| CARLSBERG LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
WEDNESDAY 9th AUGUST 2006 Yoker 2 Maryhill 3 Yoker -: Dunn ( 27 ), Blackburn ( 33 ) Maryhill -: Smith ( 50 ), S.Gallagher ( 65 ), McGurn ( 66 ). Match Report by John Hinshelwood This was a proverbial "game of two halves", with Maryhill just meriting their victory by virtue of the fact that they created and took more chances than the home side, during their spell of domination. Yoker were well on top in the opening stages with Scott Black's goal coming under threat on several occasions, and they deservedly went ahead in the 27th minute from a powerful Dunn header. Frew was then unlucky when his header struck the post, but in the 33rd minute they went two up with a close range effort from Blackburn. It looked all over for Hill at this stage, as they just weren't in the game, with Yoker keeper Wilson having virtually nothing to do. In the closing five minutes of the half, however, Maryhill started to put together some promising moves with Curtis McGurn proving a constant threat to the home defence with his tricky runs down the right wing. The second half began with Hill in command and they deservedly pulled a goal back after five minutes.Smith took a pass from McGlinchey, and his shot from around 20 yards appeared to be covered by keeper Wilson, but ended up in the back of the net. Hill continued to apply almost constant pressure, and equalised midway through the half with a close range volley from Stephen Gallagher. A minute later, they were in front for the first time when McGurn capped an impressive display by coolly firing home a low shot from a McGowan pass. McGlinchey and Smith both came close to adding to the score, but despite a late surge by Yoker, Maryhill held on to their lead until the end. In the final minute Yoker's McColgan was dismissed for kicking the ball away in a petulant protest at a throw in decision, having been booked ten minutes previously. There were good displays from O'Neil, McGlinchey and McGowan, but man of the match was undoubtedly Curtis McGurn, who looks like he could be promising asset in the season ahead. YOKER-: Wilson, Harkness, Marshall, Blackburn ( Hill 54 ), Anderson ( Bisland 72 ), Smith , Bennett, Cameron, Frew, Dunn ( McLelland 54 ), McColgan. SUBS ( not used )-: Collins. BOOKED-: Dunn ( 47 ), Marshall ( 64 ), Cameron ( 79 ), McColgan ( 80 ) SENT OFF-: McColgan ( 90 ). MARYHILL-: Black, Neilson ( Benton 78 ), S.Brown, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, McCann, McGurn, Ferguson, McGowan ( Forrester 73 ), McGlinchey ( P.Gallagher 78 ), Smith. SUBS ( not used )-: G.Brown, Soave. BOOKED-: McGowan ( 21 ), S.Gallagher ( 31 ), Smith ( 34 ), S.Brown ( 71 ), Forrester ( 82 ). |
| CARLSBERG LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
WEDNESDAY 2nd AUGUST 2006 Maryhill 4 Ashfield 2 Maryhill - Wardle ( 10 ), Ferguson ( 30 ), Forrester ( 65, 85 ) Ashfield - O'Donnell ( 17 ), McFarlane ( 38 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A second half double from ex Blantyre Vics striker Andy Forrester earned Maryhill three points in their opening Carlsberg League Cup match. Maryhill's starting line up included only three regulars from last season. Nevertheless, their opening play looked promising, and they took the lead after ten minutes, when a free kick from Curtis McGurn was headed powerfully into the net by Brian Wardle. Ashfield were also playing some good football in the early stages, and deservedly equalised in the 17th minute from an O'Donnell header. A cracking 30 yard effort from Gerry Brown almost restored Hill's lead but it was just inches too high. Two minutes later, however, the same player set up a chance for Craig Ferguson , and his accurate shot from just inside the box gave Ashfield keeper Duncan no chance. The visitors kept fighting , and drew level once again eight minutes before the interval. Central defender McFarlane, whose thundering free kick earlier in the game had brought out a top class save from Scott Black, made no mistake this time. After Brian Wardle had been penalised for a foul on Tullan, McFarlane's unsaveable free sailed high into the net to make it 2 - 2 at half time. The second half was a more subdued affair, with the game only coming to life after Ashfield defender McBrearty has been red carded for an incident involving Paddy Gallagher. Two minutes later, Maryhill took the lead for the third time , when Gallagher set up Andy Forrester, whose perfectly placed shot gave Duncan no chance. Hill were on top until the end, but only made certain of the three points five minutes from time, when Forrester intercepted a slack pass back and calmly placed the ball beyond the keeper. In the end a deserved , but hard fought victory for Maryhill for whom several of the new players showed promise, with Craig Ferguson's authoritative performance in midfield earning him the first man of the match nomination of the season. MARYHILL-: Black, Benton, J.Brown ( S.Brown 80 ), O'Neil, Wardle, Ferguson, McGurn ( McLean 60 ), McCann, P.Gallagher, Forrester, G.Brown ( Smith 63 ). SUBS ( not used )-: McGlinchey, Soave. BOOKED-: Wardle ( 39 ), McCann ( 74 ), O'Neil ( 89 ) ASHFIELD-: Duncan, Murphy ( Gault 56 ), McBrearty, Reilly, McFarlane ( Hannaway 74 ), Pasmore, McArthur, Tartaglia, O'Donnell, Tullan, Ritchie ( Cumley 56 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Hancock, Boyle. BOOKED-: McBrearty ( 18 ), Reilly ( 76 ). |
| Match Reports Archive 06/07 |
| CARLSBERG LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
SATURDAY 12th AUGUST 2006 Maryhill 0 Clydebank 0 Match Report by John Hinshelwood The scoreline says it all. This was one of the most drab and uninspiring games seen at Lochburn for a long time. Maryhill can point to the fact that this is virtually a new, and very young squad, still getting to know each other. Clydebank's excuse is not known. At any rate, at least no one can quibble about the result, which perfectly summed up the match. Maryhill started brightly, and a header by Alex Smith from a Craig Ferguson cross brought out a great save from Bankies keeper Jim Chalmers after only four minutes. Smith had a good run a couple of minutes later, but shot past. Maryhill were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute when Hoey was penalised for holding Alex Smith. The award was greeted with hostility from the excitable Clydebank support, and while it definitely came into the " soft" category , was probably technically correct. Controversy over the award was quickly forgotten, however, as Smith's poorly struck kick was saved by Chalmers. The rest of the half was a bore with neither side creating any real scoring chances. The second half was no better, with play mainly confined to midfield, and marred by constant petty fouling from both sides, resulting in nine yellow cards and one red. A curling free kick from Derek Forbes, and a diving header by Andy Kenna were the only efforts of note from the visitors, and for Hill substitute James Douglas was just inches away from connecting with a Stephen McGowan cross four minutes from time. Despite his red card, Stephen Gallagher earns the man of the match award for a solid defensive display. A win for Maryhill on Wednesday against Perthshire will see them finish top of section 6. Any other result would open up the possibility of either Clydebank or Ashfield progressing to the quarter finals. MARYHILL-: Black, Benton, J.Brown, O'Neil, Gallagher, McCann ( Ford 45 ), McGurn ( Douglas 64 ), Ferguson, Forrester ( P.Gallagher 80 ), McGowan, Smith. SUBS ( not used )-: S.Brown, Soave. BOOKED-: McCann ( 19 ), S.Gallagher ( 65 ), O'Neil ( 78 ), Ford ( 86 ), McGowan ( 90 ) SENT OFF-: S.Gallagher ( 75 ) CLYDEBANK-: Chalmers, McInness, Williamson, Kenna, Cunnningham, Docherty( Soutar 57 ), Hoey ( McDonald 77 ), Lappin, Forbes ( Hailstones 52 ), Fisher, Maxwell. SUBS ( not used )-: Sutherland, Carson. BOOKED-: Lappin ( 42 ), Hoey ( 57 ), Maxwell ( 75 ), McInness ( 86 ). |
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| CARLSBERG LEAGUE CUP - SECTION 6
WEDNESDAY 16th AUGUST 2006 Glasgow Perthshire 1 Maryhill 1 Perthshire -: McKenzie ( 11 ) Maryhill -: McGowan ( 88 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Despite dominating the entire second half, Maryhill found it difficult to break down a rugged and uncompromising Shire defence, and it took a late goal to give them a share of the points. It had been a different story in the first half, however, with the home side well on top. They took the lead after eleven minutes with a spectacular first time volley from McKenzie which gave Scott Black little chance. Although Hill wasted a good chance to equalise four minutes later when Curtis McGurn blasted the ball past from only six yards, the home side were unfortunate not to add to their lead, when a long range shot from McCallion struck the bar, then a header from McKenzie hit the post with Black well beaten. Hill came more into the game in the last ten minutes of the first half and Liam McCann almost equalised, but his header from a Kevin O'Neill free kick crashed off the crossbar. Despite almost constant pressure, Maryhill only managed an equaliser from a Stephen McGowan close range shot two minutes from the end. Four minutes of extra time were played, but Maryhill just couldn't find the winner which would have seen them progress to the Quarter Finals. Man of the match - Craig Ferguson. PERTHSHIRE-: Thomson, Kane, Pollok, Bradley, Harvey, McCannon, Robson, McCallion ( Parker 56 ), McKenzie, Lyon,Wales. SUBS ( not used ) -: Smythe, Johnston. BOOKED -: Wales ( 43 ), Robson ( 62 ), Parker ( 81 ). MARYHILL-: Black, McCann, S.Brown, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Ferguson, McGurn, Douglas ( McLean 77 ), P.Gallagher ( McGowan 74 ), Forrester, Smith ( McGlinchey 60 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Neilson, Soave. BOOKED-: S.Gallagher ( 21), Ferguson ( 90 |
STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION SATURDAY 19th AUGUST 2006 Maryhill 1 McGlinchey( 69 ) Petershill 3 Miller ( 40 ), Murray ( 49 ), Dick ( 64 ). Match Report by John Hinshelwood Petershill deservedly took three points in the opening league game of the season against an inexperienced Maryhill team. The visitors dominated from the start, but some erratic shooting from Dallas, Murray and Downs saw them fail to take advantage.Scott Black then made good saves from Murray and Downs, with Maryhill's first goal attempt coming in the 19th minute when Cameron McLean's low 20 yard shot was well saved by Hutton in the Petershill goal. A good effort on the drop by Alex Smith sailed just over the bar, before the visitors regained the upper hand, and went in front five minutes before the break, central defender Miller blasting home from close range. Four minutes after half time, Petershill went two up , albeit in controversial fashion.The referee did not appear to have signalled for a free kick to be taken, and with the home side's defence in disarray, the ball was passed to the unmarked Dallas, whose shot was well saved by Black. Ex Maryhill player Kevin Murray was on hand, however, to hammer home the loose ball. Maryhill seemed well beaten at this stage as their lightweight attack was failing to make any impression on the well organised Peasie defence. Stephen McGowan, just failed to connect with a Stephen Gallagher cross, before Petershill went three up midway through the half, Jim Dick's well placed lob from 20 yards giving Scott Black no chance. Maryhill, to their credit, kept fighting, and got their reward in the 69th minute with a beautifully placed Kevin McGlinchey header from an accurate cross from Paddy Gallagher. They stepped up the pressure after that, and efforts from Stephen Gallagher and sub Andy Forrester came very close to making it an exciting last few minutes, but the visitors held out comfortably until the end. Man of the match was Kevin O'Neil for a composed and authoritative display in central defence. MARYHILL-: Black, Benton, Stoddart, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Douglas, Smith, ( McGurn 52 ) McGlinchey, P.Gallagher, McGowan ( Forrester 73 ), McLean ( S.Brown 52 ). SUBS ( not used )-: J.Brown, Soave. BOOKED-: McGowan ( 63 ) PETERSHILL-: Hutton, McPhee, McKenzie, Merriman ( McLernon 83 ), Miller, Dick, Irons, Murray ( Asante 81 ), Dallas, Downs ( McHarg 67 ), McManus. SUB ( not used )-: Parry BOOKED-: Dallas ( 80 ) STATS UPDATE GOALSCORERS 2 - Andy Forrester 1 - Brian Wardle, Craig Ferguson, Stephen Gallagher, Alex Smith, Curtis McGurn, Stephen McGowan, Kevin McGlinchey. MAN OF THE MATCH 2 - Craig Ferguson. 1 - Curtis McGurn, Stephen Gallagher, Kevin O'Neil. |
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| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER 2006 Maryhill 3 - McGowan ( 47 ), Ferguson ( pen 50 ), Stoddart ( 75 ) Renfrew 0 Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill registered their first League victory of the season in a match in which the score did not adequately reflect their overall superiority. Hill started brightly and early efforts from McGowan and Thomson came very close to giving them the lead. In the 13th minute a pass from Paul Thomson was hammered into the net by Stephen McGowan, but he was marginally offside. Maryhill's domination continued, and visitors' keeper Kenny Meechan made a series of superb saves from Craig Ferguson, Andy Forrester, and Kevin O'Neil. Meechan's inspirational form allied to some bad luck in front of goal meant that, despite Maryhill outplaying their opponents, the score remained 0 - 0 at half time. Maryhill eventually took the lead they deserved two minutes into the second half. A pass from Craig Ferguson, who was again in top form, found new man Mark Gourlay free on the left. His precision cross was met at the far post by Stephen McGowan whose header gave Meechan no chance. Three minutes later it was 2 - 0. McLay fouled McGowan just inside the box, and Ferguson was on target from the penalty spot. Maryhill were now impressing with some great football, and Renfrew were rarely seen in attack , with Hill's new keeper Kevin Montgomery having virtually nothing to do throughout the ninety minutes. Just after the hour mark, the visitors were reduced to ten men when Haggerty was given a second yellow card for halting a great Craig Ferguson run with a crude challenge. Meechan again came to Renfrew's rescue with two good stops from Paddy Gallagher shots midway through the half. The decisive and merited third goal eventually arrived fifteen minutes from the end when Ian Stoddart hit a great volley on the drop from 25 yards which gave Meechan no chance whatsoever. This was a very encouraging performance from Maryhill, and over the ninety minutes, they outplayed a team which has been widely tipped as possible League winners. There were several good displays. Newcomers Paul Thomson and Mark Gourlay both showed promise, Stephen Gallagher and Kevin O'Neil were again solid at the back, but, at the risk of being predictable, the man of the match award again has to go to Craig Ferguson. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Stoddart, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Ferguson, Thomson ( McLean 78 ), P.Gallagher, Forrester, McGowan ( Smith 78 ), Gourlay ( J.Brown 73 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Kassim, Soave. BOOKED-: S.Gallagher ( 39 ), Benton ( 88 ) RENFREW-: Meechan, McMillan, Quigley ( Harvey 63 ), Farquarson, Clark, Chisholm, Haggerty, Miller ( Smith 73 ), Sherry, Barr, McLay. SUBS ( not used )-: Jones, McFarlane, Phillips. BOOKED -: Barr ( 29 ) Farquarson ( 38 ), Haggerty ( 46 ), Clark ( 86 ) SENT OFF -: Haggerty ( 61 ) |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 26th AUGUST 2006 Bellshill 2 - McGrillen ( 1, 37 ) Maryhill 1 - P.Gallagher ( 70 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Two clinical first half strikes by player / manager Paul McGrillen were enough to give Bellshill three points in a match in which the young Maryhill side were perhaps unfortunate not to earn a draw. New keeper Allan Baxter's first involvement came after only 40 seconds when he collected the ball from the back of the net after McGrillen's thundering shot from six yards rocketed high into the net to give the home side the lead. Maryhill recovered quickly and an Andy Forrester overhead effort came close after 8 minutes. Bellshill were playing some neat football, but Maryhill had more attempts on goal, with shots from James Douglas and Craig Ferguson narrowly missing the target. A surging run from Paddy Gallagher ended with his cross being miskicked by Stephen McGowan in front of goal. The experience of the Bellshill side was crucial, however, in the 37th minute, when a long ball from midfield found McGrillen clear on the left. He advanced on goal and placed a perfect low shot beyond Baxter to put Bellshill two up. Early in the second half Stephen McGowan missed two good chances to bring Maryhill back into the game, and they continued to dominate, playing some good football, but lacking the killer touch in front of goal. They did eventually pull a goal back with twenty minutes remaining, when Paddy Gallagher's lob from 25 yards wrongfooted Bellshill keeper Inglis, and the ball sailed into the net. Despite continued pressure, and near misses from McGowan and O'Neil, Maryhill just could not get the equaliser. Bellshill's McKenzie was fortunate to remain on the field when, having already been booked, he brought down Craig Ferguson on the edge of the box with a crude tackle. The ref awarded a free kick to Maryhill, but took no further action. In the second minute of injury time Bellshill were awarded a penalty when Stephen Gallagher impeded substitute Lauchlan just inside the box. Lauchlan took the kick himself, but Baxter made a fine save. In the end, the experience and lethal finishing of McGrillen was the crucial factor in the match, although the spirited fight back by Maryhill was encouraging, and probably deserved a share of the points. Craig Ferguson was , once again, the outstanding player for Maryhill with excellent distribution, positional sense and coolness on the ball . BELLSHILL-: Inglis, O'Leary ( Lauchlan 53 ), Patterson, McGeoghan, Coulter, S.McDonald, McKenzie, K.McDonald, Watret, Callaghan, McGrillen ( Grant 78 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Flannery, Wilson, Mitchell. BOOKED-: Coulter ( 38 ), McKenzie ( 49 ), S.McDonald ( 73 ), Lauchlan ( 90 ) MARYHILL-: Baxter, Benton, Stoddart, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Ferguson ( S.Brown 84 ), Douglas ( McGlinchey 53 ), P.Gallagher, Forrester, McGowan, ( McCann 66 ), Thomson. SUBS ( not used )-: J.Brown, Soave. BOOKED-: Forrester ( 33 ), Thomson ( 90 |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 9th SEPTEMBER 2006 Cumnock 5 - Hughes ( 34 ), Dempster ( 38, 56, 63 ), Campbell ( 61 ). Maryhill 3 - McGowan ( 50, 77 ), Russell ( 90 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A catalogue of basic defensive errors from Maryhill just before and after half time led to the loss of five goals, although a late revival produced two goals , and gave the score a somewhat more respectable look. Maryhill started well, and could easily have been two up in the opening ten minutes. Stephen McGowan first timed an Ian Stoddart cross in the eighth minute, but the ball flew inches past with Graham Potter in the home goal stranded. Two minutes later, indecision in the home defence allowed James Brown a clear run on goal, but he delayed his final shot too long , allowing Potter to save. Cumnock had the ball in the net a minute later, but the "goal" was disallowed for offside. Hill had a let off after 21 minutes when a header from Gareth Campbell struck the post, as Cumnock were starting to get on top. They eventually took the lead in the 34th minute, when some slack marking from the Hill defence allowed Daryn Gibson too much space down the left, and his cross from the byeline was bundled over the line from close range