Cambuslang Rangers 2-2 Beith
Rockware
Glass Super 1st Division
Saturday
16th November
at
Somervell Park
Cambuslang Rangers kept up there impressive run
against Ayrshire opposition when Beith visited Somervell at the weekend. The
local side have remained unbeaten against west coast opposition since the new
set up started at the beginning of the season. Beith were to prove the most
difficult opponents so far and for long spells it looked like the visitors
would hand out a severe beating to the Lang. 2 goals at the end of the first
half left the Lang reeling but a spirited fight back in the second saw then
grab 2 goals themselves and earn a share of the points.
Cambuslang welcomed back Jim Kavanagh to the
heart of the defence and Foster dropped to the bench to make way for him. Derek
Carmichael was suspended following his red card against Largs. His starting
spot was given to Paul Dignam.
Cambuslang started well enough and could have
opened the scoring after only 5 minutes. Billy Holmes played in Paul Dignam bus
his effort was superbly saved by Ross in the Beith goal. As the half progressed
it was the visitors doing most of the pressing as Cambuslang struggled to get
out of their own half. Indeed they should have went in front on 15 minutes,
poor marking in the Lang defence allowed Ewing time to shoot but he fired wide
from a good position. The home side went close when an Alan Paterson 25 yard
effort had to be tipped over the bar by the keeper. Cambuslang rode their luck
minutes later when the visitors rattled the bar twice in quick succession.
Ewing saw his effort tipped onto the bar by Wardlaw but the ball fell kindly
for Foy who was following up and all he had to do was knock it home but his
powerful drive rattled the underside of the bar then the danger was eventually
cleared by the Lang defence. As the chances were being created it looked
inevitable that visitors would eventually make one count, and that's exactly
what happened on the 40-minute mark. A dangerous cross was delivered into the box,
which the Lang defence, failed to deal with allowing Craig the easy task of
knocking home. That lead was doubled only a minute later when McCulloch headed
home a corner after once again the Lang rear guard failed to cut it out.
H-T 0-2
Cambuslang started the second half with Stewart
Taylor on the park after Gary McGregor failed to recover from a knock picked up
in the first half. The visitors started the second half much the same way as
they finished the first and could have grabbed another couple of goals inside
the first few minutes. Craig missed an open goal from about 6 yards when he
shot wide while under pressure. This seemed to give the home side a much-needed
shake and they began to move the ball about a bit and started to get back into
the game. They found themselves right back in it when skipper Billy Holmes
pulled a goal back. A excellent cross into the box by Paterson was met by the
head of Holmes and he nodded home from 6 yards. Cambuslang made their second
change of the afternoon when they brought on Mark Daisley in place of Alan
McCrae. Cambuslang then picked up two quick bookings when both Taylor and
Holmes were yellow carded in separate incidents. Cambuslang should have been
awarded a penalty on 70 minutes when sub Mark Daisley was upended in the box
but the referee waived play on much to the annoyance of the home support.
Holmes had a header well saved by the keeper as Cambuslang pressed for an
equaliser. With 15 minutes left Cambuslang replaced Paterson with Fay. Beith
then had Brown yellow carded. The home side were given a glorious chance
to level when they were awarded a spot kick after a Beith player handled in the
box. The visitors were very much incensed by eh decision that they had Brown yellow
carded then sent off for complaining too much. There was a five-minute delay
before Holmes took the kick but the wait seemed to have an adverse effect on
the Lang skipper as his kick was well saved by the keeper. That looked to have
been Lang's chance gone but credit to the home side as they battled for every
ball to the final minute. Beith were trying every trick in the book to slow the
play down as they desperately tried to hang onto the narrow lead. The home side
got the deserved equaliser in the final minute and it was a superbly taken
goal. Iain Stoddart was put through by a nicely weighted ball from Fay and his
cross came to Daisley who allowed the ball to go through his legs before
flicking his back heel and knocking the ball home. Both fans and players went
crazy to celebrate an excellent second half come back.
Line up
Wardlaw, Ferguson, McGregor (Taylor 45),
Kavanagh, Webster, Stoddart, Paterson (Fay 75), McCrae (Daisley 55), Dignam,
McFarlane & Holmes
Subs not used. McGovern & Foster