Glens Progress In Paper Cup

On a roasting Monday evening I popped along to New Southcroft Park for my first time. A new ground that only had it's very first game at the beginning of this season when senior opposition in the shape of Clyde came to visit for the grand opening. It's a perfect modern ground for a club of it's size with crowds of only a few hundred to be expected, it consists of a covered enclosure at two sides of stepped terracing. Everything is new and shiny, even the graffiti is fresh!

The match was the preliminary round of the Evening Times Cup, with Rutherglen Glencairn playing hosts to Beith. The Glens have marked their ground opening season with promotion and the Central Distract Division One title, whilst Beith won the West of Scotland Cup just over a week ago. So, superb weather and two successful teams, potential for a good match, or perhaps more likely; I'll just get burnt and look like a lobster by tomorrow.

I only recognised two players from previous junior games that I had been to, which are mainly just Pollok games, Glens ginger frontman Paul McDougall and Brian McKeown, a versatile player for Beith. It's hard to forget McDougall, he enjoys the crowds banter and plays along, giving as good as he gets. Great entertainment if he's playing for your team and the target of the colourful language from the opposition fans. He blew them a few kisses when subbed late on, all 'friendly' banter. McKeown, or Sniffer as he's known, is a player that I really like, he was a Pollok player last season, and even won their player of the year. A small, defensive player that's quick thinking and more than comfortable when on the ball. My uncle informed that the nickname was because he suffers badly from hay-fever and therefore sniffs a lot, hence 'Sniffer', being the gullible sod that I am I'm still undecided whether to believe him or not.

As for the game itself, I found it quite enjoyable if lacking in quality and entertainment. Of course with this being a junior game there was the staple sending off, or am I stereotyping? The majority of sending off's that I've see at junior level isn't because of the rough style reputation that the junior game seems to have but more to do with the inexperienced referees making hasty decisions. I'm pretty sure the lad received two bookings, one for a bit of verbals and the other for a mistimed tackle, a bit harsh in my view.

Harsh or not it meant Beith had ten men for the last thirty minutes or so. Up until then the match had very few chances despite a comical own-goal in the opening exchanges of the match when a Beith defender headed over the out-coming 'keeper. A man down and a goal down, then two down after a superb wee move. After a bit of twisting and turning in the box before the ball was played to McDougall to cross back-post with the outside of his foot for Andy Murray's long lost twin brother to nod home. I'd heard he was fairly decent at football so it could've been him, but it wasn't, it was Richie Burke.

Beith then had a spirited fight back, crashing a shot off the underside of the bar and then finally getting a deserved goal with about ten minutes to go to set-up a nervy finale. The Glens had to clear the ball off the line in added time, it looked like it was done so by a hand but with the lack of serious protests and my glasses this evening I'll put it down to my eyes playing tricks on me as I hoped for a dramatic penalty shoot-out to decide the tie, not to be though. The Glens progress to the quarter-final and now face an away tie to Blantyre Victoria at the weekend.

Full Time – Rutherglen Glencairn 2-1 Beith

Below are links to YouTube video highlights from this game, credit to lokpars and vitomac19.

1-0 goal
2-0 goal
Beith hit bar
2-1 goal

Goal highlights

My next match will be Auchinleck Talbot v Pollok at Beechwood Park. Pollok travel to the newly crowned Junior Cup winners and need a victory to win the league, if they fail to do so Irvine Meadow will become the champions of the west.