by Michael Hughes. Four minutes later, a disastrous lack of understanding between Stephen Gallagher and Kevin Montgomery left John Dempster the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net to make it 2 - 0. Gibson almost made it three a minute later , but Montgomery made a good save. Maryhill raised hopes of a fightback five minutes after the break when Stephen McGowan headed home a cross from Paddy Gallagher, but such hopes were dashed in a seven minute spell, when more suicidal defending resulted in the loss of three further goals, two from Dempster to complete his hat trick, and the other from Gareth Campbell. At this stage a defeat of catastrophic proportions looked a real possibility as Cumnock, looking at times as if they had about three extra players, were ruthlessly exposing the disarray in the visitors' defence. Maryhill, however, refused to cave in, and after Kevin Ford and Allan Russell had replaced James Brown and Andy Forrester, they began to assert themselves, and dominated the final twenty minutes. Stephen McGowan's sharpness in front of goal paid off when he thundered home a low shot to make it 5 - 2 with thirteen minutes remaining. He was unfortunate not to complete his hat trick when Potter brought off a great save from his 18 yard shot in the 85th minute, and again in the final minute when his shot appeared to be net bound, but Potter managed to block the ball with his leg. The ball broke to newcomer Allan Russell, however, who shot home to make it 5 - 3. There was no doubt that the better team won, and although Cumnock did at times look very impressive, their task was made much easier by dreadful defending. Credit must be given to Maryhill for fighting back, and during the opening and closing twenty five minutes or so, they more than held their own against a much more experienced side who, on this form, will almost certainly be challengers for the League title. Hill's man of the match was Stephen McGowan for his two well taken goals, and for giving bigger and more experienced defenders a really uncomfortable time throughout the match. CUMNOCK-: Potter, Campbell, McInally, Farrell, McGregor, Gibson, Dempster ( Boyd 67 ), Hughes ( McKeown 76 ), Henderson, Cameron. SUBS ( not used ) -: Moan, Boyle, Quinn. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Stoddart, O'Neil, S.Gallagher ( Smith 58 ), Ferguson, Thomson, P.Gallagher, McGowan, Forrester ( Russell 68 ), J.Brown ( Ford 68 ). SUBS ( not used ) -: McGlinchey, Soave. BOOKED -: S.Gallagher (54 ). REFEREE-: Kenneth Graham. STATS UPDATE Goalscorers 4 - Stephen McGowan. 2 - Andy Forrester, Craig Ferguson. 1 - Brian Wardle, Stephen Gallagher, Alex Smith, Curtis McGurn, Kevin McGlinchey, Paddy Gallagher, Ian Stoddart, Allan Russell. Man of the match 4 - Craig Ferguson. 1 - Curtis McGurn, Stephen Gallagher, Kevin O' Neil, Stephen McGowan. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 16th SEPTEMBER 2006 Maryhill 1 - Smith ( 25 ) Arthurlie 2 - Andrew ( 45 ), Prow ( 73 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Failure by Maryhill to capitalise on their first half dominance saw the visitors leave with a somewhat fortunate three points. Any "floating" Hill supporters making their first trip of the season to Lochburn would have had difficulty recognising which team was Maryhill, as there were more familiar faces in blue and white than in red and black , with Joe Andrew, Dave Williams, Martin Hughes and Brian Wardle all turning out for Arthurlie. They also might have had some difficulty deciding which team was the title contenders and which the " relegation certainties". Hill dominated the first half , unsettling their more fancied opponents with some excellent football and open, enthusiastic attacking play, and solid defensive work from Alan Benton, Kevin O'Neil and Stephen Gallagher ensured that the visitors attacking threat was comfortably dealt with. In the 20th minute Stephen McGowan set up Alan Russell with a great chance, but he delayed his shot enabling James Evans in the visitors' goal to make a great save. Hill's diminutive forwards Russell and McGowan continued to give the Arthurlie defence a difficult time, and five minutes later the home side took a deserved lead. Russell's shot again brought out a super save from Evans, but this time Alex Smith was on hand to blast home the rebound. Maryhill continued on top until the break with further efforts from McGowan and Smith coming close to increasing their lead. For Arthurlie a pacey run by Dave Williams which ended with his shot being deflected for a corner was their only serious threat, until two minutes into first half injury time they equalised. Joe Andrew reminded Hill supporters just how deadly he can be when his sharpness in front of goal enabled him to deflect an Alan McFadden cross into the net from a difficult angle. The second half saw the fast and furious pace of the first period relent, with neither side producing much in the way of goalscoring threats. Arthurlie's Craig Ferguson was booked for a high challenge on Paddy Gallagher, which saw the Hill man replaced by newcomer Martin Brannan. Referee Hugh McIntyre, who had seemed reluctant to make any bookings in the first half, took decisive action in the 64th minute when ex Hill player Dave Williams was shown an instant red card for a terrible tackle on Paul Thomson, who thankfully emerged unscathed. The extra man failed to spur on Maryhill whose lethargic performance was in direct contrast to their spirited first half efforts.The visitors also failed to raise their game, and the only other incident of note was the winning goal seventeen minutes from the end, when Arthurlie were awarded a highly contentious free kick wide on the left. Substitute David Prow rose unchallenged to head home Andy McFarlane's free kick, and three points were on their way to Dunterlie. On the basis of their first half display, Maryhill certainly deserved to take something from the game, but again defensive slackness proved costly. Man of the match award goes to Stephen Gallagher for another outstanding performance at the heart of the Maryhill defence. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Smith, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Ferguson, Thomson, P.Gallagher ( Brannan 51 ), Russell, McGowan ( Ford 72 ), Gourlay ( McGlinchey 81 ). SUBS ( not used ) -: Mullaney, Soave. BOOKED-: Thomson ( 51 ), Ferguson ( 71 ) ARTHURLIE-: Evans, Ferguson ( Prow 57 ), Williams, Fabiani, Wardle, Hilland, Ballantyne, M.Hughes, Andrew ( Bradford 80 ), McFadden ( Orr 57 ), McFarlane. SUBS ( not used ) -: P.Hughes, Smith. BOOKED-: Ferguson ( 50 ), McFarlane ( 67 ), Evans ( 90 ) SENT OFF-: Williams ( 64 ) REFEREE -: Hugh McIntyre |
| MATCH REPORTS
Apologies for the absence of match reports for the last three weeks. Normal service will be resumed next week for the Glenafton game. In the meantime here is a brief synopsis of recent matches. Sat 7th October - Super League Maryhill 2 Pollok 2 A deserved share of the points for Hill. After going behind in the 6th minute, they fought back well, and two goals from Alan Russell gave them a 2 -1 lead at half time. Bryan Dingwall equalised for Pollok just after the break, and although both sides had chances to win the game, a draw was probably a fair result. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Stoddart, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Thomson( Forrester 89 ), P.Gallagher, Ferguson, McGowan, Smith ( Tullis 75 ), Russell. SUBS ( not used )-: Campbell, Wilson, Soave. BOOKED-: Ferguson ( 76 ), O'Neil (89) Man of the match - Kevin O' Neil Sat 14th October - West of Scotland Cup Round 1 Maryhill 1 Maybole 1 ( penalties 4 - 3) A dramatic penalty shoot out saw Hill progress to the 2nd round of the West of Scotland, but there should really have been no need for a penalty decider as Maryhill dominated from start to finish. A Paul Thomson strike just after half time looked like it was going to be enough, but with five minutes remaining, Kevin Montgomery dropped the ball after a heavy challenge. No foul was given, and the ball was bundled over the line for the equaliser. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton,S.Gallagher, O'Neil, Wilson, Stoddart, Thomson( Gourlay 76 ), Ferguson, Russell( Tullis 76 ), McGowan, P.Gallagher. SUBS ( not used ) -: Smith, Soave. BOOKED-: Ferguson ( 25 ), S.Gallagher ( 75 ), McGowan ( 78 ), O'Neil ( 83 ) Man of the match - Stephen McGowan. Sat 21st October - Super League Auchinleck 7 Maryhill 1 Auchinleck showed why they are strong favourites to retain their league title, although Hill made it easy for them by conceding two soft goals in the first seven minutes, then Stephen Gallagher was sent off ten minutes before half time, making a difficult situation an impossible one. The home side took full advantage of their extra man with four second half goals, although Hill can have the consolation of scoring the goal of the game, a blistering left foot shot from newcomer Kenny McLeod from a very tight angle nine minutes from the end. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Gourlay, O'Neil, S.Gallagher, Thomson, P.Gallagher( Ferguson 68 ), Smith, McLeod, White( Stoddart 60 ), McGowan( Russell 72 ). SUBS ( not used )-:Carberry, Soave. BOOKED-: S.Gallagher ( 28 ), White ( 51 ), O'Neil ( 87 ) SENT OFF-: S.Gallagher ( 35 ) Man of the match - Stephen McGowan STATS UPDATE GOALSCORERS 4 - Stephen McGowan 3 - Alan Russell 2 - Craig Ferguson, Alex Smith, Andy Forrester. 1 - Brian Wardle, Stephen Gallagher, Curtis McGurn, Kevin McGlinchey, Paddy Gallagher, Ian Stoddart, Paul Thomson, Kenny McLeod. MAN OF THE MATCH 4 - Craig Ferguson 3 - Stephen McGowan 2 - Stephen Gallagher, Kevin O'Neil. 1 - Curtis McGurn. