GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1 ASHFIELD 4
Scorer: Savage
Glens gave a place in the starting eleven to new signing striker Steven Samson. The glorious New Cumnock sunshine ensured Loch Park was frost free but the Glens were frozen to the spot when a quickly taken free-kick found an unmarked Paul Maxwell who was left the simplest of tasks to slot the opener home with less than 4 minutes on the clock. The home side rallied and a Savage run into the box ended with Chris Prior making a fine block at his near post. The visitors always looked dangerous on the break exploiting space in the Glens midfield but too often they failed to punish the home side or were thwarted by some fine saves from Ally Semple. The Glens had a strong shout for handball in the Ashfield box then Prior denied Joe Savage again before the striker drew the sides level on 24 minutes. A Davie Clapperton cross was headed back across by Jordan Mullen and Savage bulleted home the header from 4 yards out. The Saracen Park side spoiled another excellent break allowing the Glens defence to regroup and the half ended even. HT Glens 1 Ashfield 1
The Glens were caught napping after a minute of the restart and a well placed cross from the right wing was smashed into the goal by Maxwell. Another forlorn home shout for a hand-ball in the box went unheeded by the referee but in truth it was the visitors that looked more likely to add to their tally. Semple prevent them from doing so on 65 minutes with a fantastic save but was helpless 10 minutes later when Maxwell brought the house down with a ferocious strike to completed his hat-trick. With 5 minutes remaining Craig Smith completed the rout with a thundering shot into the top corner. The home side went in search of a consolation but Prior pulled off two excellent saves to dispel any chance of the late comeback that the Glens had enjoyed at Saracen Park earlier in the season.FT Glens1 Ashfield 4
Glenafton: Semple; Connolly, Moffat, Mullen, McKillen; Clapperton, MacDonald, Ramsay, Eeles; Savage, Samson
DALRY THISTLE 1 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2
(@ Loch Park)Scorer: Trialist (Samson 2)
With Merksworth Park unplayable this league match was switched to Loch Park at Dalry's request. Like the 'corresponding' fixture at the end of September it was the Glens that claimed all three points thanks to a late late strike and an excellent display of goalkeeping from Ally Semple. However, Ally would be first to acknowledge the match winning performance of super sub striker Steven Samson who came off the bench with 30 minutes to go and bagged a brace to overhaul Dalry's lead.
The Glens had started brightly and within 5 minutes a Chic Connolly free kick brought out an excellent save from Thistle's goalie. On 13 minutes Joe Savage carved his way to the six yard box and squared for Jamie MacDonald but some excellent defending prevented him from pulling the trigger. Savage created a few more half chances and on 37 minutes Connolly came close with a free-kick which was tipped over the bar. Dalry then survived a barrage of balls in a 30 second spell as the Glens shots rebounded off defender after defender. With a minute of the half remaining Dalry delivered the sucker-punch when a corner kick from the left was won at the near post and the loose ball prodded home. HT Dalry 1 Glens 0
Thistle came close to doubling their lead within a few minutes of the re-start but a free header from six yards out sailed over the bar. On the hour mark Steven Samson replaced Danny Kerr and five minutes later the tall striker showed great composure to pick up a peach of a through ball from Simon Eeles, shrug off the attention of the centre half and slot the ball home beyond the advancing keeper. The Glens went all out for the winner but had Semple to thank on 75 minutes for a fine save from a shot from six yards out. With 3 minutes to go a Glens free-kick on the right wing of the half-way line was lofted high into the box and found Samson on the penalty spot who swivelled and slammed the ball into the corner of the net. In the dying seconds Semple at full stretch denied Dalry a share of the points with a stunning save, as good as the penalty save that dashed Dalry's hopes on their last visit to Loch Park. FT Dalry 1 Glens 2
GLENAFTON: Semple; Connolly, Moffat, Mullen, McKillen (Merrilees); Miller, MacDonald, Ramsay (Clapperton), Eeles; Trialist (Trialist), Savage
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0 RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN 1
New signing Richard McKillen made his Glens debut at left-back and both Chic Connolly and Joe Savage returned to the starting eleven. It was end-to-end fayre in the clash of the Glens at Loch Park with both sides creating a feastful of chances albeit many of them of the half-chance variety. Keeper Ally Semple came out on top on a "one-on-one" with Paul McLaughlin and then Richie Burke headed wide. Steven Shankland and Joe Savage countered for the home side but both their efforts went over the bar. As the game see-sawed Semple foiled Stephen McKeane with another excellent save while his counter-part Steven McNeil tipped a goal bound Jordan Mullen effort over the bar and then denied the incoming Shankland with a fine block.
