Greater Glasgow Amateur Premier League
	League Division 3A
	Lochwinnoch Public Park
	Sat 6th February 2010
	Calderglen	0 - 0	Windlaw AFC
	Scorers:		Scorers:)
	Team: Isaksen, Arthur, Kearney, Mackay, Fairfull, Rodden, McGuire, Beaton, Crossan, Heywood, Duffy		Team: Lunny, McInally, Carr, McCann, Granger, Simpson (Carmichael), McGeachy (Baird), Hepburn, McCaig (Taylor), Johnstone, McKenna
	H-T: 0-0		Referee: Frank McLachlan

Three changes for Windlaw as Zanda Dougall missed out through work commitments and Thomas Taylor’s ankle knock kept him on the bench. A midweek injury to defensive stalwart Wullie Wilson also meant that the squad was restricted to only 14 players travelling down the M8 for this game. Chris Carr returned to left-back while Calum Granger came into central defence from his midfield slot last week while Tam Simpson returned from his hamstring injury to partner Eck McCaig in midfield while Liam McGeachy slotted into the right of midfield. The local council had declared the pitch unplayable on Friday morning however Calderglen said it was game on. Looking at the condition of the pitch, the council appeared to have called it correctly. The surface was in terrible condition before the game forcing the players to warm-up at the side so when the action started only a ploughed field and a war of attrition would ensue.

Both sides started reasonably although Calderglen’s 4-5-1 formation relied heavily on the talented Crossan holding the ball up well to allow support up which to be fair to him he did. For Windlaw, Danny McKenna always looked threatening in possession and he looked to play in Greg Johnstone on the turn whenever he could. Ref McLachlan had a highly inconsistent start to the match appearing to misjudge many calls although both sides were fully committed in the challenge. Windlaw then had a goal wrongly disallowed when Chris Hepburn crashed a 20 yard shot off the post before the ball struck keeper Isaksen’s left leg and spun out to Danny McKenna who curled it into the corner of the net. Amazingly the ref disallowed it for offside despite McKenna merely emerging first from a pack of players to react quickest. Crossan then forced John Lunny into a magnificent full length save to his left as he parried the shot away for a corner. Windlaw kept probing though and Greg Johnstone then had the ball in the net only for another offside ruling to disallow it. As the conditions worsened both sides continued to give everything but playing any kind of football was next to impossible and it was level at the break.     

Half Time: Calderglen 0 - 0 Windlaw AFC

Windlaw looked more dangerous in the second period although conditions in the middle of the pitch were making life very difficult to play through. Possibly the best chance came for Greg Johnstone when a ball pushed into Calderglen’s box fell nicely for him but as he attempted to clip the ball over Isaksen,the keeper did brilliantly to dash from his line and block the attempt before gathering the loose ball. Windlaw fired several crosses and long throws into the Calderglen box but each time their well organised defence managed to clear any danger. Near the end Lunny made a superb save as he managed to tip a McGuire header from a corner onto the bar and the ball was scrambled clear as it fell. In the dying minutes,Windlaw were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out and Chris Hepburn stepped up and bent a fine shot a yard wide of Isaksen’s left hand post with the keeper beaten. It was to be one of those days when the break never came for either side and a share of the spoils was the final outcome.

Full Time: Calderglen 0 - 0 Windlaw AFC

 

Verdict:Windlaw Manager Billy Hepburn said  "We need to move on from this game and get back to winning ways." Next Saturday sees the team take a break from league business by travelling to Elderslie to take on Garnock Valley in the Challenge Cup Round 1.

Windlaw Star Man: Best were Chris Carr who defended well and Danny McKenna who probed all day at the Calderglen defence but for his first half save and second-half tip onto the bar,big John Lunny takes the award.

 

 

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