Hard earned three points

Kilsyth Rangers.................. 1

Stagecoach West Region Super League, First Division

A HARD-EARNED three points at Glencairn on Saturday.

The home side will feel that they really ought to have taken something from the match, but Rangers held out with a battling second-half performance to deny them a share.

It was a beautiful spring-like day as the teams came out at the Clyde Gateway stadium. Exchanges were pretty even until after just ten minutes Steven McPeake gathered the ball just inside the Glens penalty area and put a well placed low shot past keeper Bell.

Glencairn responded with a flurry of attacks and from a free-kick award they had a strike just clear the bar. A high ball in was fumbled by Duke but it went past for a corner and was eventually cleared. A 30-yard free-kick taken by Paul Doyle tested Bell, but he held the ball well.

Dolan and Kelly were making some good runs into the heart of the Glens’ defence, but not too many shots were getting through.

Duke was dealing well with what came his way at the other end and the half-time whistle came with Rangers just about deserving of their slender lead by virtue of having taken the one good chance that had come their way.

Glencairn came out for the second half clearly looking to get back on level terms and had Rangers pinned back for the opening ten minutes or so,

The storm passed though and Rangers gradually came back into contention, although seldom troubling Bell. Glencairn were still dominant though and forced a series of corners. McLaren cleared one attempt from the goal-line, but other than that there were not too many direct shots going in.

Changes were made with Felvus coming on for Dolan and a little later Martin replaced Barclay. As the game progressed Glencairn were getting increasingly desperate and engaging in some tough tactics, although the referee was quite indulgent until he finally gave Ward a long overdue booking, after which he was soon substituted.

As the game went into its last few minutes Glencairn were throwing everything forward in a last attempt to take at least a point and they almost did in added time when the ball hit Dukes’ crossbar to go over.

This win lifts Rangers into a more comfortable place in the table but a few more wins are needed in the run-in to ensure a continued place in the Super League.

KILSYTH RANGERS: Duke, Waters, McLaren, Doyle, Reid, McColligan, Dolan, McPeake, Barclay, Desmond, Kelly. Subs: Felvus, Martin, Mansare, Lightbody, Smith.

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN: Bell, Galloway, Eadie, Aitchison, Ward, Welsh, Ballantyne, Downs, McLaughlin, Agnew, McAlpine. Subs: McGuire, McCarry, Burke, Donaghy, Colquhoun.