Cambuslang Rangers 1-1
East Kilbride Thistle
Abercorn 1st Division
Saturday 29th November
at Somervell Sea
Park
Cambuslang Rangers dropped their
first home points of the season after a hard fought 1-1 draw at home to East
Kilbride Thistle at the weekend. At rain lashed Somervell park
they had to come from behind to snatch a share of the spoils with
a excellent free kick from Paul Burns that cancelled out an earlier
strike by Thistle's Tom Maider in a game that should never
have been started in the first place. Torrential rain for most of
the morning had made the park very heavy with puddles all over the surface,
making the movement of the ball on the surface very difficult indeed. The only
question being asked before the game was how long before it would be abandoned?
The home side welcomed back flu
victims Burns and Fennie back into the starting line up after missing last
weeks match. The big surprise of the day was the omission of striker Richie
Love, who didn't even make the bench.
As the game got under way it was
the visitors who seemed to adapt on the surface a lot more easier than
their Somervell counterparts. The heavy surface just didn't suit the free
flowing football that the home fans had come accustomed to this season. East
Kilbride posted their intentions early on and tested the home defence after 5
minutes but Rowan was on hand to deal with a dangerous cross into the box.
After 10 minutes the Lang keeper could only stand and watch as Brownlie
unleashed a superb shot that rattled the inside of the post before spinning
along the line and out for a bye kick, much to the relief of the home support
who had braved the elements. It wasn't long though before the visitors opened
the scoring. On the 10 minute mark they got their noses in front courtesy of a
powerful header from Maider who headed home from a corner that the Lang defence
failed to cut out. Only a minute later and it was almost two, but Galloway
headed Conway's effort off the line after another corner kick caused problems
for the Lang defence. The first booking came mid way through the first half and
it was Martin Fellowes of EK, who was the culprit as he went in late on Gary
McGregor,and he received a yellow card. The Lang's first real effort came
from the boot of top scorer Brown who forced Moy's into a stop which was
fumbled but gathered at the second attempt. Brown’s strike partner Alan McCrae
should have done better on 36 minutes when his effort fizzed high over the bar
from a good position.
H- T 0-1
As the second half started again
the talk amongst the supporters was just how long the referee would allow this
farce to continue as players were sliding all over the place and how someone
was not seriously injured is another matter.
The home side played better in the
second 45 minutes. After only 10 minutes after the restart both managers
were hauled together and just as everyone though that was it, the game
continued, so just what was said is still unclear but with EK winning 1-0 at
the moment it is unlikely they would want the game abandoned. But played did
continue and it was the home team doing most of the pressing by this time. Lang
were unlucky when a Burns pass ball in found Galloway, who knocked
it back across goal for Holmes, but Holmes at full stretch couldn't get
enough on the shot to trouble Moys in the EK goal. Cambuslang then replaced the
hard working Galloway with Ferguson on the hour mark. The home side did get
back on level terms after Burns stroked a free kick, conceded by Penman, calmly
around the defensive wall and into the net giving Moys no chance. Cambuslang
went close through Homes as his effort went inches wide from 20 yards. Two more
substitution followed for the Lang as Carmichael replaced McCrae and Stoddart
replaced Holmes. The home side could have found themselves a man down as Feenie
cynically hauled down Brogan with space in front of the EK striker other ref's
would have sent the Lang defender for an early bath. Both sides seemed to
settle for the point as the game splodge to an end.
And as one Junior Fan put it at
the end
"I just hope Cambuslang’s
ground staff gets started early on getting their park playable for their next
home game because not even “Ground Force” would be able to fix that one"
Line
up
Cambuslang Rangers – Rowan, Doak, McGregor, Feenie, Martin, Coulter, Galloway
(Ferguson), Holmes (Stoddart 80), McCrae (Carmichael 73), Brown, Burns
SUBS NOT USED – Murphy, McCarroll
East Kilbride Thistle – Moy,
Shearer, Penman, Mitchell, Maider, Rooney, Sweeney (Watson 67), Brownlie
(Brogan 59), Fellowes (Taylor 81), Conway, Kerr
SUBS NOT USED – Graham, Bruce