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| Benburb 1 (Gary Graham) Arthurlie 1 (Brian Smith) Sectional League Cup Tuesday 6th August 2002 Arthurlie had an impressive first half and should have had more than Brian Smith's 25 yard wonder goal to show for their efforts. Benburb hit the post also in the first half after a swerving corner was deflected goal wards by 'lies Colin Robertson. The second half saw the home side see more of the ball and they equalized when Gary Graham hit another 25 yard effort that left Steven O'Neil helpless in the Arthurlie goal.
Arthurlie O'Neil, Jack, Ryan (Brolly), Allison, Summers,
Robertson, Smith, Travers (Madden), Downs (Hobbs), Rae, McKenzie Arthurlie 3 (Travers 2 pens, Hobbs) Sectional League Cup Saturday 10th August 2002 This was another derby that had everything as Arthurlie came back twice from a goal down and after a tremendous second half performance won the game with only 5 minutes remaining.
Pollok felt hard done by and they responded in fine style five minutes later when a 25 yard free kick from Davie Watt was heading for the net but O'Neil palmed the ball away only to see Drew McWilliams first to the ball and he chipped it into the other corner. Brian Smith was replaced by Charlie Hobbs after only 25 minutes as Frank Lynch tried to combat the almost constant raids down Arthurlie's right side, this move meant Zander Ryan was pulled back into a more defensive role but despite steadying the ship, Arthurlie still had to rely on their last line of defence as Pollok continued to make chances and the big keeper kept Arthurlie in the game with a couple of fine saves. Stuart Allison was yellow carded for a wild tackle on Fabiani, a decision that didn't go down well with the large traveling support and it looked to me that the defender was lucky to stay on the park. Arthurlie had chances also and Gary Madden hit the bar when set up by McGarvey, the rebound fell to Zander Ryan and his first time shot smacked the post. Half time Arthurlie 1 Pollok 2 The second half saw the home side start to dominate the middle of the park as the ten men of Pollok started leaving more and more space and with this there came a number of chances. Wilson in the Pollok goal was having one of those games
and he pulled of a few fine saves as Arthurlie tried to draw level.
Frank Lynch made a change, brining on David Brolly for Gary Madden and
this coincided with Fabiani going off injured. Charlie Hobbs missed
a golden chance after being put clean through by Robert Downs, he somehow
got the ball trapped between his feet as he ran in on goal and the chance
was gone. There was more controversy when Arthurlie were awarded another
penalty for a trip on Brolly, as the ball spilled out more players got
involved and it was difficult to see exactly what the ref had blown
for and in the confusion the linesman was assaulted by a fan. The play
was held up and this would have done nothing to help Mark Travers as
he stood waiting to take the kick but he never let it show and he again
drew his side level. Arthurlie now sensed victory and they poured forward
in search of a late winner which arrived when McGarvey, (who else?),
combined with Downs to set up Charlie Hobbs and this time the wee man
made no mistake as he swept the ball past Wilson. Star turns Bad boys Arthurlie: O'Neil, Jack, Travers, Somers, Allison (Graham
86), Smith (Hobbs 28), Ryan, McGarvey, Downs, Rae, Madden (Brolly 63).
Pollok: Wilson, O'Neil, Fabiani (Sweeney 61), Aitchison,
Heaton, Pacitti, Hamilton, Logan, McNeill, D. McWilliams, Watt (Fitzpatrick
82).
Sectional League Cup Monday 12th August 2002 Arthurlie started the game the better side, but missed
enough chances to win two games and kill off their rivals. The worst
of these was when Robert Downs, a constant thorn in Neilston’s
side in the first half, hit the inside of the post and watched in agony
as his shot rebounded to safety. ‘Lie’s pace was troubling
their visitors, and they were enjoying the lions share of the possession,
but they just couldn’t make it count.
Renfrew 3 (McClafferty, Morrison pen, Peacock ) Sectional league Cup Wednesday 14th Aug 2002 Arthurlie snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in this cup tie when leading 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining they shot themselves in the foot and allowed a poor Renfrew side to take all three points. Brian McKewon had fired the 'lie into an early lead when he volleyed home Alex grahams super cross in 10 minutes, but this strike was cancelled out by Billy McClafferty who pounced on a rare error from Steven O'Neil. Bonnar McKenzie restored the advantage in the second
half when he lobbed the keeper from 20 yards but despite being rarely
troubled by the home side, Arthurlie somehow managed to lose the game.
It all started to go wrong when Robert Downs replaced Bonnar McKenzie
and was shown a red card for an off the ball elbow on 'frews Jim Quigley
despite being on the pitch for less than a minute. With only 10 minutes
remaining and holding the lead it was time for cool heads, but amazingly
Stuart Allison stupidly got involved with Tiger McNally as they both
went for a loose ball in the box. The linesman flagged and the result
was a red card for Allison and a penalty for Renfrew which was dispatched
by Andy Morrison despite O'Neil getting a good hand on it. With a 2
man advantage Renfrew sensed victory and poured forward in search of
the winner which duly arrived right on the final whistle, John Peacock
curled in a dangerous cross that was tracked by Tiger McNally in the
six yard box, the linesman flagged for offside but as McNally made a
lunge for the ball he missed it and it ended up in the net and the referee
decided that he did not interfere with play! Considering he was only
a yard from O'Neil in the Arthurlie goal as the ball crossed the line,
he couldn't have failed to put the keeper off, but despite all the protests,
the goal stood. Bonnar was in with a shout of my pick for top man but in the end I went for Steven Jack who is really looking the part and is taking on the role of organizer in the defence. Funny moment was Frank Lynch giving Stevie O'Neil an ear bashing for standing behind his wall at a free kick, the big keepers reaction - "naw a wisnae". 1-0 to Stevie there, but Frank scored an equalizer when he batted down a heckler in the crowd who took the keepers side in the matter. The referee had a poor night and most of his errors went against Arthurlie, but I suppose after we benefited in the Pollok game then we can't really complain. I could list three or four critical decisions but what's the point as I feel that poor refereeing is as part of junior football nowadays as pies and Bovril. Ah well, roll on Saturday! Arthurlie: O'Neil, Jack, Travers, McKewon (Ryan), Allison,
Robertson, Graham, McGarvey, Brolly (Hobbs), Rae, McKenzie (Downs)
Sectional League Cup Saturday 17th Aug 2002 Arthurlie came up against another Premier Superleague
team in the shape of the current central league champions and the result
was a total humiliation for the visitors. The warning signs for Burgh
boss Colin Lyndsay were there from the as early as the second minute
when Robert Downs waltzed past a couple of leaden footed defenders to
blast past Alan Donahue. Stuart Allison has not enjoyed his best start
to a season and he gifted Johnstone the equalizer in the 6th minute
when his slack back pass was picked up by Moses Apiliga and he finished
well. Fifteen minutes later and the same two players then got involved
off the ball and both were shown red cards, the gutted Allison trudged
off the park and he now faces a five game ban which starts this Saturday
but he really should now better. Half time Arthurlie 3 Johnstone 1 Arthurlie scored early in the second half through Zander Ryan and this signaled a total collapse from the visitors. Forgive me if I get the goals in the wrong order but it was hard to keep up.