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 28th OCTOBER 2006 Maryhill 3 Glenafton 2 Maryhill- B.Smith (17),McGowan (46), Russell (86) Glenafton - Agnew (85 pen), Weightman (90) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill deservedly earned a vital three points to keep them in touch with their relegation rivals, with a fighting display against opponents who were expected to win comfortably. With Stephen Soave making his first appearance in goal, and new signings Frank McKeown, Bryan Smith and Colin Robertson all in the starting line up, it was a much changed side from the one that lost heavily to Auchinleck last week.The visitors started briskly, and Soave made a couple of good saves, most notably an impressive leap to push an Allan header on to the bar, before Hill took the lead after 17 minutes. Kenny McLean and Stephen McGowan combined well, with the latter setting up Bryan Smith whose well placed shot beat Gary Matthews in the Glenafton goal. Stephen Soave had further good saves from efforts by Darren Johnstone and Stevie Agnew, but Hill were by no means out of it, and before the break a Stephen Gallagher overhead kick struck the bar, and a blistering 25 shot from Ian Stoddart brought out a good save from Matthews. Maryhill increased their lead immediately after half time when a great shot from Stephen McGowan gave Matthews no chance to make it 2 - 0. This gave Hill the confidence to take control of the game and they dominated the second half , playing some impressive football, with the defence in which Alan Benton, Kevin O'Neil and Frank McKeown were outstanding, dealing effectively with any threats from the Glenafton attack. Several chances to put the game out of reach of the visitors were passed up with Kenny McLean, Alan Benton, Stephen McGowan and Paddy Gallagher all coming very close. Glenafton pulled a goal back five minutes from the end from an Agnew penalty kick. There was no doubt about the award when Alan Benton fouled Nicki Weightman, although arguably the game should have been stopped seconds before when Darren Johnstone impeded Frank McKeown before setting up Weightman. A minute later, however, Maryhill's two goal advantage was restored when substitute Alan Russell was sent clear, and calmly placed the ball beyond Gary Matthews. In injury time Glenafton scored a second when Weightman was on target with a low shot from a tight angle. Maryhill won more convincingly than the score would imply, and the team spirit and performances of the newcomers suggests that relegation could yet be avoided. MAN OF THE MATCH - Stephen Soave. MARYHILL-: Soave, Benton, Robertson, O'Neil, McKeown, Stoddart, P.Gallagher, B.Smith, K.McLean ( Russell 82 ), McGowan, S.Gallagher ( Thomson 67 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Douglas, Gourlay, Tullis. BOOKED-: S.Gallagher ( 24 ), McGowan ( 66 ) GLENAFTON-: Matthews, Cassidy, Quinn ( Miller 76 ), McCaig, Stewart, Howie, Martin ( Mathie 5 ), Connelly, Johnstone, Allan ( Weightman 58 ), Agnew. SUBS ( not used )-: Paterson, Milliken. BOOKED-: Stewart ( 41 ), Connelly ( 73 ), Agnew ( 86 ), Cassidy ( 90 ) |
| SCOTTISH CUP - SECOND ROUND
SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2006 Blantyre Victoria 2 Maryhill 0 Scorers-: Shields ( 15 ), Dorrans ( 84 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Blantyre Vics deservedly progressed to the third round of the Scottish Cup at the expense of a Maryhill team who were a pale shadow of the side who defeated Glenafton last week. Although there was only one change , new signing Lee Sichi replacing Stephen Gallagher, the difference in Hill's performance from seven days ago was like night and day. Playing with the wind , and down the slope, the home side were on top from the start, and they took a merited lead after quarter of an hour, when Alan Pike's cross from the right found Joe Shields unmarked inside the box. He controlled the ball well and sent a well placed shot past Stephen Soave. Maryhill should have equalised four minutes later when Kenny McLean set up Stephen McGowan, but from around ten yards out, he mishit his shot, and it trickled harmlessly past the post. Sephen Soave was called upon several times to stop dangerous Blantyre attacks, and as the home side's effective use of the wind assisted long ball continued to cause havoc in the Hill defence, his role took on that of a sweeper. Maryhill began to assert themselves in the last fifteen minutes of the half, and were well on top without creating any clear cut chances. Maryhill dominated the second period, but it soon became clear that it just wasn't going to be their day, as several good chances were missed and Derek Smith in the home goal was having an excellent game, producing several good saves. The almost inevitable happened with six minutes remaining as Blantyre hit on the break. A Shields cross from the right was met by Andy Dorrans, and his shot gave Soave no chance to put the game beyond Maryhill's reach. Despite their territorial domination, this was a poor display from Maryhill, and they really did not deserve to take anything from the game. There were few outstanding individual performances, although Frank McKeown looked solid in central defence, substitute Paul Thomson impressed with a few good runs, and Stephen Soave again had an outstanding match in goal. BLANTYRE-:Smith, Pike, McDermott, Torrance, Conroy, Bruce, Dorrans, Watson, Shields, Connelly ( McVey 62 ), Glancy ( Reilly 77 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Jackson, Donnachie, McLenaghan. BOOKED-: Glancy ( 39 ), McDermott (40 ), Pike ( 42 ), Connelly ( 43 ), McVey ( 85 ). MARYHILL-: Soave, Benton, Robertson ( Russell 64 ), O'Neil,McKeown, Stoddart, P.Gallagher ( Douglas 77 ), B.Smith, McLean, McGowan, Sichi ( Thomson 68 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Wilson,Gourlay. BOOKED-: McLean ( 89 ) MAN OF THE MATCH - Stephen Soave. Referee-: Derek Rose. |
| Maryhill v Pollok SPL Sat 25Nov 2006 Due To Technical Difficulties The Match Report is Courtesy of Jamie Wire at www.Pollokfc.co.uk The first half was a poor affair with limited chances for both sides. 'Hill forced an excellent save from Kris Robertson after 14 minutes when Stephen McGowan headed a free-kick towards goal, only to be denied by the reactions of the 'keeper. Zander Ryan struck the woodwork for Pollok after 20 minutes when his shot was deflected onto the crossbar. Alan Waddell had a weak shot from distance easily saved by Kevin Montgomery before Bryan Dingwall was booked for dissent. The visitors had an excellent chance on the break when Kenny McLean got in behind Stevie Aitchison, but was unable to find either of the two team-mates who were supporting him through the middle. Aitchison was booked for his attempts at halting McLean during the move. At the other end Andy McClay hit the bye-line for 'Lok, only to hit the legs of Montgomery from his cut-back. From the resultant Ryan corner Chris Cruickshank had a header saved. Cruickshank was again off target with a header early in the second half from a Ryan free-kick before Maryhill were presented with an opportunity to open the scoring. A long ball over the top was misjudged by Joe Carruth, leaving Alan Benton with a sight at goal, but he dragged his shot wide of the post. 'Lok were to punish this miss three minutes later. Waddell was felled in the box, and referee Gary Hilland pointed to the spot. SIMON BLACK stepped up to send Montgomery the wrong way and give the home side the lead. Along with O'Donoghue, Black was taken off after 72 minutes when Mark Booth and Davie Turnbull came on. Two minutes later 'Lok had a second spot-kick. A terrific pass from Ryan released Waddell on the right wing, and his cross was partially cleared by Donnie Wilson. The ball landed at the feet of Cruickshank, whose shot was blocked on the line by Wilson. Referee Hilland adjudged that he had used his arm, and so he was dismissed from the action. Turnbull stepped up to take the kick, but his tame effort was stopped by Montgomery. Pollok did grab a second within two minutes. Waddell and Aitchison combined to set-up Dingwall with a run at goal, but he appeared to be dispossessed by the last Maryhill defender who played the ball straight to STEVIE AITCHISON who had continued his supporting run to apply the final touch to double the goals tally amassed in his previous 204 games for the club. The visiting protests ended with Maryhill co-manager Stephen Brown being sent to the pavilion. He would barely have reached the dressing room by the time his side grabbed a lifeline. McLean cut the ball across for BRYAN SMITH, who was left with a simple tap-in to make the score 2-1. As Maryhill chased an equaliser 'Lok could have put the game beyond doubt when Ryan just failed to pick out Dingwall in front of goal, and Waddell's attempt to pick up the scraps hit the side-netting. The home side did claim a third in injury time when a Ryan corner was looped home by the head of DAVIE TURNBULL . SCORERS Pollok - Black ( pen 56 ), Aichison ( 77 ), Turnbull ( 90 Maryhill - Smith ( 79 ) TEAMS POLLOK - Robertson, Carruth, Robertson, Cruickshank, Aitchison, Heaton, McLay, Ryan, O'Donaghue ( Booth 62 ), Dingwall, Waddell, Black ( Turnbull 62 ) SUBS ( not used ) Miller, Downs.. BOOKED Dingwall ( 30 ), Aitchison ( 37 ) MARYHILL - Montgomery, Benton , Robertson( Sichi 35 ( Thomson 85 ) ), O'Neil, McKeown, Wilson, Crossey, Smith, McLean, McGowan, Ferguson. SUBS ( not used ) Stoddart, P.Gallagher. BOOKED Benton ( 60) , McKeown ( 70 ), O'Neil ( 76 ), McLean ( 87 ). SENT OFF Wilson ( 70 ) |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 9th DECEMBER 2006 Arthurlie 4 - Andrew (7), Bradford (44, 80), Johnston (51) Maryhill 1 - Smith (14) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Christmas came early for Arthurlie as Maryhill gifted them the three points. The two first half goals for the home side were very much in keeping with the pantomime season, and Kevin O'Neil's second half dismissal ended any slim hopes of a comeback. Any Hill fans who had not seen the team for a while could have been forgiven for thinking that they were playing in blue, with the Arthurlie side containing seven ex Maryhill players. One of them, Joe Andrew, put his team ahead in the seventh minute, tapping the ball into the empty net