SUPER LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY 0 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2

GLENAFTON claimed top spot after their first match of 2016.

The New Cumnock side were without Michael Wardrope who was recalled by Ayr United for their match at Albion Rovers, while new signing David Gray was on the bench.

Early Glens pressure paid off when they edged themselves in front after seven minutes when a neat turn and pass from Joe Andrew set up John Paul Boyle to give both centre backs the slip before forcing his way into the right hand corner of the box and drilling a low hard shot beyond the reach of keeper Jordan Brown and into the net.

Glens continued to press and Dan Orsi whipped another wicked ball across the face of goal from the right but Paul Finnigan marshalled the danger away as Boyle closed in.

On 17 minutes a powerful headed clearance by Chris Meikle, aided by a touch from Orsi, released Joe Andrew on the half-way line to run unimpeded toward goal. As Brown advanced to his six yard line the Glens striker all but stopped on the outskirts of the box to get his bearings to calmly loft the ball over the keeper’s head into the gaping net.

Glenafton suffered a blow ten minutes before the break after Dan Orsi landed badly on his right ankle and was stretchered off with suspected ligament damage to a warm round of applause from both sets of supporters with Darren McGill coming on in his place.

Glens nearly added a third straight after the break when JP Boyle gave chase to a through ball and although he saw off the challenge of David Barr to advance deep into the box the back-tracking defender did well to block the shot at goal at the expense of a corner-kick, which came to nothing.

An excellent run through the middle by Upton was ended by a trip by Ally Park and although the midfielder’s sweetly struck free kick curled past the Glens wall it also whizzed just wide of the post.

Although possession was evenly balanced there was a sense of urgency in the home side’s play that was missing in the first. Sawyers did well at the by-line to turn stopper Ryan McChesney before clipping the ball to the back post where Finnigan quickly picked out Luke Whelan and his pass gathered by Watt before turning and firing for goal only for McGarrity pull off a fine save.

Midway through the half the Glens goal lead a charmed life topped off with a class piece of defending. Gallacher’s ball into the box was controlled well by Watt who then side stepped the advancing McGarrity before curling his shot from a tight angle beyond Meikle at the near post only for the ball to crash off the underside of the bar and onto the line before cannoning off the inside of the far post. Bad luck over, McChesney then stood strong to take the ball off the toe of Sawyers to prevent the hit man scoring from a yard out. A few minutes later the big Glens defender had to leave the field through injury to be replaced by David Gray, on his Glens debut.

The home side enjoyed the best of the chances as the game drew a close but could not get the better of the Glens defence as they held on for a well earned win.

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC - McGarrity, Menzies, Cairns, Meikle, McChesney, Park, Orsi, Hay, Andrew, Boyle, McGuffie.

Subs; McCann, McGill, Gray, Potter, Buchanan.