Bonnar McKenzie was desperate to get on the score sheet and he looked certain to do that in the final minutes but was brought down as he rounded Donahue on the edge of the box, the keeper was red carded and with no keeper on the bench an outfield player went between the sticks. His first taste of the action was picking the ball out of the net as Brian Smith hit a ferocious free kick high past him to finish the scoring. Arthurlie O'Neil, Jack, Travers (Madden), McKewon, Allison,
Robertson, Ryan (Smith), McGarvey, Downs (McKenzie), Rae, Brolly Not
used Graham St Anthonys 1 Sectional league Cup Saturday 24th Aug 2002 (played at Dunterlie park Barrhead) Arthurlie made it an incredible 16 goals in 2 games but still failed to qualify from the group due to Benburb's three late goals at Western Park that secured them second place. It took only 60 seconds for Arthurlie to strike, Martin McGarvey getting onto a loose ball after the keeper had parried Bonnar McKenzie's shot. The Ants look to have a stronger team this season and gave as good as they got up until the 30th minute when Bryan Smith fired an unstoppable free kick high into the net to double the lead. A minute later and Smith struck again, this time a long through ball had the keeper scrambling from his line to clear but the ex Hillwood player got there first and placed a cool lob over the keeper and into the net. From the restart, St Anthony's pulled one back when some sloppy defending allowed the striker through to shoot low under O'Neil. Half time Arthurlie 3 St Anthony's 1 Bonnar McKenzie was having a fine game and he got in on the scoring act when he beat the offside trap to net number four. It wasn't long before the 'lie went nap, Charlie Hobbs a half time sub for Zander Ryan, set up David Brolly with a tap in. Another sub, Gary Madden, made it 6 from close range as the roof caved in for the Ants and Bonnar McKenzie completed the scoring with a fine volley near the end. Arthurlie: O'Neil, McKewon, Travers (Madden), Jack, Robertson,
Smith, Ryan (Hobbs), McGarvey, Brolly, Rae (Ross), McKenzie Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 31st Aug 2002 we were 0-2 down after only 14 minutes - centre of defense was shocking by 22 minutes it was 2-2 SMITH with another long distance free kick and RYAN with a cracking half volley just before half time Troon scored with a penalty after Jack had clipped their winger half time 2-3 70 mins Bonnar sent off for second booking he kicked the ball away for a Troon free kick and argued with the ref - usual stupidity 75 minutes 2-4 , a long ball through the middle split the hopeless back line and their sub slotted home , far too easy 89 minutes it was still 2-4 Dave Brolly managed to score with 2 headers with a free kick from Martin on the edge of the box and then a great run and cross down the right from Charlie Hobbs in injury time produced a scramble but Brolly got the final touch with his head 4-4 crazy game Arthurlie O'Neil, McKeown, Madden, Jack, Robertson, Smith,
Ryan, McGarvey, Brolly, Rae, Bonnar Glasgow Perthshire 1 (Hamill) Whyte & Mackay Cup 1st round Saturday 14th Sep 2002 In glorious sunny conditions in Possil, Arthurlie produced a solid performance that allowed them to ease past a decent Perthshire side who were defending a 7 month unbeaten run at home. After the pre match entertainment that saw a couple of locals exchange gifts in the shape of parts of Keppoch park's perimeter fence it was on to the real action and it was the home side who almost took an early shock lead when Steven O'Neil's one handed save kept out a turn and snap shot. It turned out to be a vital stop as just a minute later Arthurlie struck with a simple goal, McGarvey's through ball found it's way to David Brolly and he held off a defender before his half hit shot fell to Charlie Hobbs and he swept it home. The home side were never out of the game but rarely threatened and they could have fell further behind had it not been for the performance of the home keeper Burns, first he denied Colin Robertson after a thunderous free kick and then somehow got a hand to a Mark Travers volley that had goal written all over it. The busiest man for most of the half was the referee who booked three players for a series of petty fouls. Half time Glasgow Perthshire 0 Arthurlie 1 With the home support trying to fire up their heroes, Arthurlie needed the security of the second goal and were presented with the ideal opportunity after Bryan Smith was brought down in the box on the hour, up stepped Mark Travers but his weak kick was easily held by Burns. We were now at a crucial point in the game and it turned against the home side on 65 minutes when their No 7 was shown a second yellow card for a crude challenge on Mark Ross, he had been booked in the first half for persistent fouling and so can have no complaints. A few minutes later and Bryan Smith scored a peach of a goal when he latched onto David Brolly's clever knock down and showed great awareness to hit a looping shot from 22 yards that went in off a post despite the keeper getting a hand to it. The tie was now over and substitute Bonnar McKenzie added a third when he burst through a coupe of weak challenges on the edge of the box before slotting past Burns on 75 minutes. Perthshire did snatch a goal back and it was one of real quality, a neat turn in midfield opened up the play and then the ball was played right, a first time pass into the box and then a first time side foot shot from Hamill gave O'Neil no chance. With only 2 minutes remaining David Brolly finished off the scoring when he fired home from close in after a knock down Arthurlie: O'Neil, Jack, Travers, Robertson, Rae, McKewon,
Ryan (Smith), McGarvey (Graham), Brolly, Ross, Hobbs (McKenzie) Robertson has 'frew in a jam Renfrew 0 Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 21st Sep 2002 Arthurlie went in against a Renfrew side who had lost ten goals in their opening two games but who were in determined mood to make life difficult in a match vital to both sides. Indeed it took the home side only 60 seconds to show they meant business when McNally saw his header from a corner cleared off the line with Stevie O'Neil beaten. Arthurlie replied on 6 minutes when top scorer Bryan Smith found space on the right but his powerful drive never troubled Thomson. Renfrew were not playing like the leagues bottom side and they should have taken the lead 5 minutes later when a long punt was missed by Alan Rae and this allowed McClafferty to nod the ball onto McNally but with time and space he blasted his shot over. With the early scares over, Arthurlie edged their way into the game and it took a tremendous one handed save from Thomson to deny them the lead after Martin McGarvey's deflected low shot from 22 yards. There looked little danger to the home side when they gave away a free kick 30 yards out just after the half hour but Colin Robertson hit a screamer that skelped off the left hand post with the keeper a spectator. The big man was not to be denied however and when Arthurlie were awarded an indirect free kick inside the frew box just before half time there was only going to be one outcome {(c) Dave Mackay}, Mark Travers rolled the ball to him and he smashed it low into the corner.
Half time Renfrew 0 Arthurlie 1 Renfrew almost got back on terms on 53 minutes but a fine one handed save by O'Neil from Cuthbert's shot denied them. Two minutes later and Bonnar McKenzie came on for Charlie Hobbs and this move really fired up the 'lie attack, the wee man immediately set up David Brolly in the box but his weak shot was easily saved. Brolly returned the favour 2 minutes later but this time it was McKenzie's turn to misfire in front of goal, Thomson again saving easily. Robertson almost doubled the lead when he got on the end of an in swinging cross but saw his powerful downward header palmed away, it looked over the line but the linesman said no. There had been a number of early bookings in the game and so it was no surprise to see a red card, there was even less surprise to see who picked it up, man of many clubs and many early showers Billy McClafferty got involved with Colin Robertson and stomped off in a huff after picking up his second yellow on 80 minutes. It was good to see Robertson's reaction to the incident, he showed great maturity in just walking away as all hell broke loose around him, well done big man. With the ten men pushing for a leveler, Arthurlie could have added to their lead but were quite content to hold on for a precious three points.
Man of the match, for his all round play and topped off with the winner, Colin Robertson Arthurlie: O'Neil, McKewon, Travers (Graham 85), Jack,
Rae, Robertson, Smith, McGarvey, Brolly (Downs 70), Ross, Hobbs (McKenzie
55) Renfrew: Thomson, Hammond, Andrews, Farquharson, Quigley,
Peacock, Kenna, Cuthbert, McClafferty, McNally, Prentice Martin goes to town Shettleston 0 Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 5th Oct 2002 On paper this match was as tough as it gets, going to the home of one of the title favourites, but Arthurlie collected the three points after another professional performance that delighted the big support through from Barrhead. It was the home side who threatened first on eight minutes when some neat build up play allowed Colin Wilson to have a crack at goal but his effort went just wide. Arthurlie replied ten minutes later with a Bryan Smith free kick that had the keeper scrambling to cover but again it was just off target. Most of the play was in the 'town half and just after the half hour we should have seen the first goal from Bonnar McKenzie, a rare mistake in the home defence sent him through but he hit his shot straight at the keeper. With the half drawing to a close, David Brolly went close with a header from a Zander Ryan cross. Half time Shettleston 0 Arthurlie 0 Gary Madden replaced Brolly with 25 minutes remaining and he almost doubled the lead, his powerful shot on the run being well saved. We didn't have long to wait for the second goal though as a mere 4 minutes later Brian McKewon went on a run into the box that saw him pass three defenders before taking it round the keeper and blasting it into the empty net. Man of the match was an easy pick, with his clever play going forward and his tremendous work rate, Martin McGarvey was a total standout today, oh and his goal was not bad either. Arthurlie: O'Neil, McKewon, Travers, Jack, Rae, Robertson,
Ryan, McGarvey, Brolly (Madden65), Smith, McKenzie (Graham 85) Shotts BA 1 Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 16th Nov 2002 In the wide expanse of Hannah park both sides struggled to produce any real clear cut chances up until the 40th minute when, after watching the home keeper easily deal with every high ball, Arthurlie decided to try a low cross which was spilled into the path of Robert Downs who tapped home. A minute later and Gary Madden was upended as he prepared to shoot, a red card and a penalty was the outcome but Colin Robertson hit a weak spot kick that was palmed away. From the resulting corner the keeper produced a great double save from Madden's header and Robertson's shot. Shotts had looked comfortable up until the sending off but as they tried to cling on for the half time whistle, Brian McKeown went on a run that saw him pass three defenders before slotting home and the game looked won. There was still time however for Steven O'Neil to drop a corner onto the head of a forward and with a bit more composure it would have been 2-1. Half time Shotts 0 Arthurlie 2 The ten men regrouped but found themselves under pressure from the kick off as Arthurlie looked to put the game beyond doubt. That they didn't meant that a goal for Shotts would give them a chance of a point and it came when O'Neil played a poor bye kick that allowed the striker a clear shot at goal, 2-1. As the Arthurlie fans looked on astonished, Shotts almost leveled from the kick off but the shot went just wide. Frank Lynch went for more firepower to finish off the ten men and one of the subs Charlie Hobbs restored the two goal advantage after sloppy defending gave him a free shot.