after a horrendous mix up in the Hill defence. Despite this setback, Maryhill equalised seven minutes later when Brian Smith headed in a Crossey corner. Five minutes later the same move was repeated , but this time, with keeper Marshall beaten, Smith's header struck the crossbar. Kevin Montgomery made a couple of good saves from Bradford and McFarlane, but just as Maryhill were gaining the upper hand, another catastrophic defensive blunder gave John Bradford the simple task of stroking the ball home to give the home side a 2-1 half time lead. Arthurlie went 3 - 1 up six minutes into the second half when John Johnston scored from close range, and any hopes of a fightback were killed off when Hill captain Kevin O'Neil was given a red card in further farcical circumstances. There appeared to be no danger as the sweeper tried to make a clearance, but he slipped on the wet surface, and instinctively grabbed the ball with his hands. A correct decision from referee Hilland, as O'Neil had denied a goal scoring opportunity, but unfortunately, typical of the kind of situation which teams at the lower end of the league always seem to endure. Although the absence of O'Neil was obvious and Arthurlie attempted to exploit this with the use of the long ball, a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Kevin Montgomery ensured that the home team managed only one more goal, Bradford blasting home from six yards ten minutes from the end following a corner by substitute Alan McFadden. In the end there was little doubt that the better team won, but Maryhill made it very easy for them, and some urgent tightening up in defence is a priority with vital home games against Bellshill and Neilston, coming up in the next two weeks. ARTHURLIE-: Marshall, McCulloch ( Ballantyne 51 ), Williams ( Smith 45 ), Shields, Wardle, Gallagher, Johnston ( McFadden 71 ), Hughes, Bradford, McFarlane, Andrew. SUBS ( not used )-: Ferguson, Prow. BOOKED-: Gallagher (59), Ballantyne ( 70 ), Smith ( 86 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Wilson, O'Neil, McKeown, Crossey ( Ferguson 62 ), Gallagher ( Thomson 85 ), Smith, McLean, McGowan ( Russell 78 ), Sichi. SUBS ( not used )-: Douglas, Soave. BOOKED-: Wilson ( 29 ), Crossey (30 ) SENT OFF- : O'Neil ( 62 ) MAN OF THE MATCH - Kevin Montgomery REFEREE - Gary Hilland. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 23rd DECEMBER 2006 Maryhill 0 Neilston 1 Scorer-: McMenamin ( 84 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A goal six minutes from the end of what had been a fairly even game saw Maryhill sink deeper into relegation trouble, and realistically puts them in the position of requiring probably at least five wins from their remaining ten games to avoid going down. Towards the end of the first half several spectators were heard to remark that the game had all the hallmarks of a 0 - 0 draw. Few scoring chances had been created with the visitors perhaps just having the upper hand. A shot from Canning was blocked on the line by Frank McKeown, then Smith blasted over when in a good scoring position. For the home side some neat touches from Paddy Gallagher and Stephen McGowan looked promising, but the tall Neilston defence rarely looked like being seriously troubled by the lightweight Hill attack. A 25 yard Ian Stoddart shot which produced a good save from Neilston keeper Hewitt was the only real effort of note. Maryhill looked much livelier in the second half and dominated for the opening spell. Two good shots from Paddy Gallagher, having his best game of the season, came very close to giving them the lead, but they faded after 20 minutes and the game degenerated into a dull and dour midfield struggle with neither side looking capable of scoring. Just as it was looking as if the predictions of 0 - 0 were going to be proved accurate, the visitors scored with only six minutes remaining. Following a disputed free kick, poor marking in the Maryhill defence allowed McMenamin plenty of time to blast home from close range. The goalscorer was then booked for his over zealous celebrations which included a wild kick at the corner flag. Maryhill almost equalised in the last minute. A good interpassing move involving Lee Sichi and Stephen McGowan down the left, ended with an overhead kick from substitute Paterson which looked certain to find the net, but keeper Hewitt made a spectacular leap to tip the ball over the bar. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Crossey ( Anderson 62 ), McKeown, O'Neil, Benton, Smith, Gallagher (Wilson 83 ), Stoddart, Russell ( Paterson 73 ), McGowan, Sichi. SUBS ( not used )-: Gourlay, Thomson. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 21 ) NEILSTON-: Hewitt, Bryars, Connaghan, Whiteford , Dale, Cameron, Canning ( McKee 76 ), Murdoch, Smith ( Kinney 65 ), Malcolm, McMenamin. SUBS ( not used ) -: Travers, Cochrane, Allison. BOOKED-: Cameron ( 62 ), Murdoch ( 71 ), McMenamin ( 85 ) Man of the match - Paddy Gallagher. |
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STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION SATURDAY 6th JANUARY 2007 Glenafton 1 Maryhill 0 Scorer-: Brown ( 88 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood For the third successive week Maryhill went down to a late goal in an evenly balanced match which they could easily have won. This was a typical relegation battle with neither side able to produce any fluency, or convert the few goal scoring chances which arose, but untypically there were no bookings. Maryhill had a penalty claim turned down after seven minutes following a robust challenge by Dale Beattie on Brian Smith. The ball broke to Paddy Gallagher whose shot from the edge of the six yard box struck the post. Stephen McGowan then had a good chance but he shot straight at keeper Gary Matthews. The home side mounted a series of attacks, but were frequently being caught in offside positions. The closest they came to scoring was from an Agnew header in the 28th minute which went narrowly past. The second half produced more of the same with both sides displaying similar ineptitude in front of goal. Alan Russell, Craig Ferguson and Stephen McGowan all finished weakly when in good scoring positions, and for Glenafton Gavin Brown and substitute Darren Johnstone had good chances to put their side ahead but on both occasions Kevin Montgomery brought off good saves to keep the score at 0 - 0. It looked certain to end that way, and in truth it would have been a fair result, but just as in the last two games, Maryhill lost a goal in the last few minutes when Brown's looping header sailed over the Hill defence and ended up in the net. GLENAFTON-: Matthews, Martin, Quinn, Beattie, McCaig, Stewart, Connelly ( Cassidy 86 ), Howie ( Jordan 80 ), Brown, Weightman ( Johnstone 52 ), Agnew. SUBS ( not used )-: Paterson MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, McGowan, O'Neil, McKeown, Crossey, Gallagher ( Wilson 82 ), Smith, Russell ( Johnston 64 ), Stoddart, Ferguson. SUBS ( not used )-: Robertson, Carroll, Soave. Man of the match - Alan Benton. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 30 th DECEMBER 2006 Shotts Bon Accord 1 Maryhill 0 Scorer-: Brown ( 80 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood For the second successive week Maryhill went down to a late goal in an evenly contested match. Hill were well on top in the opening period with Lee Sichi causing panic in the home defence with his tricky runs down the left wing. They should have gone ahead in the ninth minute when, following good play by Sichi, Paul Thomson fired in a shot which home keeper Banks managed to block. The ball broke to Alan Russell who blasted the ball off the crossbar from a few yards out. Maryhill continued to impress with some neat football, albeit without creating many real chances . The home side started to gain control towards half time, but some solid defending, in particular from Kevin O'Neil and Alan Benton, prevented them from causing too many problems. The second half was mainly a midfield battle with neither side able to produce too many goal scoring chances, or to gain control of the match for any length of time. Kevin Brown threatened a couple of times for Shotts, but good saves by Kevin Montgomery thwarted him on both occasions. Maryhill replied with a long range Alan Benton effort which went narrowly past, and a clever lob by Stephen McGowan well saved by Banks.Thirteen minutes from the end a header from Graham Gaffney looked netbound, but Benton cleared it off the goal line. The decisive goal arrived ten minutes from time when Brown shot home from close range after indecision in the Hill defence. There was little difference between the two teams in a match that could have gone either way, and anyone not familiar with these sides would have been hard pressed to recognise which were relegation candidates and which the title challengers. SHOTTS-: Banks, Jack, Wallace, Jamieson, Gaffney, Boyack, McKeever, McLintock ( White 67 ), Donnachie, Brown ( McCluskey 90 ), Currie ( Murray 10 ) SUBS ( not used ) -: McInulty, Herriott. BOOKED-: McKeever ( 44 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Sichi ( Gourlay 78 ), O'Neil, McKeown, Crossey, Thomson ( Smith 57 ), Ferguson, Russell, Patterson ( Johnston 78 ), McGowan. SUBS ( not used ) -: Carroll, Soave. BOOKED-: Sichi ( 35 ), Benton ( 49 ), O'Neil ( 83 ). Man of the Match - Lee Sichi. |
| > WEST OF SCOTLAND CUP - 2nd ROUND
