First league loss of season for Carluke Rovers at Lanark United

Ronan Kearney shoots home Lanark United's opener against Carluke Rovers (Pic by Sarah Peters)

And it was the Yowes who collected all three points in a 2-1 victory after a tempestuous encounter.

United included new goalkeeper Allan Colquhoun, signed from Linlithgow Thistle, and included three trialists in their starting line-up.

And they took the lead on eight minutes when Stuart Annetts drilled a great pass up the left wing to Ronan Kearney, who cut inside and left keeper Brian Lawrie helpless with a well placed shot into the far corner.

Five minutes later United were unlucky when a shot by Scott Schoneville was deflected onto the post.

Lanark kept up the pressure and Lawrie was forced into saves from Schoneville and Annetts before a Shaun Gallagher shot hit the Carluke crossbar.

Carluke finally got in on the act and keeper Colquhoun held a good shot from Ian Watt.

The visitors had more of the ball in the second half but found it difficult to get anything on target.

Watt came close with a shot which flew across goal but went inches wide of the post.

Lanark were awarded a free-kick on the right side of the penalty area on 83 minutes and Kearney delivered a wonderful shot which beat the defensive wall and landed in the back of the net at the back post.

Keeper Lawrie then prevented a third Lanark goal when he saved a point-blank shot from Kyle Gillespie who was clean through with only the keeper to beat.

Carluke kept trying and were finally rewarded with a goal deep into injury time when Watt waltzed through the United defence to score with a low shot into the corner.

This ended the scoring as United gratefully collected the points.

Rovers match reporter Craig Martin admitted that Lanark had deserved their win.

“I think that Lanark wanted it a bit more than us,” Craig said. “They were the younger team as well.

“They were hitting us on the break which caused us trouble throughout the game.

“We are still well on course for promotion but that was a winnable game which is the annoying thing.

“We haven’t been playing well in the first halves of games and one of the coaches said a result like that had been coming.”