A dire first half that burst into life near the end and Shotts just couldn't come back from the sending off in the second half, Arthurlie won the match without playing at their best but the defence is having some worrying lapses with Stevie O'Neil suffering a bit of a confidence crisis. Positives were the performances of Alan Rae, Charlie Hobbs and Mark Ross, but man of the match despite his penalty howler was Colin Robertson. Arthurlie: O'Neil, McKewon, Ross, Jack, Rae, Robertson,
Ryan, McGarvey, Downs, Graham, Madden Arthurlie hit top spot
Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 26th Oct 2002 Arthurlie swept to the top of the league with this fine
win against a well organised Beith side that made life very difficult,
especially in the first half. The second half was barely 5 minutes in when Mark Travers doubled the lead, hesitancy in the home defence gave him time and space on the edge of the box and with the keeper expecting a cross he fired an unstoppable shot high into the net. Game over? No chance as just a minute later Arthurlie were down to 10 men, the referee had been booking players all day for pretty tame tackles so it was little surprise when he flashed a straight red at Colin Robertson for a two footed tackle right in front of the visiting bench. The home fans needn't have worried though as rather than have a negative effect, it seemed to galvanise Arthurlie who continued to look for more goals, they made a few chances and it was difficult to see who had the ten men. With 20 minutes remaining Beith were handed a lifeline when a corner was punched onto his own post by Stevie O'Neil and in the ensuing scramble the ball was knocked home to make it 2-1. An equaliser looked on the cards as the visitors realised that they might get something from a game that they were well out of for long periods but despite a few scares it was Martin McGarvey who had the last say when he beat the offside trap to run in and slot past the keeper to end the scoring. This is getting boring, main man AGAIN was Martin McGarvey although Mark Travers ran him close, some fans raised doubts about big Stevie in goals, but after watching his early season form I feel that his current form is just a blip and he will be back to his best in no time. Arthurlie O'Neil, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Robertson,
Allison, Ryan, McGarvey, Madden, Rae, McKenzie (Brolly 85) Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 2nd November 2002 Arthurlie's unbeaten league run came to a crashing end at Blair Park today as a mixture of sloppy defending, poor finishing and an inspired home goalkeeper meant that Hurlford collected all three points. We should have known this was not be our day when under very heavy skies the 'lie forwards missed three good chances in the first 10 minutes, Bonnar McKenzie could easily had a double and Gary Madden headed over from 8 yards. With those let offs the home side took the lead with a controversial strike, a long ball from midfield found the striker in acres of space and as most people in the ground, the Arthurlie defence included, waited for the linesman's flag that never came the forward produced a cool lob to put his side one up. Stung by this setback Arthurlie laid siege to the home goal and Alan Rae was unlucky to see his shot saved by Wardrop after 20 minutes. Next to have a go was David Brolly and his clever header form a Mark Travers corner went just wide with the keeper a spectator. Half time Hurlford 1 Arthurlie 0 The way the first half had went it looked only a matter of time before Arthurlie got on terms but the 'ford silenced the large traveling support when they doubled the lead just three minutes in. A looping cross was fired into the box and Gary Madden lost his marker who nodded past O'Neil. With all Arthurlie's efforts in the first half it was a real blow to lose such a simple goal but still there was a sense that the game was not lost and those feeling increased when Hurlford were reduced to ten men after No9 received his second yellow on 55 minutes. The rest of the game was played almost entirely in the Hurlford half but despite creating an incredible amount of chances, Arthurlie just couldn't get past Wardrop. The keeper made some astonishing saves and when he was beaten the ball either hit woodwork or went just wide. David Brolly watched in disbelief as the keeper clawed away his shot from close range, 2 minutes later Zander Ryan had him beaten but the ball smacked off the crossbar and out to safety. Gary Madden then was set up by Martin McGarvey but shot straight at Wardrop, next to try was substitute Robert Downs but twice he had headers palmed away. In between all this
The referee was put under enormous pressure with the antics of the home side especially in the second half and I am sorry to say he failed the examination. It took him 25 minutes to produce the first yellow card and by that time Martin McGarvey had called for the trainer twice as he had obviously been singled out as the main threat. With little control over the bully boy tactics, the assaults continued and to have escaped this midden without any major injuries is a miracle and the only positive thing we can take for the game. Arthurlie: O'Neil, McKewon, Travers ,Jack, Graham, Madden,
Ryan, McGarvey, Brolly (Hobbs 80), Rae, McKenzie (Downs 70)
OVD Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round Saturday 9th Nov 2002 Frank Lynch has waited a while for his first win in a Scottish cup tie and two first half goals from Zander Ryan and Bonnar McKenzie did the trick as Arthurlie eased into the third round at the expense of Carluke Rovers. Pre match form suggested a comfortable home win and the early play did little to change that opinion as the 'lie played keep ball in and around the visiting defence. The only surprise was that it took them over 15 minutes to take the lead, some slack defending allowing Zander Ryan time on the edge of the box and although he sclaffed his shot, it still found it's way into the net. Carluke were finding it tough to get any respite and
they should have fallen further behind when a great run and shot from
Bonnar McKenzie forced their keeper into a great save. The expected
goal rush was just not coming, much to the frustration of the home fans
who watched as Arthurlie at times over elaborated in their build up
instead of going direct. With half time approaching Rovers must have
been feeling pretty pleased to be only one down but that feeling was
shattered when Bonnar McKenzie struck, another great cross from Mark
Travers finding the hit man in space and he made no mistake. Half time Arthurlie 2 Carluke 0 The second half started in similar fashion but clear cut chances were few and far between as Carluke started to get a bit more possession. So much so that they shocked the home side just before the hour with a goal of real quality, Smythe managed to get past Mark Travers and he raced down the wing before crossing to his strike partner who fired past O'Neil. Despite this setback there looked little chance of an upset as this had been Carluke's first real chance. The game had gone really flat and Frank Lynch tried to get his side going again by introducing Mark Ross and Charlie Hobbs for Alec graham and Robert Downs. Man of the match was Alan Rae, not much pressure to deal with but anything that came his way was handled superbly. Also, sorry about the short report but this game was pretty poor Arthurlie O'Neil, McKewon, Travers, Jack, Graham (Ross
62), Madden, Ryan, McGarvey, Downs (Hobbs 62), Rae, McKenzie (Brolly
70)
After the recent OVD tie between the teams, which provided little entertainment it, was in hope rather than expectation that we headed along the M8 en-route to Loch Park. Despite the gloom, early indications were promising as Arthurlie looked to take an early lead, some great play down the left after only eight minutes led to a good old fashioned stramash in the Carluke penalty box which ended with Colin Robertson’s failed attempt at a spectacular volley. Thirty seconds later and the home side conceded a penalty after Martin McGarvey was upended, Robert Downs grabbed the ball but saw his shot beaten out. Carluke were rarely seen in an attacking sense but they almost took the lead on 17 minutes when the striker reached a long ball before O’Neil but Robertson cleared his chip. It was a decent chance but as the forward trudged back into play he saw his striking partner shown a straight red card for something that happened off the ball. Arthurlie were awarded another spot kick just before the half hour after Mark Ross went on a powerful run towards goal before being chopped down as he prepared to shoot, Charlie Hobbs made no mistake as he swept the ball high into the net with some style. The lead was almost doubled on 43 minutes but Mark Ross saw his header slip just past. The home side should have leveled the tie just after the break but their substitute looked on in agony as his shot beat O’Neil but went just the wrong side of the post. Arthurlie responded with a great Robertson cross that was met by Bryan Smith but the midfielders diving header went into the side netting, next up Mark Ross saw his volley form 20 yards saved. Despite the slender lead, there had been little worry that Carluke could cause an upset but that changed in the final 10 minutes as they went for broke, a couple of scary moments for the defence, including a goal disallowed for offside, but the game ended with no further scoring. Great to see Willie Summers back and he didn’t disappoint with another outstanding show but top man was Mark Ross, Bubba won the penalty that took us through but his overall performance was well worth the trip. Arthurlie: O’Neil, McKewon, Robertson, Summers,
Allison (Brolly 28), Ross, Smith (Graham 78), McGarvey, Downs (McKenzie
62), Rae, Hobbs Arthurlie 0 There have been signs recently of problems in the goal scoring department for Arthurlie and the lack of quality finishing again cost us league points with a poor show against Renfrew. Frank Lynch again made sweeping changes to the team and one of the players drafted in should have had us ahead in the first minute, David Brolly was set up perfectly by Zander Ryan but a defensive block from Prentice saw the chance lost. A minute later and a wonderful move involving McKenzie, Ross and Brolly, presented Ryan with an opening that had Thomson in the frew goal looking smart to beat out. In keeping with the whirlwind start to the game, Renfrew almost scored when Cuthbert found space in the box but his effort was blocked by ex Hillwood teammate Colin Robertson. Arthurlie had the lions share of possession but were finding it difficult to break down a packed Renfrew defence and there case was not helped when the referee turned away a strong penalty claim after Brolly was pushed in the box on 25 minutes. Just before the half time whistle Dave Cormack had to look smart to tip over a Prentice free kick in one of the frews rare trips into the Arthurlie half.
