East Kilbride
4-1 Cambuslang Rangers
Abercorn 1st
Division
Wednesday 28thth
May
Report by
Craig Anderson of www.ekthistlefc.co.uk
EAST Kilbride Thistle finally found their winning touch at
Showpark on Wednesday night and managed to shunt the Cambuslang Rangers train
off the title tracks in the process.
And while Lang still have games to realise their aspirations of returning to
the Super League process, they would have been hugely disappointed at not
taking anything from their local rivals. For Thistle though, it was a good
three points to get in a season that has gone badly wrong in the last couple of
months and the goals, courtesy of Martin Fellowes, Stephen Brogan, Martin McVey
and a superb James Bruce free kick, would have pleased John Brogan.
Proceedings could have started a little earlier when a short Stephen Brogan
found Colin Mitchell on the right of the Lang area. His cross-cum-shot though
caused Lang keeper Craig Rowan some concern and he had to tip it over the bar.
It was another Brogan corner that led to the first goal for Thistle on 12
minutes when his lofted ball in found the Lang defenders all at sea, allowing
McVey to slot it left to Fellowes, who smashed home from close range.
Following a dangerous effort from Alan McCrae that skidded wide of the Thistle
post, it was the home side; that doubled their advantage. Chris Sweeney, playing
an unfamiliar right back role, hurled a long throw into the Lang box where Tom
Maider got the slightest flick to play it on for Brogan, who nodded home at the
back post.
One of the pet hates that John Brogan has had to contend with this season has
been shambolic decision making by referees and once again John was furious when
a long innocuous pass from Stephen Watson was retrieved by former Thistle
captain Martin Feenie, who suddenly had Martin McVey snapping at his heels.
With nowhere else to go, Feenie played it back to his goalkeeper Rowan, who
picked the ball up with his hands. Furious shouts erupted around Showpark for a
backpass that somehow went unheeded by referee Derek Nicholls, who later
claimed he didn’t see it.
Nicholls again faced the wrath of a vociferous EK support on 34 minutes when
Craig Bryson picked up the ball just outside the area and was the subject of a
blatant two-footed tackle by Feenie, but again he shook his head in
disagreement and no punishment was awarded. That was soon forgotten about as
Thistle got more daylight on their rivals with a third goal on 35 minutes when
the old wise head of Colin Mitchell lofted a high pass over the heads of the
Lang defence, where McVey latched on to it and slotted it past Rowan, the
keeper he scored against in the 2002 Sectional League Cup Final.
The enigmatic McVey could have bagged a second minutes before the break when he
glanced a header wide after meeting a good cross from Chris Sweeney. Thistle
went in at the break three goals up and looked very comfortable, with Danny Moy
failing to be troubled in the entire first half but you couldn’t help thinking
Cambuslang would come out all guns blazing in the second 45 minutes. They were
proved right when Craig Ferguson’s flighted cross from the right was missed by
Alan Paterson but met by McCrae, whose on-target header was scooped away by
Moy.
The Somervell Park side had a lifeline on the 50th minute when Alan Paterson’s
cutback was handled by Jags skipper Ian Penman, somewhat unlucky as he was falling
to the ground. Referee Nicholls awarded a spot kick and it was McCrae who
converted by sending Moy the wrong way. Lang had now gathered a little momentum
and another former Thistle man Jimmy Coulter could have pulled another goal
back on 58 minutes when Paterson’s corner found the midfielder unmarked on the
edge of the area and he thumped it first time, forcing Moy to plunge low to
stop it.
More Cambuslang pressure followed and a scramble in the Thistle box saw more
handball claims from the Lang bench after the ball appeared to strike Bryson’s
arm and Moy spilled Galloway’s shot, but the Thistle defence were resolute.
Thistle themselves created a few chances despite the urgency of Lang and Dougie
Brownlie, on as a sub for McVey, was unlucky as he twisted and turned inside
Paul Burns before getting a shot off but it failed to trouble Rowan.
It was another Brownlie v Burns clash that earned Thistle a free kick on the
edge of the Lang area on 78 minutes. From the dugout, boss Brogan roared for
James Bruce to take it and his call was spot on as Ryan Kelly’s step over
allowed Bruce to blast a thunderbolt that smashed the post before burrowing
into the net and give Thistle a healthy 4-1 lead. With the match slipping away
from the promotion challengers, tempers were frayed as Lang scorer McCrae took
exception to a challenge from Penman, to which he retaliated by shoving the
Thistle captain. A small melee followed and once things had calmed down, James
Bruce and McCrae received yellow cards.
Line Ups
East Kilbride Thistle – Moy, Sweeney, Penman (Taylor 86),
Mitchell, Maider, Watson, Bryson, Brogan, Fellowes (Bruce 71), Kelly, McVey
(Brownlie 60)
SUBS NOT USED – Graham, Lees
Cambuslang Rangers – Rowan, Ferguson, Burns, Feenie, Martin (Galloway 54),
Coulter, Paterson, Doak, Holmes, McCrae, McCarroll
SUBS NOT USED – Archer, Stoddart, Love, Carmichael