HT Glens 0 'Cairn 0Two minutes into the second half and the visitors took the lead with a freak goal. Richie Burke's cross from the left came off the bar, struck a defender and landed in the net. The Glens almost equalised but Chris Merrilees’ header came off the post. In the 60th min Mullen was shown a red card, apparently for obstruction on the half way line (- the referee failed to record the offence and Mullen was free to play the following week). The home side continued to take the game to the visitors and McNeil again pulled off a brilliant save from a goal bound effort from man of the match Savage. However, try as they might Glens could not find an equaliser FT.
Glens 0 'Cairn 1Gleaafton Athletic
: Semple; Moffat Merrilees, Mullen, McKillen; Miller (Quitongo), Connolly, Ramsay (Clapperton), Eeles; Shankland (Scoular), SavageRutherglen Glencairn: McNeil, Hadden, Fraser, Prunty, Barr (McShane), Gentile, McArdle (McGladrigan), Dickson, McLaughlin (McDougall), O'Keane, Burke.
WHITLETTS VICTORIA 1 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0
The Glens failed to find the back of the net for the first time in this league campaign and indeed the Whitletts keeper hadn't a save to make throughout the match. The home side went one better in terms of shots on target with a sweetly struck free kick just before the hour mark giving keeper Ally Semple no chance - other than that he too had a relatively quiet day. The award of the free-kick seemed harsh on centre-half Jordan Mullen who appeared to have won the ball cleanly from Vics’Elliot Duffy but the assistant referee , not for the first time intervened and flagged the offence.
Both sides competed well enough in tough conditions but other than the goal both only managed to serve up a few headers from set pieces that barely tested the respective keepers.
Glenafton: Semple, Moffat (Ramsay), Merrilees, Mullen, Wilson; Quitongo (trialist), Clapperton, McDonald, Eeles; Miller, Shankland
Footnote: Jamie MacDonald received a red-card after the match for comments made to the assistant referee.
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 3 NEILSTON JUNIORS 2
Scorers: Miller, Clapperton, Eeles
New signing Steven Shankland went straight into the starting eleven in place of Michael and partnered Brian Miller up front. Ryan Wilson returned to the left back slot with Aaron Scoular taking his place on the bench. The Glens opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Brian Miller made the most of a defensive mix up between keeper Mark Quinn and his centre half at the edge of the box and the rolled the ball into the gaping goal. Some eight minutes later defender Gordon Moffat then played consecutive one-two's with Miller and David Clapperton before bursting into the box bust a last ditch tackled by Joe Bryers prevented the home side from doubling their lead. Simon Eeles then flashed a ball across the goalmouth with the goalie rooted but neither of the three Afton lads running in could get a toe on it. Neilston fought back and on 30 minutes keeper Ally Semple made a point blank save to preserve the now precarious looking lead.which disappeared eighty minutes later when David Armour slotted home the equaliser from a lethal breakaway move. HT Glens 1 Neilston 1. The Farmers Boys were in the driving seat for a spell after the break and Semple came to the Glens' rescue again. The home side rallied and David Clapperton rifled home an Eeles cut back from a corner kick. Minutes later a brilliant passing moved from back to from ended with Simon Eeles cutting in from the wing and giving Quinn no chance as he double the hone side's lead. A goal by the visitor's Ian Milne ensured a nervy ending to the match but the Glens held on to secure all of the three precious points. FT Glens 3 Neilston 2
Glenafton: Semple; Moffat, Merrilees, Mullen, Wilson Eeles, Middleton, Clappperton, Quitongo; Shankland, Miller
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