Arthurlie got a second wind late on and substitute Robert
Downs saw his header saved from close range. A shocking tackle from
Ross on Thomson amazingly saw no action from the referee despite the
keeper receiving lengthy treatment. Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Robertson,
Ross, Ryan, McGarvey, Rae, McKenzie Brolly (Downs 80) Arthurlie dig deep
OVD Scottish Junior Cup 3rd round Saturday 7th Dec 2002 A tremendous second half performance from the ‘lie booked them a place in the last 32 when they came from a goal down to rattle in 4 goals in 20 minutes. The first half had been largely uneventful but the visitors had shown enough to suggest that this was to be no stroll in the park for Arthurlie. The pattern of play from recent weeks continued with Arthurlie having lots of possession but lacking the killer touch in the final third. With Frank Lynch’s half time team talk ringing in their ears the ‘lie players started threatening the visiting goal and Bonnar McKenzie went close. Amazingly, with Arthurlie enjoying their best spell, Greenock went up the park and scored with their first chance, John Robertson found space on the right and he drilled a shot past Dave Cormack. Only five minutes later and the tie was level when David Brolly planted a fantastic header past Monk from a Travers cross. The tie swung even further Arthurlie’s way when Mark Ross hit a 20-yard shot that the keeper looked to have covered but he took his eye of the ball and it squirmed through his hands and into the net. This goal really knocked the stuffing out of Greenock and they fell further behind when Charlie Hobbs got on the end of a Ross cross and his header beat both Monk and a defender on the line. The ‘lie were now rampant and another goal was added when Hobbs again got on the end of a cross from the right, this time from Bryan Smith, and he nodded home. Further goals could have been added but in truth the home fans had settled for the score line, especially as they had been behind, abet for only five minutes.
Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Robertson, Ross, Ryan, McGarvey, Rae, McKenzie Subs Hobbs, Summers, Madden, Downs, O'Neil Bonnar is TOP man Arthurlie 1 (McKenzie 11) Arthurlie replaced the visitors at the top of the league after a goal from Bonnar McKenzie was enough to secure all three points at Dunterlie. The game started at a frantic pace and Cambuslang were having trouble dealing with the 'lie attack early on with Brolly and McKenzie combining well to put McGovern under pressure. No shock then when Arthurlie went ahead on 11 minutes, good build up play was met with little resistance and Brolly played in McKenzie and he hit a super half volley high past the keeper. Cambuslang replied instantly and had a good shout for a penalty when Allison tangled with Cochrane in the box, the referee saw it differently however, much to the annoyance of the visiting fans. The game was still being played at a frantic pace but 'lang were starting to see more of the ball and it took a great block from Dave Cormack to deny Holmes after he was played in by Ferguson on the left. Half time Arthurlie 1 Cambuslang 0
Bonnar again showed well and Martin was his usual self, Mark Ross did well after coming on in the second half but top man for me was David Brolly, Cambuslang just couldn't cope with his physical approach in the first half. Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Robertson (Ross 55), Jack,
Allison, Travers, Smith, McGarvey, Brolly (Madden 80), Rae, McKenzie
(Hobbs 70) Cambuslang McGovern, Doak, McGregor, Kavanagh, Webster,
Foster, Balmain, Ferguson, Daisley, Carmichael, Holmes Beith 2 Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 28th Dec 2002 Arthurlie ended the year with another defeat in Ayrshire, that's one point from nine in our trips west, and this time it was Beith's 'win at all costs' tactics that left the nasty aftertaste. I hope Martin McGarvey is enjoying his holiday, as us Arthurlie fans are bloody miserable without him, to say he was missed in the middle of the park would be the understatement of the year as there was no one willing to play any football and the first half was as bad as it gets from a spectators view. What made this so disappointing is that Beith had looked a decent side at Dunterlie so a good match was anticipated, but with every misplaced pass and badly timed tackle you could see the enthusiasm drain form the fans. A couple of stops from Cormack and one from the home keeper after a Brolly shot did little brighten things up and by far the busiest man was the Arthurlie physio as the referee turned a blind eye to foul after foul, the fact that the first booking fell to Travers for a tug on his opponents shirt just summed up the whistlers performance, inept. Half time Beith 0 Arthurlie 0 The second half started in similar fashion but a double substitution by Frank Lynch changed the match completely, Downs and Ryan replaced Brolly and Graham and almost at once Arthurlie started creating chances. Ryan had his shot beaten out and McKenzie linked up well with Ross to carve open the home defence before Alan Rae opened the scoring with a left foot shot from 30 yards that caught the home keeper off his line and found the top corner. Another goal would secure our first three points from Ayrshire but McKenzie saw his goal chopped off by a very tight offside decision. Then from doing very little, Beith started finding their players and Arthurlie had an amazing escape when No 6 miskicked with the goal gaping, Cormack grabbed the ball but was kicked twice in the back by the Beith midfielder, unbelievably the referee only produced a yellow card. More howls of protest followed when the home side were awarded a penalty after a tackle from behind by Stuart Allison, little or no contact but the forward fell as if he had been picked out by a sniper and to add insult to injury, up stepped No 6 to slot home. The amount of bad tackles by the Beith defence eventually caught up with their No 4 and he was shown his second yellow for a crude hack at Alan Rae, the offence could have merited a straight red but the defender still felt so aggrieved he started a punch up with one of the Arthurlie subs as he left the park, thug. The ordering off seemed to galvanise the home side and they struck the winner when yet more slack defending by Arthurlie allowed a forward to go through on Cormack and he finished with some style. The referee just had to have the last word however and he denied Arthurlie a stonewall penalty after Ryan had been shoved in the box. All in all a pretty poor day out but at least we don't have to play Beith again, Man of the match is a tough call with so many players out of sorts but this weeks award goes to Mark Ross, he is showing real consistency and looks like he will play a big part at Dunterlie in the coming weeks Arthurlie: Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Allison (Hobbs 75), Graham (Ryan 60), Smith, Ross, Brolly (Downs 60), Rae, McKenzie Subs Madden, Summers
Newburgh 0 OVD Scottish Junior Cup 4th round Saturday 18th Jan 2003 In the beautiful surrounding of East Shore Park, Arthurlie progressed to the last 16 with a comfortable win over a very young Newburgh team who looked a little out of their depth having made it this far. The 'lie made the perfect start when after just 2 minutes a half hit shot from Xander Ryan saw the home keeper make a complete hash of a simple catch and let the ball fumble through his hands for an embarrassing own goal.
