Cambuslang
Rangers 0-2 Lanark Utd
Abercorn Builders Premier League
Saturday 6th October
at Somervell Park
Cambuslang Rangers suffered their
first league defeat of the season on Saturday when they went down 2-0 at the
hands of Lanark United. The visitors were the side that pipped Cambuslang to
the first division title last season. It was a below par performance from the
home side who were without Kenny Balmain (Foot Injury) and Stuart Maxwell who
was on Holiday. Manager Andy Cunningham gave new boy Mark Gilhaney his first
start after signing from Clyde.
The game was a pretty drab affair
from a home supporter's point of view with the Lang creating very little. The
home side were dealt a blow after only 10 minutes when skipper Billy Holmes had
to be replaced when he failed to recover from an earlier challenge with the
keeper which left the Lang man requiring treatment. Cambuslang brought on
Graeme Doak which meant a bit of shuffling in the Lang line up, Gauley moved up
front, Devanney moved from full back to midfield and Doak slotted into the
defence. Not the best start you could have hoped for.
Lanark had the first effort at
goal but Wardlaw was equal to it and saved well. On the half-hour mark the
visitors went close again. This time Slater saw his effort come back off the up
right and rebound to safety. Cambuslang's Mitchell was first into the referee's
notebook. Lanark then squarned another chance to open the scoring when Brown
headed over from 6 yards when he really should have done better. Cambuslang's
Stewart Taylor found himself in the referee's notebook for a poor challenge on
Lennon.
H-T 0-0
Lanark started the second half
with a thunderous shot from 18 yards by Brown but it flew harmfully over the
cross bar. Cambuslang then had a rare effort at goal when Taylor tried his luck
but it went narrowly wide of the target. Lanark replaced the hard working Bell
with Donoghue. On the hour mark the visitors were awarded a very soft penalty
when Doak was adjudged to have pushed McBratney who seemed to go down very
easily indeed. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Lennon
stepped up to send Wardlaw the wrong way and put the visitors in front. In a
vain effort to get back into the game Cambuslang replaced Taylor with Dunn and
went 3 at the back. Holes began to appear in the Lang rear guard and you
wondered just when the second was going to come. And it wasn't too long, on 72
minutes a poor ball from defence by Jim Kavanagh left Devanney struggling to
get to it Lanark Knight nipped and he had time to pick out the unmarked
McBratney who had the easy job of tapping into the empty net. During the
celebrations Knight was seen to gesture to the home fans and was booked, as
this was his second of the game he was sent off. Cambuslang failed to make the
extra man count and Lanark ran out easy and comfortable winners in the end.
Line up
Cambuslang
Wardlaw, Devanney, Taylor (Dunn
72), Kavanagh, Coulter, Mitchell, Gilhaney, Gauley, Daisley, Paterson &
Holmes (Doak 10)
subs not used Johnston, McDougall
& Watson
Lanark
Smith, Brown, Peacock, Martin,
Slater, Arnott, Bell, Lennon, Knight, Barr & McBratney
Subs from Donoghue, Bulloch, Burnside, Wedlock, Steele