Beith 3-0 Cambuslang
Rangers
Rockware Glass Super 1st division
Saturday 10th May
at Winton Park
Cambuslang brought the curtain down on what can only be described
as a quite miserable league campaign. In fact the season as a whole has been a
pretty poor one. With relegation still a distinct possibility it is now out of
the Somervell Park sides own hands as to which division they will be playing in
next season. They must now hope that Cumbernauld, who are subject to a SJFA
investigation into playing an ineligible player, and they lose the 3 points
gained from that match. Also they must hope the side directly below them,
Hurlford, lost their final game this Saturday against Renfrew. It is still all
if buts and maybes but all will be settled on Saturday as Cambuslang stand back
and watch it unfurl.
The home side are still in the hunt for a promotion spot and this
would ensure that this would be every bit as difficult a game they could have
expected.
Cambuslang made a couple of changes to the side that lost by the
single goal vs. Shettleston last Monday night. Dignam and Daisley were ruled
out through injury. Balmain and Feeney coming into the starting line up.
Indications of just how difficult an afternoon Cambuslang were in
for became apparent after only 3 minutes when McGovern in the Lang goal had to
be sharp after the Lang defence stood waiting on an offside flag, but McGovern
reacted quickly to block the shot. Only a minute later and Beith had another
great opportunity to open the scoring but this time the shot was pulled wide of
the goal. Cambuslang had a chance at the other end when Holmes played in
Balmain but the keeper did enough to thwart the Lang midfielder. Balmain then
went close with a shot from the edge of the box that went inches over the bar.
Cambuslang were dealt a blow when Gary McGregor hobbled from the field after
only 15 minutes. With a ideal replacement on the bench, Stewart Taylor,
Cambuslang management team surprised everyone by bringing on Stoddart, a
midfielder, instead. As the game raged on Cambuslang picked up the first
booking of the afternoon when Galloway was booked for a foul when he clearly
played the ball. Carmichael had the Lang's next effort but it was high, wide
and not very handsome. just before the break Cambuslang found themselves a
goal down. A long hopeful ball from defence caught Cambuslang napping and McGovern
came sprinting from goal only for the Beith striker to knock the ball home.
H-T 1-0
The second half didn't get any better for the visitors as the
faced a barrage of shots from the home side. Cambuslang almost levelled the
match when Galloway found himself in space but he blasted his shot over the
bar. Beith grabbed the all important second goal after Balmain gave the ball
away needlessly to the Beith striker who made no mistake in despatching his
shot past McGovern in the Lang goal. The goal tally should have been increased
only a minute later but the chance was squarned by the Beith striker. Another
chance went a begging when the home side once again found themselves presented
with an opportunity this time a good save from McGovern kept the ball from ending
up in the back of the net. It wasn't all one way traffic though and Cambuslang
did have some chances of their own. None more so than substitute Stoddart who
had an effort well saved by the Beith keeper. The visitors afternoon just went
from bad to worse when they were reduced to 10 men. Carmichael was red carded
for an off the ball incident spotted by the lines man. With 15 minutes left on
the clock the game was over as a contest when the home side grabbed the third
of the afternoon. Again the offside trap failed and allowed Beith in on goal
and they easily slotted past a once again exposed Lang keeper.
F-T 3-0
Lang
McGovern, Ferguson, McGregor (Stoddart 15), Kavanagh, Doak,
Webster, Balmain, Feeney (McCrae 75), Holmes, Carmichael & Galloway
Subs Not Used Wardlaw, Taylor & Foster