Lanark United beat an Ashfield side who had won their previous five league games

In an exciting, all-action game United came out on top of their Glasgow rivals with a single goal win.

The only strike came on 15 minutes when a free-kick was played out right to Shaun Gallagher whose low header into the box was driven into the net by Stuart Annetts.

The visitors’ Ciaran Friel came close with a shot on 20 minutes which went just wide of the post before United’s Ronan Kearney made a good run on the left but saw his well hit shot saved low by keeper James Catterson.

United’s Cammy Lawson came close with a free-kick on 41 minutes which went just wide before the referee blew for half-time.

United’s Danny McHugh came close on 50 minutes when his low shot from the right went just wide of the back post.

Ashfield sub Billy Stevenson should have done better when he broke clear on 55 minutes but sent his shot wide of the post.

Ashfield kept up the pressure but could not break down the well organised United defence with the home ‘keeper making a few timely saves to bring the winning run of the Glasgow team to an end.

Lanark United manager Paul Burns (pictured) was understandably delighted with the result and performance from a United team which included new signing Shaun McTaggart up front.

“It was a good overall team performance,” he said.

“McTaggart is a 100 per cent kind of guy. You know exactly what you’re going to get from him.

“We should take a massive lift from the result, considering where Ashfield are and the run they have been on.

“If my players can’t take a lift from that, then they’ll be struggling for the rest of the campaign.”

Lanark face an intriguing derby at Carluke Rovers this Saturday, with Rovers under new management again following the resignation of Cameron McNeish.

“A new manager might bring his own players in so it might keep us in the dark a bit,” Burns added.

“We are still looking at promotion this season.

“It would take a lot of other teams to drop a lot of points but we are capable of going on a good run.

“If we win on Saturday, we go above Carluke.”