Despite being totally outplayed for long spells in the first half Newburgh were only one down and they had a great chance to level the game just 60 seconds into the second period, some neat passing saw No 7 clean through on Dave Cormack but the big keeper blocked with his legs, a vital stop. Arthurlie, sensing the danger, replied in kind and two attempts from Downs almost doubled the lead, the second requiring a fabulous save to deny him. With 55 minutes on the clock the home side conceded a
penalty when after trying twice to halt a Martin McGarvey run outside
the box they made it third time unlucky when the defender upended him
in the box, it was stonewaller and Bonnar McKenzie made no mistake to
kill the tie. With the two goal cushion Arthurlie now started threatening
more often and Martin McGarvey had a quite unbelievable miss when put
through by Robert Downs on 63 minutes, with the keeper out of play Martin
somehow sclaffed his shot wide from 12 yards. The third goal was only
delayed 7 minutes however and when it came it was a sweet finish from
Downs, a cross field pass saw Robert Downs outstrip the defender before
slamming in a low shot from a tight angle that had quality all over
it. More chances were created and missed in the final twenty but the
overall performance was not worthy of a cricket score that would have
been unfair on the home side. Solid show at the back today, Robert Downs worked his socks off AGAIN but top man was Alan Rae, back in his familiar midfield role he mopped up everything that came his way and was always in attendance whenever Newburgh threatened to break Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Allison, Madden (Ross 70), Ryan, McGarvey (Smith 72), McKenzie, Rae, Downs (Hobbs 71) subs O'Neil, Brolly, Summers, Graham Arthurlie 5 (McKenzie 3, Ryan, Ross) Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 25th Jan 2003 Another day another three points for Arthurlie as they came from a goal down to blast Shotts away with a performance that had the home fans purring in delight. It took only 30 seconds for Banks in the Shotts goal to realise that he was in for a busy afternoon when Martin McGarvey cracked a shot off his left hand post and he then had to make a fine save to deny Alan Rae's pile driver from the rebound. The visitors replied in kind when Ricksen headed just over from a fine Halford cross on 7 minutes. The warning was not heeded by the home defence and when Ricksen again got space in the box two minutes later he made no mistake with a right foot shot to open the scoring. Despite the setback, Arthurlie were playing some fine football and on 16 minutes they levelled the scores in spectacular fashion, Xander Ryan's pinpoint cross was met on the volley by Bonnar McKenzie and his shot flashed past Banks. Just after the half hour the visitors had a lucky escape when Mark Ross curled in a free kick that was missed by everyone in the box before it bounced off the post to safety. No such luck a minute later when a fabulous passing movement sliced through the Shotts backline and ended with a McGarvey cross to the back post being nodded home by that man McKenzie. Some of the fist half play had been a real joy to watch
and Arthurlie continued in the same vein after the break, just two minutes
had passed when Bonnar McKenzie completed his hat trick, a low cross
from the right found the striker with his back to goal and he produced
a fantastic overhead kick that beat Banks all ends up. And so it went
on and McGarvey again knocked on wood, this time he saw his 20 yard
effort bounce off the bar as Shotts just had no answer to the wave after
wave of attacks. Little surprise when on 51 minutes the lead was increased,
Xander Ryan latched onto a poor clearance from Banks and slotted home
from a tight angle. With the three points in the bag Arthurlie took
their eye of the ball and as a result Shotts started threatening Cormack's
goal and the big keeper had to look smart to deny Gallen. The visitors did get a goal back however when with 20 minutes remaining a high ball was knocked down to Ricksen and he shot through the keepers legs. Shotts then had few half chances to get right back in the game but the last word went to Arthurlie when right on the final whistle Mark Ross volleyed home a David Brolly knock down. Had it not been for the hat trick from Bonnar, it would have been pretty difficult to pick out a man of the match as there were so many good performances. The usual suspects were on the list, Martin McGarvey is again enjoying the freedom he gets with Alan Rae bossing the middle, Bubba ran for 90 minutes, (RUN Forest RUN), and was rewarded late on. Last season we saw glimpses of the Downs/McKenzie partnership and it looks the real deal from my standpoint as defenders just never get a minutes peace and despite not scoring, Downs played as vital a part in this win as his partner in crime. Arthurlie Cormack, Ryan, Travers, Jack, Allison, Ross,
Smyth (Graham 82), McGarvey, McKenzie (Brolly 75), Rae, Downs (Hobbs
60) Arthurlie 3 (Ryan, Downs 2) Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 1st Feb 2003 Arthurlie set out to put some daylight between themselves and their main rivals who were on cup duty and they achieved this thanks to three well taken goals, A Ryan daisy cutter and a Downs double. The 'lie have formed a great habit of starting games well and this week was no exception when after only 2 minutes Brian Smyth danced past a couple of challenges and forced Hutchison in the town goal into a fine save. Shettleston were battling hard in the middle of the park but offered nothing up front and so it was left to the home side to provide the chances, Xander Ryan duly obliged on 10 minutes but saw his sweet shot from the edge of the box slip agonisingly wide. He had more luck just before the half hour when the ball broke to him 22 yards out, Xander hit it first time and it would have found the net even without the slight deflection it took as it skimmed goalwards. Some madness from Shettleston's new signing Gerry Farrell followed when after winning a free kick in his own half he got up and kicked Robert Downs in full view of the referee, no doubt about the outcome of this one, straight red card. A minute later and Arthurlie took full advantage, some poor defending saw Robert Downs go past a few defenders before shooting low past the keeper to double the lead. The ten men got a lifeline just on the half time whistle when the Arthurlie defence had one of those all too familiar lapses and John Dickson took full advantage to shoot past Dave Cormack. Half time Arthurlie 2 Shettleston 1 Credit to the ten men of Shettleston who went for the equaliser big time in the second half and they almost scored straight from the kick off but Cormack saved well, it was a risky tactic however, as one more goal for Arthurlie would kill the game. Robert Downs almost provided it but saw his header from Ryan's wonderful cross saved well on 55 minutes. Brian Smyth went even closer 5 minutes later when his 25 yard free kick dipped viciously and smacked off the bar with the keeper beaten. The visitors were starting to feel the pace of playing on such a heavy pitch with 10 men and Arthurlie took full advantage with 20 minutes remaining, McKenzie broke down the right and his cross was inch perfect for Robert Downs who produced a clever header that looped over the keeper and just inside his far post. Further chances were made and missed but the main objective had been achieved, three points in the bag.
Not used: Graham, Hobbs, O'Neil, Martin OVD Scottish Junior Cup 5th round Saturday 8th Feb 2003 An absolutely dazzling display from Arthurlie left Bonnyrigg down and out in this Scottish cup tie, the Barrhead men on top from first whistle to last. Inside the first ten minutes there were alarming gaps in the home defence and it seemed only a matter of time before the 'lie opened the scoring. Chasing shadows for most of the opening spell the home side decided to make the ball second option to the preferred target of Martin McGarvey, twice the midfielder was hacked down before being chopped from behind on 20 minutes and the injury he sustained meant he would take no further part. Three minutes later though his team-mates produced a great passing move that ended with Bryan Smith side footing home from 10 yards to open the scoring. With no answer to Arthurlie's build up play and the movement of the strikers, Bonnyrigg were hanging on but predictably fell further behind when Craig McCartney handled in the box and up stepped Bonnar McKenzie to smash home the spot kick. Bonnyrigg were thrown a lifeline in the tie 5 minutes before the break when Davie Watt hit a spectacular shot from 30 yards that dipped over Cormack and into the net. Half time Bonnyrigg 1 Arthurlie 2 The goal had lifted Bonnyrigg and they enjoyed more of
the ball in the opening ten minutes of the second half but Dave Cormack
was called into action only once and he dealt easily with Watts first
time shot. With the play being stretched Arthurlie looked dangerous
with every attack and McKenzie and Downs were giving the rose backline
a torrid afternoon. Little surprise when Robert Downs sped away and
slotted past Ellison to cement Arthurlie's place in the last 8, it was
a cool finish and was well deserved as the striker had contributed so
much thus far, one turn in particular on the left wing was sheer class
and had the defender spinning wondering where he had gone, the answer
was to set up another chance for McKenzie.