> >SATURDAY 27th JANUARY 2007 > > Shotts Bon Accord 0 Maryhill 0 > Maryhill win 3 - 2 on penalties ) > Match Report by John Hinshelwood > > >As in round 1 of the West of Scotland Cup, Maryhill progressed to the next stage after a penalty shoot out. Keeper Kevin Montgomery was the hero, saving three of the home team's five efforts. > Due to lengthy traffic hold ups on the M8 , your reporter did not arrive until half time, but by all accounts the first half was relatively uneventful with Shotts having the better of the exchanges. Despite a strong wind, the second period was fast and exciting with play swinging from end to end all the time, and both teams missed good chances to score. The nearest we got to a goal was in the 63rd minute when an Alan Benton pass left Brian Smith in the clear.He successfully rounded home keeper Banks, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area struck the post, rolled along the goal line, struck the other post, and was eventually scrambled clear. Ten minutes later Shotts had a great chance to go ahead , but Jack's shot from 10 yards was brilliantly blocked by Kevin Montgomery. Newcomer Mark Slythe, Steven McGowan and Andrew Crossey had good attempts on goal , but Banks made good stops on all three occasions. For Shotts, Boyack should have scored, but he hesitated just long enough to allow Montgomery to make another good save. In injury time, it appeared that maybe Hill's recent luck was changing when McLintock's powerful shot appeared goal bound , but struck the post. His second effort beat Montgomery, but McKeown managed to block the ball on the line, and the match finished goalless. > In the penalty shoot out, things started well for Hill when Montgomery saved McInulty's kick, but this advantage was nullified when Alan Benton's effort crashed off the crossbar. Montgomery saved again from Boyack, then Maryhill took the lead when Crossey's attempt found the net. Alan Russell and Frank McKeown were both on target for Maryhill, and although Shotts managed to score at last courtesy of Murray and Herriott, Kevin Montgomery produced a hat trick of successful stops from McLintock's penalty to send Maryhill into round three. > > >SHOTTS-: Banks, Jamieson, Murray, McInulty, Gaffney, Boyack, Jack, McLintock, Donnachie ( Currie 75 ), Brown ( Herriott 79 ), McKeever. >SUBS ( not used )-: White, McLuskey, McCondichie. > >MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Wilson, O'Neil, McKeown, Crossey, Ferguson ( Russell 75 ), Smith, Slythe ( Stoddart 85 ), Gallagher, McGowan. >SUBS ( not used ) -: Robertson, Soave. > >Man of the Match - Kevin Montgomery. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2007 Renfrew 0 Maryhill 2 Scorer-: McKeown ( 29, 33 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Two first half goals from central defender Frank McKeown earned Maryhill their first league points since 28th October. It was a well deserved victory, and with a bit more sharpness up front, it could have been even more convincing. Hill dominated the early play, with Lee Sichi and Stephen McGowan causing the home defence problems with good play down the wings. Crossey and Smith both had good efforts on goal, before they took the lead in the 29th minute. A careless clearance by the Renfrew defence was met on the drop by Frank McKeown, and his shot hit the net with home keeper Kenny Meechan well beaten. It was the big defender's first goal for Maryhill, and his second arrived only four minutes later. Stephen McGowan was fouled just outside the penalty box, and McKeown's free kick flew past the Renfrew defence into the net to make it 2 - 0. Maryhill continued on top in the second half against a lifeless and uninspired Renfrew side, and could have added more goals. A strong shot from Ian Stoddart was just inches too high, and following a great run from sub Craig Ferguson, Lee Sichi's shot went just wide. Sichi continued to cause havoc down the left, and his curling shot from the edge of the box beat Meechan, but just missed the target. Although the home side rarely posed any serious threat, when they did attack, they found the Maryhill defence in good form with Benton and Wilson particularly outstanding. Overall, a good performance, and although relegation still looks a strong possibility, all is not yet lost with vital games against Bellshill, Neilston and Kilsyth ( twice) still to come. RENFREW-: Meechan, Hammond ( Smith 45 ), Crawford, Farquarson, McMillan, Miller, Mort, Brown, Barr ( Harvey 70 ), McKenzie, Prentice ( McFarlane 65 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Quigley, Phillips. BOOKED-: Miller ( 38 ), Prentice ( 58 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, McKeown, O'Neil, Wilson, McGowan, Sichi, Crossey ( Ferguson 69 ), Slythe ( Russell 70 ), Smith, Stoddart ( Gallagher 81 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Robertson, Soave. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 13 ), Smith ( 79 ) Man of the Match - Lee Sichi. STATS UPDATE goalscorers-: 5 - Stephen McGowan 4 - Alan Russell, Brian Smith. 2 - Andy Forrester, Craig Ferguson, Alan Smith, Kenny McLean, Frank McKeown. 1 - Brian Wardle, Stephen Gallagher, Curtis McGurn, Kevin McGlinchey, Paddy Gallagher, Ian Stoddart, Paul Thomson. man of the match 4 - Craig Ferguson. 3 - Stephen McGowan. 2 - Stephen Gallagher, Kevin O'Neil, Stephen Soave, Kevin Montgomery, Lee Sichi. 1 - Curtis McGurn, Paddy Gallagher, Alan Benton. |
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| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2007 Maryhill 3 Bellshill Athletic 0 Scorers-: McGowan ( 47, 51 ), Sichi ( 90 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Three second half goals saw Maryhill gain a vital and deserved win against relegation rivals Bellshill. Maryhill were fortunate after only five minutes when a looping header by Willie Brawley left Kevin Montgomery stranded, but the ball struck the crossbar. Hill hit back strongly and good efforts from Duncan Wilson and Andrew Crossey brought out good saves from Bellshill keeper Neil Inglis.It was a fairly even first half, and although there was a tentative and nervy atmosphere, both sides had good chances to score. For Maryhill a Paddy Gallagher shot on the drop went narrowly past, then Kevin O'Neil , in a rare attacking foray, missed a good chance. For the visitors ex - Hill favourite Brian Watret miskicked when well placed to score, then Kevin Montgomery made a fantastic double block to thwart further efforts from the same player. Just before the break Dean Muir cut in from the left , but his well placed shot produced another good stop from Montgomery. A minute later Muir was booked along with Hill's Andrew Crossey following an aggressive confrontation, and right on half time, a great run by Lee Sichi set up Brian Smith , and his shot was only inches away from giving Maryhill the lead. Bellshill almost went ahead in the first minute of the second half when Watret connected with a Muir cross, but his header went wide. A minute later Maryhill took the lead when, following some indecision in the visitor's defence, Stephen McGowan scored with a low shot from a very tight angle. This gave Maryhill the confidence to dominate for a long spell, and with Lee Sichi causing havoc down the left wing, it was no surprise when they increased their lead four minutes later. Sichi left two defenders stranded, and his cross was fired home by Stephen McGowan from almost the same spot as the first. Maryhill were playing some good football at this stage, with Sichi and Brian Smith, in particular, combining well. Dean Muir was perhaps fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for his lunge at Lee Sichi, but the fact that the Maryhill man did not make a meal of the challenge maybe accounted for the ref's lenient response. Midway through the second period Stephen McGowan was taken off injured, and replaced by Alan Russell. Hill then defended in depth with Russell as the lone striker, resulting in a spell of Bellshill pressure. The Maryhill defence coped well and the only serious threat came from a free kick by sub Paul McGrillen from which Kevin Montgomery made a spectacular save. Maryhill seemed content to sit on their lead and hit on the break. Newcomer Derek Anderson should have done better when sent clear by a Sichi pass, but he delayed his final shot too long allowing Ronnie McQuilter to dispossess him. Mayhill did add a further goal in injury time when Lee Sichi , following yet another good run, cut in from the left and his shot cum cross seemed to deceive the Bellshill defence and the ball ended up in the net. Overall a good display from Maryhill, with no real weaknesses in the side. Kevin Montgomery continues to impress in goal, and the defence now has a much more solid look , having conceded only three goals in the last six games. Stephen McGowan has recovered his goalscoring form, and the midfield , with Smith and Sichi in great form , is beginning to create more goalscoring opportunities. This result gives them the psychological boost of moving up to third bottom for the first time, with a better goal difference than today's opponents. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, McKeown, O'Neil, Wilson, Smith, McGowan ( Russell 65 ), Crossey, Anderson ( Stoddart 81 ), Gallagher, Sichi. SUBS ( not used )-: McGraw, Douglas, Soave. