Neilston
3-3 Cambuslang Rangers
Stagecoach Super League 1st Division
Saturday 9th April
At The Brig 'O' Lea Stadium
Cambuslang
Rangers will be cursing themselves after letting slip a 2 goal advantage and
with it a valuable 2 points. Leading 3-1 with 15 minutes left Cambuslang sat
back an invited trouble and it cost them dear as Neilston scored 2 late goals
to snatch a share of the spoils.
Cambuslang
Rangers went into the game minus Galloway and Carmichael who were suspended
following their red cards in the previous match. Galloway
picking up a 2 game ban while
The home side
started the brighter of the two sides and should have opened the scoring inside
the first minute but the Lang defence eventually cleared the danger. 5 minutes
later and again they found space inside the Lang box but Rowan made a
comfortable save. Neilston were having the better of the chances in the opening
20 minutes and they went close again, this time when McKee sent a telling ball
across the face of goal but to the relief of the Lang defence there were no
takers. The opening goal came on 25 minutes and it was the visitors who scored.
Brown set up McCrae who made space for the shot and fired a thunderous drive
past the despairing dive of the Neilston Number 1.
Cambuslang
were getting back into the game and creating a few chances of their own now.
Both Brown and Coulter went close with similar efforts but both went narrowly
wide of the target. with the interval looming the home
side drew level. Murdoch slipped past a few weak tackles before despatching the
ball past Rowan.
H-T 1-1
Cambuslang
made the perfect start to the second half when they scored after only a minute
of the restart. McCrae and Brown combined resulting in Brown with only the
keeper to beat, he calmly rounded the keeper and
tapped home. Minutes later and McCrae tested the Neilston keeper who did well
to turn the Lang mans shot over the bar. On the hour mark and Cambuslang should
have increased their lead, McCrae played in Brown and the keeper made a good
stop but the Lang striker should have done better. On 70 minutes Cambuslang did
increase their lead. Burns corner was fired across goal and McCrae was on hand
to tap home. A bizarre moment followed as McCrae's team-mates were prevented
from joining him to celebrate as the ref halted them saying it was time wasting
and threatened to show the yellow card.
Neilston could
have pulled a goal back but McKee saw his shot whistle inches wide with Rowan
rooted to the spot. They did manage to pull a goal back on 77 minutes. Murdoch
shot found the bottom corner. Cambuslang for whatever reason seemed to sit back
and invite Neilston onto them. With a side who has struggled at the back all
season it did seem a strange tactic to employ. They just sat along the penalty
area with no out ball as there was no one in the middle of the park to pick up
any loose balls, a ploy that cost them the 3 points.
With 5 minutes
remaining Cambuslang replaced the hard working McCrae with assistant Scott
Archer entering the frae. Neilston snatched a share of the points with only a
minute left. A cross into the box was not dealt with and Rowans poor punch
allowed McKee the time and space to toe the ball home for an unlikely point.
F-T 3-3
Rowan, Fisher,
McGowan, Feenie,
Subs Not Used
Cunningham, Lowe & Holmes