How good was this? The team seem to have come through a sticky spell and are back playing the sort of football that trounced so many teams pre season and in the league cup sections. Frank Lynch was spot on with his pre match assessment of defence being the key, our backline was superb and Bonnyrigg just had no answer to McKenzie and Downs. The latter was high up for man of the match but you rarely see a substitute have such a big impact in a game and for me Brian McKeown was magnificent and just shades the award. Arthurlie Cormack, Ryan, Travers, Jack, Allison, Ross,
Smith (Robertson 80), McGarvey (McKeown 24), McKenzie, Rae, Downs (Hobbs
85) Pollok 1 Central league Cup 1st round Saturday 22nd Feb 2003 With both sides missing key players it was little surprise that this match failed to live up to it's pre match billing as the tie of the round but when the dust had settled it was Arthurlie who moved into the next round and consigned Pollok to a diet of league games for the remainder of the season. Without the injured Drew McWilliams Pollok lacked any real threat up front and but for a late surge at the end of the game rarely troubled Dave Cormack in the Arthurlie goal. The big keeper did have to look smart to tip over a McNeil free kick early in the game as the 'lie struggled to get into the game early on. Slowly but surely Arthurlie started seeing more of the ball and they took the lead from a soft penalty award, Robert Downs tangled with Heaton and fell to the ground, the referee pointed to the spot and despite Wilson blocking Bonnar McKenzie's effort, the striker reacted first to scoop home the rebound. Brian McKeown had the chance to double the lead but somehow miskicked from 2 yards and the ball slid past the post. Pollok did look dangerous whenever a high ball was launched into an Arthurlie defence badly missing the injured Stuart Allison but despite this they never really tested the keeper. The second half started at a snails pace and there was little to get both sets of fans excited about but as the half wore on Arthurlie began to threaten a fragile looking home defence. McKenzie in particular was having a great match as he continually spun past his marker to attack the lok backline, one raid produced the second goal. Slack defending from Pollok allowed McKenzie to make the bye line and his low cross found Robert Downs who fired a sweet shot past the helpless Wilson. Pollok then went all out to get back in the game but this left alarming gaps at the back and on at least three occasions could have lead to further goals for Arthurlie. With 5 minutes remaining Pollok got a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Stevie Jack, it looked another soft award but there was no doubt about the kick itself as the striker fired high past Cormack. The keeper then had two brilliant saves to deny Pollok an equaliser, first turning a low shot round the post and from the resultant corner tipping over a net bound header. Charlie Hobbs should have wrapped it up but he went for a lob when through on Wilson and the ball went just over. Arthurlie played below par but it was more than enough to see off a pretty poor Pollok side, Frank Lynch was absent from this match, deciding instead to take in Bo'ness and this reflects the importance of this cup in our season, in saying that it is still good to beat Pollok at Newlandsfield. Alan Rae captained the side and was immense, Lee Martin tired late on but did well in his first match for 10 months and the strikers did their usual but man of the match was Steven Jack, always had time and never hoofed it when under pressure. Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Martin, Ross (Robertson), Ryan, Smith , McKenzie (Hobbs), Rae, Downs subs O'Neil, Brolly, Summers, Graham
Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 1st March 2003 Arthurlie notched another home win courtesy of 2 well taken goals but the main taking point in the game was the red card shown to Robert Downs early in the second half. The striker went for a 50-50 ball in the Largs box but his follow through caught former 'lie player Grant Clark on the shin and the defender went down in a heap. It was at worst a yellow card offence but the antics of Clark, who rolled around screaming in agony, influenced the referee who flashed the red card. Downs will now miss the next 2 games including the OVD quarter final and as he trudged to the pavilion, Clark made a miraculous recovery and went on to finish the game. Arthurlie could have been well ahead inside the first 10 minutes but found Meechan in the visitors goal in great form as he defied both McKenzie and Downs. At the other end of the park Cormack did well to turn a Blaikie shot round the post as Largs hit back. The big keeper then played a huge part in the opening goal on 21 minutes, his clearance cut out the Largs defence and the ever sharp McKenzie ran on to chip the ball over Meechan and into the net.
Man of the match...Stevie Jack, Mr consistency gets the nod just ahead of Dave Cormack and Brian McKeown Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Martin, Ross, Ryan, Smith (Robertson), McKenzie (Brolly), Rae, Downs subs O'Neil, Hobbs, Summers, Graham Troon 0 Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 8th March 2003 Late goals have been a feature in the previous two encounters between the sides and this match proved no exception when David Brolly struck with only 9 minutes remaining to give Arthurlie their first ever league win in Ayrshire. The home side had started brightest as the 'lie defence struggled to settle in the blustery conditions , more than once it was the flag happy linesman who came to the rescue as Troon looked to take an early lead. Despite this the first real chance fell to Arthurlie on 7 minutes when some slick play down the left wing saw David Brolly step over a Xander Ryan cross and the ball fell to Bonnar McKenzie who forced Phillips into a save. With 18 minutes on the clock Arthurlie were awarded a penalty when a cross was handled in the box, up stepped McKenzie but Phillips produced a good save low to his right and a great chance was gone. I missed a fair bit of the action until half time due to a mix up at the pie stall, someone had forgot to tell them that they were supposed to be selling pies and stuff and so it was a lengthy wait while they got the slick operation going, I must say that once they did get going it was joy to watch, one serving and six others bumping into each other provided far more entertainment than we had witnessed from Troon. Half time Troon 0 Arthurlie 0 The second half was slightly better fair and Arthurlie almost made their superiority pay but McKenzie was again foiled by the big keeper 10 minutes in. Troon hit back and would have opened the scoring were it not for a goal line clearance form Lee Martin after a rare mistake from Cormack had left the goal unguarded. More danger from the home side on 70 minutes when their sub took Stevie Jack for a run and fired in a powerful shot that just cleared the bar. A minute later an the Arthurlie sub repeated the trick but Charlie Hobbs saw his shot beaten out and Brian McKeown looped the rebound over. The decisive moment arrived as we entered the final ten minutes, Gary Madden and Xander Ryan combined on the right wing with the latter sending over a super cross that saw David Brolly leap higher than anyone else to bullet a header past Phillips. Inevitably there were some nervy moments in the closing stages but Arthurlie held on to record a vital win.
Arthurlie: Cormack, McKeown, Travers ,Jack, Martin, Ross
(Robertson 75), Ryan, Smith (Hobbs 70), Brolly, Rae, McKenzie (Madden
80) Cup dream over, now for the title!
OVD Scottish Junior Cup quarter final Saturday 15th March 2003 Arthurlie were left counting the cost of missed chances at the end of this tie but they just never got the breaks you need in the cup. The visitors started in whirlwind fashion and almost scored inside the first minute but Cormack scrambled Woods low cross to safety. With the early scare over, Arthurlie took control of the game and came agonisingly close to opening the scoring on 8 minutes when Brian McKeown ran 50 yards before sliding the ball past Binnie in the Bo'ness goal but Smith made a remarkable goal line clearance to deny him. Arthurlie piled on the pressure but were having trouble creating any clear cut chances against a giant backline who stood firm to repel the attacks. Amazingly Bo'ness took the lead against the run of play just after the half hour when a long throw in fell to Herd in the box, the striker controlled the ball on his chest and hooked a shot over his shoulder that looped over Cormack and in at the back post. The 'lie came back strongly and David Brolly was unlucky not to bring the teams level when he beat a defender before chipping the ball over the keeper and goal wards, this time it was Donald who got back to kick the ball off the goal line. The second half saw Charlie Hobbs replace Bryan Smith as Frank Lynch went all out to get back in the tie. Almost constant pressure from Arthurlie but little to worry Binnie in the visiting goal as his defence dealt easily with corner after corner. With 20 minutes remaining Hobbs fired over a cross that was heading for Bonnar McKenzie but Yates punched the ball clear inside the box and incredibly the referee waved play on. The fact that the linesman admitted after the game that he called it wrong just rubbed salt in the wound but we should have known there and then that it was not to be Arthurlie's day. Despite the set back Arthurlie continued to push forward and Alan Rae saw his header fly wide after a rare lapse in the Bo'ness defence. Xander Ryan was next to try his luck but saw his shot fizz over the bar after a decent run had taken him past the tiring defence. Bo'ness came back into the game and carved out a few chances of their own but their real strength had been in defence and they just managed to hang on for a famous cup win. One more chance fell to Bonnar McKenzie with time running out but his shot was tipped away by the keeper and the dream was over. All credit to Bo'ness, they defended superbly and at
times rode their luck but I'm afraid that it is all about sticking the
ball in the net and they took one of their few chances while we didn't
take any of ours. In just about every conflict we are told that if you
control the skies then you win the war, well Bo'ness used their height
to great advantage and we just couldn't get that wee break you need.
Arthurlie: Cormack, McKeown, Travers ,Jack, Martin, Robertson,
Ryan, Smith (Hobbs 45), Brolly (Madden 70), Rae, McKenzie Bo'ness United: Binnie; Smith, King, Todd, Yates, Muirhead
(Hodge), Donald, Mooney, Ferguson, Herd (Jeffrey), Wood (Ryan).