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 41 ) BELLSHILL-: Inglis, McGeoghan, McGhee, McQuilter, Coulter, S.McDonald, Lauchlan ( McGrillen 67 ), K.McDonald, Watret, Muir, Brawley ( Flannery 83 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Paterson, Callaghan, Mitchell. BOOKED-: Muir ( 41 ), K.McDonald ( 73 ), Flannery ( 83 ) Man of the Match - Lee Sichi |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2007 Kilsyth Rangers 2 Maryhill 2 SCORERS-: Kilsyth - Dunbar ( pen 12 ), Mullen ( 64 ) Maryhill - Russell ( 45, 59 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Two goals by Alan Russell gave Maryhill another point in their fight to avoid relegation. The wet and slippery conditions made it difficult to play good football, but the home side started purposefully. A long cross from Dom Sloan was met by Brian Welsh, but his header was comfortably saved by Kevin Montgomery. The conditions led directly to Kilsyth's opening goal in the twelfth minute when the ball bounced awkwardly on the greasy surface and was handled inside the box by Kevin O'Neil. Jamie Dunbar scored from the spot to make it 1 - 0. Andrew Crossey was correctly booked for an over the ball challenge after 15 minutes, but Kilsyth's Stevie Mullen escaped punishment a minute later for a very late tackle from behind on Kevin O'Neil. A pattern began to emerge for the remainder of the first half, with Maryhill having the bulk of the play but failing to break down the experienced home defence. Kilsyth, on the other hand favoured the long ball, and they always threatened when they broke from midfield. Montgomery made a great save from a 25 yard McLaughlin effort, and just before the break an overhead kick from Brian Welsh came close to increasing the home side's lead. For Hill a close range shot from Alan Russell went inches past, and when Paddy Gallagher connected with a Crossey free kick, he too came very close to scoring. Maryhill did draw level in first half injury time. A long ball from Crossey sailed over the home defence, and Alan Russell nipped in to lob the ball over home keeper Gavin Steveley to make the half time score 1 - 1. Maryhill opened the second half brightly and dominated for the first fifteen minutes.Lee Sichi cut in from the left, and his shot went just wide of Steveley's left hand post. A penalty claim was turned down when Derek Anderson appeared to be impeded when about to shoot from six yards, but the pressure paid off when Hill took the lead for the first time in the 59th minute. Alan Benton, who was having a fine game, went on a strong run down the right, and his low cross into the box was not held by Steveley. Paddy Gallagher's shot from the rebound was blocked , but the ball broke to Alan Russell who fired home from close range. At this stage it was looking as if Hill might be heading for their third consecutive victory , but the home side always looked dangerous.Mullen became the fourth Kilsyth player to be cautioned when he was shown a yellow card for dive in the box following a challenge from Kevin O'Neil, but the same player brought Kilsyth level just four minutes later. There were loud penalty claims when his shot appeared to be handled by Duncan Wilson, but the ball broke to him a second time and his low shot from just inside the box found the net to make it 2 - 2. The home side dominated for the final twenty minutes, and another effort from Mullen following a strong run, just failed to hit the target. The Hill defence tightened up, and with Alan Benton and Kevin O'Neil in top form held out for a draw, which, in the end, was probably a fair result. KILSYTH-: Steveley, Galloway, Kelly, Feenie ( Smillie 90 ), McDonald, Goodwin ( Rankin 54 ), Dunbar, McLaughlin, Mullen, Welsh, Sloan ( Shearer 60 ). SUBS ( not used )-: Carmichael, Hunter. BOOKED-: Kelly ( 23 ), McLaughlin ( 32 ), Goodwin ( 42 ), Mullen ( 60 ), Galloway ( 79 ), Welsh ( 81 ). MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Gallagher ( McKeown 85 ), K.O'Neil, Wilson, Smith, McGowan, Crossey, D.Anderson ( Stoddart 75 ), Russell ( Slythe 85 ), Sichi. SUBS ( not used ) -: McGraw, Soave. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 15 ) Man of the Match - Alan Benton. |
WEST OF SCOTLAND CUP - THIRD ROUND SATURDAY 24th MARCH 2007 Glenafton 2 Maryhill 1 Glenafton-: Agnew ( 45, 79 ) Maryhill-: D. Anderson ( 35 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood "A draw - nae fitba ", was the expression my father used to use to describe matches like this. Very little football was played by either side, although in fairness to both sets of players, Ronaldo and Drogba would have encountered serious difficulties trying to carve out much in the way of attractive play on the lumpy, bumpy surface. Maryhill had slightly the better of exchanges in the first half hour, but had nothing to show for it. Stephen McGowan, the top man in the first half, posed some difficulties for the home defence with his skilful ball control, (or as skilful as was possible under the circumstances) , and Frank McKeown's curling shot from McGowan's pass went narrowly over in the 19th minute. McGowan himself came close when he shot past after Glen's keeper Gary Matthews had fumbled a Brian Smith free kick, and Hill came even closer to opening the scoring in the 25th minute. An Andrew Crossey free kick was met by Derek Anderson, but his shot struck the bar with Matthews well beaten. Glens did venture into the Maryhill half on several occasions, but the closest they came to scoring came when a misunderstanding between Kevin Montgomery and Duncan Wilson almost led to an own goal, but Kevin O'Neil managed to stop the ball crossing the line. Hill took the lead ten minutes from the break. Stephen McGowan held off challenges from several Glenafton defenders, and his cross from the right found Lee Sichi, whose cut back was met by Derek Anderson. The big striker had an easy task to stroke the ball home for his first goal for Maryhill. It looked as if Hill were going to hold the lead until the interval, but in injury time a long ball found Steven Agnew on the left. There were strong claims for offside by the Maryhill defence, but Agnew was allowed to continue, and despite Kevin Montgomery blocking his first effort, Agnew managed to force home the rebound to make it 1 - 1 at half time. The least said about the second half the better. A draw and penalties was looking a certain bet, but eleven minutes from the end Agnew got the winner when he scored from close range following good work on the right by substitute Jordan. It was a disappointing performance from Maryhill, but the home side were little better, and a draw would probably have been a fairer result. GLENAFTON-: Matthews, Martin, Quinn, Kennedy, Johnstone, Howie, Connolly, Cassidy ( Jordan 64 ), Brown, Kane, Agnew. SUBS( not used )-: Weightman, Mathie, Miller. BOOKED-: Cassidy ( 55 ), Howie ( 64 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton ( McLean 61 ), Sichi, O'Neil, Wilson, Crossey, K.Anderson, Smith, D.Anderson ( Richford 84 ), McKeown, McGowan. SUBS ( not used ) -: Robertson, McGraw, Soave. BOOKED-: D.Anderson ( 31 ), Sichi ( 51 ), Crossey ( 70 ) Man of the match - Stephen McGowan |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
FRIDAY 20th APRIL 2007 Petershill 0 Maryhill 0 Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill were most unfortunate not to collect the three points which they desperately needed in their fight to avoid relegation. They started brightly, and Paddy Gallagher missed two good chances in the opening fifteen minutes. First he shot wildly past after Derek Anderson had put him clear, then his well placed, but hurried shot from around 12 yards was well saved by keeper Neil Parry. Petershill also came close early on when a McLernon shot was just too high, then an Alex Burns free kick produced a top class save from Kevin Montgomery. The first half came to a close with Maryhill having most of the play, but Petershill looking faster and sharper on the break. Petershill nearly went ahead early in the second half when another excellent save by Montgomery prevented Stevie Dallas from scoring. Just on the hour mark Petershill's James McLernon was shown a yellow card for overreacting to an Alan Benton challenge in an attempt to gain a penalty. Referee Rafferty seemed to have forgotten that he had already booked McLernon in the first half for a late challenge on Frank McKeown, but his assistant alerted him, and McLernon was sent off. Maryhill took advantage of the extra man and dominated until the end, but they just could not find the vital goal which would have given them the win that they deserved. Kenny McLean, who had been Hill's top player, was clear through, but Parry managed to block the shot with his leg, and in the final minute a Brian Smith header appeared netbound, but the ball struck the inside of the post and was scrambled clear. This was a vital point in the relegation fight, but given Maryhill's overall dominance, it almost felt like a defeat. PETERSHILL-: Parry, Muir, McGinty ( McKenzie 64 ), Merriman, McVittie, Dick, Downs ( Asante 76 ), Murray, Dallas, Burns, McLernon. SUBS ( not used )-: McElhinney, McHarg, Stark. BOOKED-: McLernon ( 22 ), Burns ( 35 ), Murray ( 56 ), Dallas ( 67 ). SENT OFF -: McLernon ( 60 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, McGowan, K.O'Neil, Wilson, Gallagher ( McGraw 86 ), K.Anderson ( Sichi 64 ), Smith., McLean, McKeown, D.Anderson ( McLauchlan 67 ). SUBS ( not used )-: S.O'Neil, Soave. BOOKED-: K.Anderson ( 21 ), O'Neil ( 35 ), Smith ( 56 ), Benton ( 65 ) Man of the match - Kenny McLean. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
MONDAY 23rd APRIL 20 Maryhill 3 Kilsyth Rangers 1 SCORERS-: Maryhill - Smith ( 10, 70 ), McKeown ( 64 ) Kilsyth - McDonald ( 72 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood A spirited display from Maryhill earned them three well deserved points to ensure that the relegation issue is far from settled. Showing only one change from Friday's draw with Petershill, Lee Sichi replacing Derek Anderson, Hill took the initiative right from the start. A good run by Stephen McGowan down the left saw his cross met by Brian Smith, but his shot went narrowly past. The visitors replied with a Stephen Mullan shot on the turn which flew over the bar. Brian Smith had better luck in the 10th minute when he connected with a McGowan cross to put Maryhill ahead. McGowan, looking much more comfortable back in a striking role, continued to supply good crosses, and just before the break Kenny McLean connected, but his header was well saved by Gavin Steveley in the Kilsyth goal. Brian Smith had two good efforts on goal early in the second half, the first going just wide, and the second saved by Steveley. Hill's defence were in top form , nullifying the threat from the pacey Jamie Dunbar, and the sharpness of Mullan, and Donnie Wilson, in particular was immense at the heart of the defence. In the 64th minute, Maryhill went two up, and again it was McGowan who set up the goal. He held the ball up well wide on the left, and his cross was thumped home on the drop by Frank McKeown for his third goal of the season. Hill were dominating the match at this stage, and it was no surprise when they extended their lead to three with twenty minutes remaining. A high ball from midfield eluded the Kilsyth defence and Brian Smith just beat Steveley to the ball, and lobbed it over the keeper to make it 3 - 0. Two minutes later, however, a rare moment of slackness in the home defence allowed ex-Hill player Greg McDonald to head home for the visitors. Despite a close shave when another header from McDonald was well saved by Kevin Montgomery, Maryhill held out for a comfortable and well merited victory. MARYHILL-:Montgomery, Benton, Sichi ( S.O'Neil 45 ), K.O'Neil, Wilson, Gallagher ( Trialist 73 ), K.Anderson, Smith, McLean, McKeown,McGowan. SUBS ( not used )-: D.Anderson, McGraw, Soave. BOOKED-: Benton ( 47 ), McGowan ( 59 ), McKeown ( 85 ) KILSYTH-: Steveley, Galloway, Kelly, Smillie ( Scott 70 ), McDonald, Feenie, Goodwin, McStay, Mullan, Carmichael, Dunbar. SUBS ( not used )-: Meechan, Shearer, Rankin, Hunter. BOOKED-: Carmichael ( 44 ), Dunbar ( 61 ), Galloway ( 66 ), Goodwin ( 68 ), McDonald ( 89 ) SENT OFF-: Carmichael ( 86 ) Man of the match - Donnie Wilson. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
