) saved by the legs of Lie goalkeeper James Scott.
A lot of stoppages ensuing as the second period got underway saw the game deteriorate into a scrappy affair however Darren Christie had home fans roaring in anticipation when his well struck shot through a crowded penalty box was scrambled away at the second attempt by Scott with several Pollok players loudly claiming the ball was over the line.
The 65th minute mark brought the game’s turning point when visiting defender Michael McNeil , recipient of the game’s first yellow card in 23 minutes , felled Christie with a crunching tackle and received a second yellow followed by an obligatory red to leave Arthurlie down to ten men.
Their depleted ranks, with McGregor pulled back to reinforce central defence , were only able to hold out for a matter of minutes before a penalty kick was conceded by Christie being sent crashing inside the box by a rash sliding challenge from McLaughlin.
Shaun Fraser belted the ball home to put Pollok 1-0 up but their advantage came under threat as Arthurlie interim boss Gary Carroll went for broke by bringing himself off the bench and throwing bodies forward , most notably McGregor as a make shift striker .
Pollok’s response was to introduce the fresh legs of Robbie Buchanan and former Cambuslang Rangers striker Jay Nelson and this resulted in wave after wave of attacks on Scott’s goal bringing about several near things however a match clinching second goal did not arrive until the 97th minute when Nelson cleverly fed the ball into the path of Stephen Docherty before running forward to get on the end of his fellow substitute’s return pass and guide the ball home from close range .
Asked if he thought it was a game of two halves brought Maxi to reflect afterwards,
“ Possibly ? But we actually started away well only to be far from potent enough in the final third and this indecision on our part allowed Arthurlie to come out of their shell but as everyone knows, games are not won or lost in 45 minutes .
“A bit of hairdryer treatment at half time on the standards needed saw the guys raise their game and I thought we were so much on top throughout the second half that the one way traffic forced Arthurlie’s players into a lot of desperate challenges which brought them to lose a man and earn our stonewaller of a penalty kick.
He added, “Jay is only just in the door and is still learning the ropes about what it takes to play for this club but bagging another goal today shows he’s getting there.”
TOO MANY YELLOW CARDS FOR GARY’S LIKING
Over-fussy Referee Grieve’s performance was clearly not to the liking of Arthurlie stand-in boss Carroll in his summations.
“Four first half yellow cards for guys making their first fouls , none of which are bad challenges has killed us” he reasoned.
“Yes, Michael shouldn’t have dived in when the Pollok player is going nowhere and I cannot help but think red carding him is harsh because he really shouldn’t have been booked in the first place .
“We did exactly what we set out to do in staying compact and fighting our corner to make things difficult for Pollok for long spells and I felt we were looking the more likely of the two teams but to go a man down and concede a penalty kick within minutes has done for us.
“In many ways , today was the same as last Wednesday night against Kilwinning Rangers when we were by far the better team first half but paid a price for failing to take the scoring chances created because let’s face it , on another day Ryan would have scored the spot kick as well his diving header chance.
“Our luck will change if we stay together as a group and keep working hard of that I’m sure.”
Yet another contest to burst into life in the second half was the East Ayrshire derby between those arch foes Cumnock and Auchinleck Talbot where nobody could have foreseen the drama about to unfold when the interval was reached with a 0-0 scoreline .
Six minutes into the restart saw Talbot 2-0 to the good through an opportunist close range counter from hitman Kier Samson followed by a stunning left foot drive by Bryan Boylan however midfield battler Findlay Frye reducing the home side’s leeway with a 56th minute score sparked a resilient comeback which appeared to have been satisfactorily concluded when Nock front man Brendan Sharpe rose to head home at a corner kick with Bot loan keeper Marc Fisher looking at fault.
Heading into added on injury time, Talbot substitute Aaron Mason fired home after a Neil McPherson header dropped invitingly into his path and the youngster produced an even later strike when racing clear from the halfway line in the 96th minute to slot the ball home and clinch a 4-2 triumph.
DOUBLE JOY FOR AARON
Elsewhere, Largs Thistle, not so long ago reckoned to be a possible relegation candidate took the opportunity to move fifth top of the standings with a 3-1 victory (their 4th in 5 games) over Irvine Meadow .
A brace of goals from David Ramsay had Theesel leading at the halfway stage but a Connor O’Donnell own goal duly allowed the visitors a glimmer of hope until Scott Lewis added a third goal for Largs.
And there was disappointment also for Petershill whose recent climb away from the basement suffered a setback through a 2-0 defeat at home to Troon for whom Ben Black and Dean Fulton netted in either half .
In the First Division stakes, leading lights Kilbirnie Ladeside bounced back to form with a 4-0 hammering of Rutherglen Glencairn with goals from James Marks, Owen McGinty (2) and Chris Dallas while St Cadocs only managing a 1-1 draw away to Johnstone Burgh opened the door for Benburb to assume second top spot after Paul Lovering’s side recovered from falling 1-0 behind to a Dale Fulton strike for Cumbernauld United to score three times in the closing twenty minutes at New Tinto Park through Jordan Bow, Declam McDonald and Ryan McCrone (pen).
Renfrew extended their lead atop the Second Division to six points despite having to settle for a 1-1 share of the spoils away to Yoker Athletic but menacingly up into 4th place (all of 8 points adrift but with 4 games in hand ) are Maybole for whom Robert Patterson(pen) and Paul Cameron were on the mark in a 2-0 victory over Forth Wanderers .
Meanwhile ,Third Division leading pair Ardrossan Winton Rovers and Lanark United locked horns down in Ayrshire in a fixture switched at the eleventh hour from an unplayable Moor Park and the Yowes must have wished they hadn’t bothered after taking a 4-0 beating thanks to goals from Aidan Ferris (2) , Liam McGuinness(pen) and Chrissy Craig which enabled the Winton to claim top spot ,a point ahead of their rivals.
A dent too for long time Fourth Division frontrunners Kilsyth Athletic’s title hopes after challengers West Park United (5 points behind from 3 games fewer played) ran out 4-0 winners at Huntershill in what was the visitors’ only league defeat of the season to date .
WEEKEND RESULTS: P.D.M Buildbase Premier Division. Largs Thistle 3 Irvine Meadow 1,Pollok 2 Arthurlie 0, Petershill 0 Troon 2, Cumnock 2 Auchinleck Talbot 4.PDM Buildbase First Division. Benburb 3 Cumbernauld Utd 1, Kilbirnie Ladeside 4 Rutherglen Glencairn 0, Johnstone Burgh 1 St Cadocs 1, Whitletts Vics 3 Rossvale 1.PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole 2 Forth Wanderers 0, Yoker Athletic 1 Renfrew 1.PDM Buildbase Third Division. Ardrossan Winton Rovers 4 Lanark Utd 0, Carluke Rovers 4 Larkhall Thistle 2, Dalry Thistle 3 Kello Rovers 0, Lesmahagow 0 Lugar Boswell 3. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. West Park Utd 4 Kilsyth Athletic 0, Thorn Athletic 3 Rossvale Academy 4, Eglinton 4 Campbeltown Pupils 0. Indigo Comms West of Scotland League Cup.3rd Round.Hurlford Utd 3 Drumchapel Utd 3 (Drumchapel win 3-0 pens), Ashfield 1 St Rochs1(St Rochs win 4-3 pens).
Regards
Jim O’Donnell
About Author
More Stories
ARTHURLIE LEFT IT OH SO LATE
ONLY PERFECTION WILL DO FOR PAUL
BILLY CAN TELL A TALL TALE