Stevie Jack has at last started his charge for the top scorer award by sticking away Arthurlie's opener from the spot after a blatant handball in the box. A truly wonderful move then lead to Robert Downs marking his return to the team with a side foot finish as Arthurlie threatened to blow 'lang away in the first half. A neat turn and pass from Brian McKeown then sent Downs through on the keeper who came out to narrow the angles, Downs crossed for McKenzie but the defender turned the ball into the net. McKenzie did get in on the act when he raced clear to slot home after Downs had set him up. What a reaction from the players after the Scottish cup exit, they all contributed to a magnificent performance but stand outs were Stevie Jack, Brian McKeown and my man of the match Robert Downs, so hard working and it is well appreciated from the fans...well done Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack (Somers), Allison, Robertson, Ryan, Smith, McKenzie (Brolly), Rae, Downs (Madden) subs Hobbs, Graham A dismal performance saw us exit from the Whyte & Mackay cup at the hands of Troon again and set alarms bell ringing as we failed to score for the second home game running. Hopes were high after the previous weeks mauling of Cambuslang but a strangely lackluster Arthurlie can have no complaints about the result as the visitors were well worth their win. After a scrappy opening Troon took the lead when a defensive mix up allowed the striker to steer the ball past Cormack and they held this advantage at half time. A more determined Arthurlie emerged from the dressing rooms and at last started threatening the visiting goal. Best chance fell to Bonnar McKenzie but from almost on the goal line he somehow managed to head the ball off the post and the chance was lost. At that point we knew it was not to be Arthurlie’s day and with 15 minutes remaining Troon sealed the win when further hesitancy at the back saw a Troon forward nip in and lob the advancing Cormack. MATCH REPORT by FRANK CASSIDY BELLSHILL 0 ARTHURLIE 3 -5-4-03 Fullarton Park, Tollcross, In the picturesque setting of the Vale of Clyde (What would happen if American tourists, armed with camcorders, arrived at the Vale?) Arthurlie took on the side many consider to be our closest challengers, Bellshill. A close, hard-fought contest was expected. Half of that prediction was accurate. Arthurlie made 3 changes, Bryan Smith and Stewart Allison returning with Gordon McIntyre making his competitive debut in goal. Bellshill had 2 ex-Arthurlie players in Scott Archer and Jimmy Creaney. A lively away support outnumbered the "home" fans although the Bellshill Buckfast Boys provided a noisy background to the match. 2 MINS-A long clearance from Stevie Jack found Robert Downs clear but he put his shot past the post 5 MINS-After a great run and shot from Zander Ryan a corner produced nothing 6 MINS-Bryson was spoken to by the ref after barging into the back of Downs 9 MINS-Bryan Smith had a double shot on goal. Rowan saved his first shot; Bryan put the rebound wide. 16 MINS-A long-range effort from Ryan went over the bar 18 MINS-After a good interchange between McKenzie, Ryan and Travers Robert Downs was set up with an opportunity but had a shot saved at point blank range
34 MINS-Bryson booked for persistent fouling 35 MINS-Great forward run from Brian McKeown through the middle followed by a pass wide to Bonnar who put in a perfect cross to Downs who headed home 42 MINS-Good work by Downs earned Arthurlie a corner .An inch-perfect cross from Mark Travers was headed into the net to finish off the half perfectly. HALF-TIME- Arthurlie 2 Bellshill 0 52 MINS- A run down the right gave Downs space to cross to Travers who put a hook shot wide 61 MINS-Alan Rae booked for a foul on D.Brown 67 MINS-Kelly booked for an over the top tackle on Alan Rae.From the resultant free kick Rae shot narrowly past from distance 68 MINS-Dingwall, clearly showing signs of frustration, booked for an illegal challenge on McIntyre. 72 MINS-Arthurlie had a goal disallowed. McKenzie appeared
to out-jump the goalie fair and square but the referee decided otherwise
73 MINS-Again, good work from Downs on the right, but there were no takers for his cross 76 MINS-McGrillen booked for deliberate handball 78MINS-Kelly gets red card. He was given his second yellow card of the match after an off the ball incident which also saw Bonnar booked 79 MINS-McIntyre saved well from Creaney at the near post 82 MINS-After a good run from Travers, Downs brought out a double save from Rowan 84 MINS-Dingwall, through on goal after a slack back pass, was denied by McIntyre 90MINS-Robert Downs sprung the offside trap, fed a perfect ball to Bryan Smith who steadied himself and rolled the ball into the net. FINAL SCORE-ARTHURLIE 3 BELLSHILL 0 BELLSHILL-Rowan, Bryson, Burns, Archer, Kelly, J.Brown, D.Brown, Franchetti, Dingwall, Creaney, McGrillen. ARTHURLIE-McIntyre, Ryan, Robertson, Jack, Allison, Travers, McKeown, Smith, McKenzie, Rae, Downs SUBS (not used)-Martin, Brolly, Madden, Hobbs, Somers REFEREE-Mr George Drummond. Arthurlie 0 Report By Jim O'Donnell, Evening Times ARTHURLIE were the happier side after a 0-0 stalemate with Petershill in a Rockware First Division promotion clash. The Dunterlie Park meeting was always going to be a tense affair, with the combatants among the five teams challenging for the two available spots in the Super Premier. Although there was little to enthuse over in a dreadful 90 minutes, at least it was competitive. In fact, after just 45 seconds, Peasy ace Brian Welsh was led off the field, blood streaming from his head after an accidental collision. Another three head knock stoppages, numerous thundering challenges and spoiling fouls, and yellow cards for Arthurlie's Charlie Hobbs and Peasy pair Gary McGrotty and Scott McKay followed before 'Lie midfielder Brian Smith headed over the bar when it looked easier to score just before the break. The second period saw Peasy's Stevie Dallas force Dave Cormack into a good save before the home side's Zander Ryan missed the best chance of the match. Referee Steven Craven then had his work cut out as the challenges flew in, with cautions for Alan Rae and visiting trio Dallas, Welsh and Robert Hutcheson, followed by the 84th-minute dismissal of Arthurlie's Davie Brolly for violent conduct only minutes after entering the fray as a substitute. Disappointed 'Lie boss Frank Lynch said: "That's
easily our worst performance of the season. We allowed ourselves to
get drawn into a physical contest instead of putting our foot on the
ball. "It's a better point for us than Petershill, who have missed
an opportunity to reduce the points deficit between us.'' Petershill gaffer Gerry McLaughlin countered: "If you'd told me at the start of the game we would play well below our capabilities and come away with a point then I'd have been more than satisfied.'' Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Robertson, Jack, Allison,
Travers, Smith ( McGarvey 65), McKenzie (Brolly 80), Rae, Hobbs (Downs
45) 'lie march on Arthurlie 2 (McKenzie, Downs) Arthurlie moved one game away from promotion to the premier league by brushing aside a Hurlford side who after this performance look in real danger of exiting the league in the opposite direction. Only one minute had passed when a misplaced pass from
'ford's Wilson sent Downs away, the striker was just about to pull the
trigger when he was foiled by a great tackle from Kerr. The visitors
then put the 'lie defence under pressure and it took a fabulous one
handed save from Cormack to deny McCall. The same player then latched
onto a loose ball in the box and chipped the advancing keeper but this
time 'lie skipper Stuart Allison headed off the line. With these scares
over, Arthurlie went ahead on 16 minutes when Robert Downs produced
a great piece of skill on the right wing to beat his marker, his low
cross flashed across goal and there was Bonnar McKenzie to knock it
past ex lie keeper Hutchison. Hurlford were fighting for their lives and they came so close to equalizing when McIlroy hit a superb free kick that was deflected onto the bar. Just after the half hour mark we had the games most controversial incident when Alan Rae was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Russell in the middle of the park, Rae had been spoken to for three previous fouls but most people in the ground expected at worst a yellow for his fourth but they were all as stunned as the midfielder as he stared at the first red card of his career. As often happens in these situations it was the ten men, no doubt harbouring feelings of injustice, who dominated the remainder of the half and should have added to the lead, best chances fell to Allison who headed just wide from a Ryan corner, and Martin McGarvey who saw his clever chip tipped over. Half time Arthurlie 1 Hurlford 0 The same pattern of play was picked up after the restart and it took Arthurlie only three minutes to make it 2-0. Robert Downs latched onto a through ball and sped away from Donnelly, as Hutchison came out to narrow the angle Downs waited for the precise moment to clip the ball over him for a quite wonderful finish. It was hard to see which team had ten men as Arthurlie threatened to score every time they went forward and Allison came agonisingly close when his header smacked off a post with the keeper rooted to his line. Man of the match Downs then left the field and the crowd showed their appreciation for his play with a great round of a applause. More chances followed but despite adding to the scoring it was a happy 'lie team who headed to the dressing room to celebrate taking another step nearer promotion. Arthurlie Cormack, Ryan, Robertson, Jack, Allison, Travers,
McKeown, McGarvey, McKenzie (Hobbs 80) , Rae, Downs (Madden 74) Hurlford Hutchison, Donnelly, Shanney, Kerr, Moore, McIlroy,
Wilson, Russell, Johnson, McCall, McGregor
Arthurlie travelled to Springburn needing a point to secure promotion, but going for 3 points to keep the title challenge on course. Almost on cue, at kick-off time the weather picked where it had left off at our last visit (i.e. a monsoon) The match itself was a tale of 2 penalties, a second half in which Arthurlie were encamped in the Petershill half and goalie Cormack playing sweeper. 4 MINS-Athurlie`s first chance as a through ball from Downs to Smith brought out a save from the home keeper 10 MINS-McGarvey clattered by Beattie, who was spoken to by the ref 14 MINS-McShane converts Petershill penalty 20 MINS-Allison heads net-bound shot off the line 22 MINS-Lee Martin replaces Zander Ryan 23 MINS-Free kick from Jack finds Downs whose header was smothered easily 30 MINS-Two-footed tackle on Martin earns Hutchison a yellow card 32 MINS-Mark Ross replaces Mark Travers 35 MINS-Shot from Mark Ross goes over the bar 40 MINS-Allison header goes past the post 44 MINS-Easton yellow-carded for a late tackle on Madden 49 MINS-McKeown sets up Downs, who was adjudged offside 51 MINS-Smith brought down in the box, McKenzie booked Stevie Jack hits the post with the resultant penalty 59 MINS-Lee Martin and Finnegan both booked after a tangle of legs 70 MINS-McShane booked for persistent fouling 72 MINS-Great pass into the danger area from Downs but no takers 74 MINS-Bonnar replaces Brian McKeown 84 MINS-Mark Ross booked for dissent 90 MINS-Muir booked for a viscous tackle on Martin STOPPAGE TIME-Arthurlie missed several chances as they piled on the pressure but could not get the breakthrough their play deserved. PETERSHILL-Burns, Finnegan, Muir, Hutchison, Beattie, J.Reilly, Easton, McShane, A.Reilly, Gault, McKenzie ARTHURLIE- Cormack, Ryan, Robertson, Jack, Alison, Travers, McKeown, McGarvey, Madden, Smith, Downs
REFEREE-MR.STEVE CRAVEN. Central League cup 3rd round Wednesday 7th May 2003 Report by Jim O'Donnell- evening times THE Arthurlie winning machine keeps on rolling and Maryhill were the latest victims when trounced 3-1 in the Central League Cup. Frank Lynch's side, chasing a league and cup double, were comfortable winners against a depleted Hill who played with only 10 men after striker Gordon Young was sent packing on the hour mark for using abusive language. His dismissal came in the aftermath of Arthurlie's Mark Travers putting the Barrhead men 2-1 in front with a sclaffed shot - it appeared to all and sundry he had used a hand to control the initial cross ball. The first 45 minutes had finished all-square despite Arthurlie being totally on top. Dominant yes, but the problem was they squandered chance after chance - and whenever they did get through, found Maryhill goalkeeper Andy McCondichie in top form. Five minutes after the resumption came the breakthrough when Robert Downs skinned Paul Watson on the right wing and cut the ball back for Bonar McKenzie to net from three yards.