THURSDAY 26th APRIL 2007 Maryhill 3 Shotts Bon Accord 1 SCORERS-: Maryhill - D.Anderson ( 36, 60 ), Benton ( 85 ) Shotts - Allison ( pen 89 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Pictures by Ewen Nicolson The revival goes on with a battling display securing Maryhill another three vital points. Straight from the kick off it was clear that Hill were going to carry on from where they left off on Monday night, and in the second minute a 30 yard shot from Donny Wilson thundered just wide of the goal. Although Maryhill had by far the bulk of the play, it was the visitors who had the clearer goal scoring attempts in the opening half hour. Mark McKeever's header was well saved by Kevin Montgomery, and another headed effort from Alan McCluskey struck the crossbar. Hill went ahead nine minutes before half time when Derek Anderson scored from close range following good work down the left by Stephen McGowan. They remained well on top until half time with Kenny McLean's pace creating endless problems for the Shotts' defence. Following a great run down the right , his cross into the box just eluded Anderson and McGowan, and the ball was cleared. Just on half time Lee Sichi almost put Hill two ahead , but his low shot from 20 yards went wide with Andy McCondichie in the visitors goal stranded. Maryhill dominated for most of the second half and McGowan, McLean and Sichi all came very close before Derek Anderson scored again in the 60th minute. A pass from Stephen McGowan found the big striker clear on the left, and he calmly lobbed the ball over the advancing McCondichie to make it 2 - 0. Six minutes later a strong penalty claim was turned down by fan's favourite Gary Hilland when John Boyack appeared to haul Kenny McLean off the ball close to the by-line. McGowan had a shot blocked by McCondichie's foot, then a 20 yard shot from Bryan Smith brought out an excellent save from the visitors' keeper. Five minutes from the end the deserved third goal duly arrived when a short free kick by Smith was blasted into the net by Alan Benton for his first goal for Maryhill. It was a fitting climax to the game for the defender as he had been Maryhill's top player on the night. In the final minute Shotts pulled a goal back from a Colin Allison penalty kick which can be described as in the dubious category, when Kevin Brown's theatrical performance was deemed by Mr Hilland to be worthy of some reward . Fortunately it did not impact on the result, as Maryhill claimed a thoroughly merited win. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Sichi, K.O'Neil, Wilson, McLean, K.Anderson, Smith,D.Anderson, McKeown, McGowan. ( Trialist 79 ) SUBS ( not used )-: Crossey, Gallagher, McGraw, Soave. BOOKED-: Sichi ( 29 ), K.Anderson ( 63 ). SHOTTS-: McCondichie, Low, Murray ( Brown 76 ), McInulty, Gaffney, Boyack ( Donnachie 62 ), McLuskey ( Wallace 57 ), McLintock, Allison, McKeever, Herriot. SUBS ( not used )-: White, Jamieson. BOOKED-: Murray ( 34 ), Brown ( 83 ), McInulty ( 85 ) Referre - Gary Hilland Man of the match - Alan Benton. |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 28th APRIL 2007 Neilston 3 Maryhill 0 SCORERS-: Sheridan ( 61 ), McKee ( 80 ), Cochrane ( 88 ). Match Report by John Hinshelwood Maryhill's recent revival in form came to an abrupt end at Brig ' O Lea, with some suicidal defending leading to three goals being conceded in the last 29 minutes. The strong wind and bumpy surface made good football difficult, and the first half was a real scrappy affair with neither side able to assert themselves to any degree. Two good chances were missed in the opening five minutes, one for each side. Craig Malcolm seemed certain to put Neilston ahead, but managed to put the ball over the bar from a couple of yards, and a minute later Lee Sichi shot past from close range for Maryhill when well placed to score. Kenny McLean and Stephen McGowan both had good efforts go just wide of the goal, and for the home side a Malcolm header was well saved by Kevin Montgomery.There had been little in the way of constructive play to entertain the meagre crowd, and 0 - 0 was a fitting half time score. The second half was little better with misplaced passes and lack of cohesive play the order of the day for both sides. It was looking a good bet for a no scoring draw, but after 16 minutes the home side were gifted a goal. Montgomery made a good stop from a powerful header by John Sheridan, but the Hill defence assumed a statuesque pose allowing Sheridan to follow up and head the ball into the empty net. This failed to improve the overall standard of play, although more slack defending gave substitute Gordon Cochrane a clear run on goal, but his shot was blocked by Montgomery, and the danger averted. Three minutes later, a repeat situation saw Chris McKee have better luck when his shot struck the inside of the post, and ended up in the net. The woeful defending continued two minutes from the end when a comedy defensive mix up left Cochrane with an empty goal, and he duly made it 3 - 0. It was difficult to believe that this was the same team that had played so well and won so convincingly against Kilsyth and Shotts. To be fair, however, it should be pointed out that this was Maryhill's fourth game in nine days, and Neilston were little better, the only difference being that they took the chances that were gifted to them. NEILSTON-:Hewitt, Bryers, Dale, Whiteford, R.Anderson, Cameron ( McKee 63 ), Canning, Sheridan, S.Anderson ( Smith 89 ), Malcolm ( Cochrane 66 ), McMenamin. SUBS ( not used )-: Harkins, Kennedy. BOOKED-: R.Anderson ( 59 ), Whiteford ( 84 ) MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Sichi ( Gallagher 77 ), K. O'Neil, Wilson, K.Anderson, McLean, Smith, D.Anderson ( Elliot 77 ), McKeown ( Crossey 77 ), McGowan. SUBS ( not used )-: McGraw, Soave. BOOKED-: Crossey ( 87 ) Referee - Steven Mitchell. Man of the match - Alan Benton |
| STAGECOACH SUPER LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
WEDNESDAY 2nd MAY 2007 Maryhill 1 Cumnock 2 SCORERS-: Maryhill - McGowan ( 78 ) Cumnock - M'Ballandi ( 12 ), McInaly ( 59 ) Match Report by John Hinshelwood Pictures by Ewen Nicolson Maryhill's brave fight against relegation finally came to an end with this defeat, and they will now play in Division 1 next season. Needing a win to have any hope of survival in the Premier League, Hill started very nervously and a short pass back by Donny Wilson was reached just in time by Kevin Montgomery. The Maryhill keeper was to come to their rescue several times as the Cumnock attack broke through Maryhill's defence with ease time after time. Jamie Moan was clear through in the sixth minute and a goal seemed certain, but he delayed his final shot, allowing Alan Benton to avert the danger with a great tackle. Six minutes later the visitors took a deserved lead, although the goal had an element of farce to it, with Ivan M'Ballandi forcing the ball over the line at the third attempt. The big Cumnock striker could easily have completed a hat trick, but three superb saves from Montgomery, and some hurried finishing kept the score at 1 - 0 at the break. Gareth Campbell also missed a great chance, shooting wildly over the bar when put in the clear by Moan. Karl Anderson was injured five minutes from the interval, and replaced by Lee Sichi, and he made an immediate impact with a good run which set up Bryan Smith, but his header just went wide. Hill's jaded performance continued into the second half, and it was no surprise when the visitors increased their lead after 14 minutes, David McInally cutting in from the right and sending a low left foot shot past Montgomery from the edge of the penalty area.The double substitution of Andrew Crossey and Alan McGraw for Derek Anderson and Frank McKeown seemed to spark some life into Maryhill and they pulled a goal back 12 minutes from the end. Paddy Gallagher sent over a cross from the right which Stephen McGowan met at the far post to head home his eighth goal of the season. This inspired Hill to surge forward and dominate play for the first time in the game. Kenny McLean had a good chance to equalise five minutes from the end but substitute keeper Semple managed to block his close range shot. Despite all out effort in the remaining minutes , they could not break down a solid Cumnock defence, and no one could really dispute that the better team took all three points. MARYHILL-: Montgomery, Benton, Gallagher, K.O'Neil, Wilson, McLean, K.Anderson ( Sichi 40 ), Smith,D.Anderson ( McGraw 73 ), McKeown ( Crossey 73 ), McGowan. SUBS ( not used )-: Elliot, S.O'Neil. BOOKED-: D.Anderson ( 17 ), Wilson ( 56 ), Crossey ( 75 ), K.O'Neil ( 78 ) CUMNOCK-: Potter ( Semple 31 ), Ure, McGrady, Murray, McGowan, Cameron, Moan, Farrell, M'Ballandi, Campbell, McInally ( Boyle 88 ). SUBS ( not used ) -:Gallagher, Gibson, Hughes. BOOKED-: Campbell ( 79 ) Man of the match - Kevin Montgomery |