Cambuslang
Rangers 4-2 Blantyre Victoria
Beatons
Coaches
Sectional
League Cup
Wednesday
15th August
At
Somervell Park
Cambuslang Rangers good start to
the season when they came from a goal down to defeat Blantyre Vics 4-2 last
Wednesday evening. Stuart Gauley's 2nd hat-trick of the season kept the Lang in
pole position of group 5.
Manager Andy Cunningham, back
from holiday, went with the same side that had beaten East Kilbride a few days
earlier.
Blantyre posted their intentions
early on and almost took the lead on 5 minutes, a viscous cross was swung over
by Brown but Webster was unable to get on the end of it before the defence
eventually cleared the danger. Cambuslang replied immediately when Balmain
rifled in a shot from 20 yards but it flew just over the bar. A mix up in the
Blantyre defence presented Billy Holmes with a chance, keeper and defender
seemed to leave the ball to one another allowing Holmes to get in but he
knocked the ball dangerously back across the face of goal but there were no Lang
players to take advantage. Hesitation at the other end allowed Webster a sniff
at goal, Doak and Kavanagh hesitated in going for the ball but Webster slid his
shot past the upright. Cambuslang then found themselves a goal behind. McHarg
sprung the offside trap to sprint away from Kavanagh before stroking the ball
past Wardlaw. Blantyre then had 2 players booked in quick succession, Reilly
and Boyd for poor tackles. The home defence were given a let off when they were
caught napping, Brown put over a cross into the box and McHarg had the easiest
of chances to put Blantyre 2 up but he somehow headed wide from close range.
Cambuslang then had Doak and Gauley yellow carded.
H-T 0-1
It didn't take the home side to
get back on level terms, 5 minutes into the second half , skipper Billy Holmes
was on hand to knock Gauleys cross into the net. Keeper Wardlaw had to be on
his toes minutes later to punch clear a dangerous cross. Lang's Paterson then
fired in a rasper of a shot from all of 25 yards but it went just wide. On 70
minutes Stuart Gauley scored his first of the night when he robbed Allan on the
edge of the box and knocked the ball home to put the Lang back in front for the
first time. With 15 minutes remaining Blantyr changed things around a bit in an
effort to get back level, they replaced Potter with McCulloch, and it seemed to
pay immediate dividends when they drew level through McHarg, he got up between
Lang players Devanney and Mitchell and sent his header past the despairing dive
of Wardlaw. Blantyre will still celebrating their goal when the Lang went back
in front, this time Gauley latched onto the through ball from Devanney and
despite vain appeals for offside, Gauley scored his second of the night. As
Blantyre players remonstrated with the female assistant, some too strong for
the referee's liking, this resulted in a second booking for Reilly who took an
early bath. Cambuslang were quite happy to settle for that and changed things
at the back to shore up the defence. Coulter made his first appearance of the
season to replace Paterson and Watson came on for Devanney. Blantyre were not
finished yet and had a succession of corner kicks that keeper Wardlaw was quite
happy to punch away. The visitors should have equalised in the last minute when
McHarg struck the post and the rebound fell to Brown but the ball just wouldn't
come down for him and Jim Kavanagh came to the rescue and cleared upfield. The
game was all over in injury time when Gauley capped a fine display with his
third, good work by Maxwell down the left saw him fire in a shot which rattled
the post but fell kindly fell for Gauley who tapped home.
Line ups
Cambuslang Rangers
Wardlaw, Devanney (Watson 86),
Farmer, Doak, Kavanagh, Mitchell, Paterson (Coulter 85), Balmain, Holmes,
Gauley & Maxwell
Subs not used McDougall (Gk)
Simpson & Taylor
East Kilbride
Mennie, Reilly, Kerr, Harkins,
Allan, Potter, Brown K, Webster, Brown J, Boyd & McHarg
Subs from McCulloch, McNab,
Wilson & Johnstone