Maryhill responded by pushing upfield, and were rewarded shortly afterwards when Stevie Miller's surging run and cross led to Davie Cormack punching out - but only as far as John Tinney, who made it 1-1. After Travers had netted Arthurlie's second off a corner kick, the game was all but over as a contest, especially with the dismissal of Young. It was no real surprise when Gary Madden added the final goal in the closing stages to round off a good night for the First Division side.
Cumbernauld 1 (McPhee) Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Saturday 17th May 2002 Both teams had everything to play for but it seems that survival meant more than glory as Cumbernauld secured the three points that kept them in the 1st Division. It was all or nothing for United in this match after having three points deducted from their points total. For the first quarter of an hour they struggled to get to grips with the match, as Arthurlie took control. The 'lie forwards again squandered a host of chances and were punished right on half time when Gary McPhee curled in fantastic free kick that beat Cormack low to his right. Half-time: United 1 - 0 Arthurlie. Lee Martin replaced the injured Stuart Allison at the
break and the 'lie went all out to get back on terms. They were met
by a fired up home side who fought for every ball and as the half wore
on it became desperate as they clung onto the slender lead. The final
ten minutes felt like an eternity to the United support but despite
a few half chances Arthurlie never really did enough to deny them the
three points they so keenly desired. When the final whistle sounded,
the United players and supporters celebrated the fact that they had
remained in the Rockware Super League First Division. Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 1 Central League cup 1/4 final Monday 19th May 2003 Arthurlie strolled into the semi finals with a performance that just simply blew the 'rabs away, they ran in 5 goals but really should have had a lot more. It took only 11 minutes for the 'lie to open the scoring when good work down the left by Mark Travers saw him outstrip his marker and fire in a low cross at pace that had the home defence in real trouble, the ball took a deflection off a defender before Martin McGarvey poked it home. Stevie Jack was taken late on the half way line but the referee allowed the advantage and Brian McKeown crossed for Gary Madden to smash home the second. The foul on Jack was a bad one and it saw Kirkintilloch's Sim pick up his second yellow and leave his side down to ten men. The ten men rallied and won a penalty when Jackson was
clipped in the box by Alan Rae, stonewall award and so was the outcome
as McBrearty fired low into Cormack right hand corner. Any hope the
home side had of getting back into the tie were dashed when Brian McKeown
scored a goal with class stamped all over it, he was put through 25
yards from goal and showed great composure to dummy the keeper before
rolling the ball into the empty net. Lots of plus points tonight with Martin McGarvey having a stroll, Mark Travers also enjoyed a great performance but man of the match was Brian McKeown, up and down the park all night and scored that brilliant third.
Rockware Glass Superleague First Division Tuesday 27th May 2003 Mark Travers was the man who hit the goal that all but clinched the league title for Arthurlie in front of over 800 fans who are in no doubt that both these clubs will enhance the premier league. Arthurlie started in whirlwind fashion and came so close inside the first minute when McKenzie's shot was deflected wide. Bellshill were struggling to cope and a McGarvey back heel sent Travers on his way and his dangerous cross had the defence in a spin.
Half time Arthurlie 0 Bellshill 1 Bellshill were looking pretty comfortable the minutes
ticked by but their plans came unstuck in spectacular fashion on 57
minutes. A cross from the left wing was headed out by the commanding
Danny Drew where it fell to Mark Travers 30 yards out, the midfielder
hit the ball first time and it sped along the surface and beyond the
keeper to level the scores. Bellshill raced up the park and Dingwall
saw his close range header well saved by Cormack before we had a real
talking point on the hour. Arthurlie won a free kick 25 yards from McDaid's
goal and Zander Ryan hit a curling shot that brought out a magnificent
save from the keeper who somehow managed to tip it onto the bar, following
up for the rebound was McKenzie and he nodded home but his celebrations
were cut short by the linesman's flag in what must have been a very
close call. Arthurlie went all out for the winner and Rae saw his volley
turned round the post before Mark Ross connected with a corner but saw
his header cleared. Bellshill weathered the storm and then pushed late on for all three points to keep their own title dream alive, first a great run and shot from McGrillen had Cormack looking worried and then a Dingwall free kick saw the big keeper save well. With only 3 minutes remaining the visitors were denied what looked a stonewall penalty when Jimmy Creaney was brought down in the box by Cormack, the referee took an age to make up his mind and in the end decided to award a corner much to the relief of the home fans. Arthurlie Cormack, Ryan, Ross, Jack, Allison, McKeown (Smith 67), Travers, McGarvey, McKenzie, Rae, Downs (Hobbs 67) subs Martin, Madden, Brolly Bellshill McDaid, Bryson, Muir, Brown, Drew, Kelly, Jeffries,
Brady, Dingwall, Creaney, McGrillen subs Burns, Anderson, Fay, Archer,
Brown Downs says "make mine a double"
Abercorn Central League Cup Final Friday 30th May 2003 A strangely low key affair for a final this and early exchanges were even with Arthurlie perhaps playing the more attractive football however Larkhall were working hard to close down space & make things difficult for the Barrhead sides pacy forwards. The opening goal was a result of slack marking down the Thistle right which allowed Arthurlie to get in behind the defence & the cross across the 6 yard box was missed by 2 defenders & easily slotted home by Brian McKeown. Chances were hard to come by but from an excellent run down the right by McKeever he sent in a great cross that was headed home by Brian Watret whilst under extreme pressure. A great goal !
The Barrhead team got the winner when a super cross by
Bonnar McKenzie was met in the air by Robert Downs at the back of the
six yard box & his header looped over Craig Marshall. Thistle then
had a great chance to level things up but Cormack pulled over a tremendous
double save despite his injury and shortly thereafter he made a great
stop from Watret. Thistle were now becoming frustrated and Stephen McQuade
was sent off late on for a second booking. Arthurlie Cormack, McKeown, Travers, Jack, Allison, Robertson, Ryan, McGarvey, McKenzie (Brolly 80), Rae (Ross 28), Downs (Hobbs 70) subs Martin, Smith Team- Marshall, McAninch, Campbell (McQuade), Stirrat
(O’Brien), Gardiner, McKeever, Main, Watret, Black, Morgan (Melvin)
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