Largs Thistle
1-2 Cambuslang Rangers
Rockware Super 1st Division
Saturday 9th November
at Barrfields Park
Cambuslang found themselves on the road yet again this time they
travelled to take on Largs, a team they played only a couple of weeks ago but
because both sides were knocked out of the Scottish cup early meant they were
the only sides available for league duty. After last weeks disappointing display
in the 5-2 drubbing by Shotts Cambuslang were again forced into changes in
personnel. Jim Kavanagh and Kenny Balmain were still missing through injuries. Keeper
McGovern lost his place between the sticks as Alan Wardlaw came back into the
side.
The game itself was a pretty drab encounter but the visitors did
come out on top with the same scoreline as the last time they met, 2-1 to the
Lang.
The game started very tamely with neither team creating any
chances for the strikers and the ball was just being fired from one end of the
park to the other. It was a full 20 minutes before the first effort at goal and
it came from the homeside. A corner was flighted into the box and it was met
well by Meechan but his header went inches over the bar. Cambuslang's first
effort came from Carmichael but his effort was a poor one and the keeper easily
saved. The home side should have opened the scoring on 25 minutes when
Meechan's lob beat Wardlaw but Foster was on hand to clear the danger.
Cambuslang were awarded a penalty on the half hour mark when McCrae was barged
over in the box and Derek Carmichael slotted to put the Lang in front with
there first real attack of the first half.
H-T 0-1
Cambuslang came out in the second half looking the more hungrier
side and it was no surprise when they grabbed a second. McCrae played a superb
defence splitting pass that Holmes latched onto and he calmly slotted past the
keeper. The home side were incensed with the decision not to award offside as
Carmichael was in the offside position but as he was running away from play the
flag, quite rightly, stayed down. Cambuslang almost grabbed another when
Carmichael fired in a thunderous shot but the keeper pulled off a super stop to
keep the ball out. Carmichael was again unlucky when his header was again well
saved this time the keeper diving to his left turned the ball round the post.
Cambuslang made a double change when Dignam and Taylor replaced Holmes and
McCrae. The sub seemed to have an effect on the team as the seemed to lose
their way a little and allowed Largs to come into the game a bit more. With 5
minutes remaining the home side were thrown a life line when a mistake by
Foster allowed Largs in to get a goal back and this set up a nervy last 5
minutes in a game Cambuslang were cruising in at 2-0. A minute later and Largs
should have been level but a free header was put wide from only 5 yards out.
The game exploded with only a minute remaining and both sides were reduced to
10 men. Carmichael and A Largs defender tangled going for a ball and both
player squared up to each other and as they both raised their arms they had to
go. Largs keeper can count himself lucky not to be sent off too as he had a
kick at Carmichael as he lay on the floor. The home side thought they had got
the late leveller but the linesman had flagged for offside so the goal didn't
count. Into stoppage time and it was still all Largs searching for the goal
that would have earned a share of the points. The last attack of the game
resulted in a quite stunning save from Lang's keeper Wardlaw. The ball seemed
to be heading into the top corner but Wardlaw somehow managed to get a hand on
the ball and turn it over the bar, stunning stuff.
Cambuslang held on for all three points that pout them top of the
Super League First Division for the first time.
Lang Line up
Wardlaw, Galloway, McGregor, Foster, Ferguson, Webster, Paterson,
McCrae (Taylor 80), Carmichael, Holmes (Dignam 80), McFarlane
Subs not used Daisley,
McGovern, and Fay.