Carluke Rovers draw with Larkhall

The earliest chance in the match did however fall to the visitors when Carluke expected but did not get a free-kick and it took the joint efforts of Stevie Murray and Mark Haddow to clear the danger for Rovers.

Carluke did open the scoring with their first attack in the 4 th min when Craig Stark played an excellent ball for Ryan Smillie on the left and his low driven cross was only partially cleared by the Larky

defence into the path of Ian Watt who drilled the ball home for 1-0.

The home side almost doubled this lead in the 15th minute after a corner when Stark blocked an attempted clearance but the ball just slid past the post.

A minute later a good ball out from keeper Gordon Bruce saw Stark set Smillie free again but his fineeffort on goal came back off the bar into the path of Watt who blasted his shot high over.

Watt had another two half chances midway through the half but again these were not taken as Carluke held onto their slender lead.

Larkhall’s best chance of the half came in the 27th minute when a loose ball fell kindly for them but a timely challenge from Mark Weir blocked the effort.

As half-time approached Chick McCole burst though the Larky defence but he could not get total control of the ball and he lost possession.

The second half saw Larky draw level with a quick goal of their own after only 26 seconds when a throw in from the left found Innes and his low shot went in for 1-1.

This goal spurred the visitors on and Bruce in the Carluke goal had to bring off a good save in 51 minutes to keep the scores level.

Carluke were finding chances harder to come by but did create a couple in quick 64 minutes when Haddow saw his header go just over the bar from a Weir corner then in 68 mins McCole set up Watt with a good ball in from the left but after good control and a quick turn he saw his effort go just past the post.

Larky had a good spell as the match drew to a close with Bruce making a good save from a free kick then he brought off an excellent stop from a netbound low drive.

The last action saw Murray block another Larky effort at the expense of a corner.