Greater Glasgow Amateur Premier League
	League Division 3A
	The Murray Playing Fields, East Kilbride
	Sat 31st October 2009
	East Kilbride Rolls Royce	1 - 3	Windlaw AFC
	Scorers: Fennesy		Scorers: McCann, Johnstone (2)
	Team:		Team: Lunny, McInally, Carr, Wilson (Granger), McCann, Devaney (Baird), Simpson, Taylor (Trialist - Robertson), Hepburn, Johnstone, McKenna
	H-T: 0-1		Referee: Michael Murray

Two enforced changes after last week’s thrashing of Ardeer Rovers with skipper Eck McCaig ill all week, Tam Simpson came back in for him. Liam McGeachy was also injured and in came Mick Devaney to partner Simpson in the centre with Thomas Taylor moving to right wing. Given the atrocious weather in Glasgow in the days before, the pitch was in reasonable condition although in some parts it was to cut up making good passing difficult.

A fairly scrappy start to the game with neither keeper seriously tested early on. Danny McKenna fired over from just inside the box. He then managed to give strike partner Greg Johnstone his first sighter of goal putting him in with a fine pass but he didn’t connect well with his shot and the keeper gathered easily. The home side started coming into it more making Windlaw's defenders work hard. Windlaw then managed the breakthrough when they were awarded a debatable free-kick on the left-wing when the tackle looked to be fair. Chris Hepburn fired in a fine free-kick deep into the box that Greg Johnstone left for stand-in skipper Kevin McCann to bullet his header into the net from seven yards out. This didn’t deter East Kilbride though and they increased the pressure on Windlaw forcing corners and some desperate defending at times and Windlaw looked the more relieved side to hear the half-time whistle.    

Half Time: East Kilbride Rolls Royce 0 - 1 Windlaw AFC

East Kilbride again began the second half in determined fashion and continued to take the game to Windlaw. In fairness though, the Windlaw defence were in good form and repelled most of the balls peppering their penalty area with the help of the midfield. Wullie Wilson and Kevin McCann were in commanding form at the back. Just as the pressure was increasing Windlaw scored a second goal that they thought would ease the pressure. Mick Devaney picked the ball up in midfield and dinked a superb pass over the top of the last defender that Greg Johnstone latched onto before the keeper to lift it into the empty net. Again though the home side refused to buckle and within two minutes they got a goal back from a free-kick twenty-five yards out on their right. Fennesy stepped up and as most people expected a ball deep to the back-post he delivered a curling dipping shot into the top postage stamp corner of the net that Lunny could only get a hand to. That was the cue for even more pressure for the home side with corners and long-throws coming in. Windlaw had a couple of amazing escapes and their goal led a charmed life with John Lunny also making two fine saves from close range. East Kilbride also struck the bar with a fine angled header across the bows of Lunny that struck the woodwork and bounced to safety. With seven minutes remaining though, Windlaw got the killer goal with one of the best moves of the season. Ian Baird took a pass from the right touchline and played a superb pass into Danny McKenna in the inside right position and his first timed left-footed ball across the East Kilbride penalty area found Greg Johnstone who finshed emphatically for his twenty-fourth goal of an already incredible season. A stunning move clinically finished that the home side would have loved to produce themselves given the pressure they had applied throughout. Windlaw then held out in the final minutes for a very hard earned victory against opponents who had put so much into the game.

Full Time: East Kilbride Rolls Royce 1 - 3 Windlaw AFC

 

Verdict: Manager Billy Hepburn said "Not our best performance of the season but the players showed great attitude to earn the victory." On Saturday Windlaw host Rannoch A at Barlia in the league,kick-off 2pm.

Windlaw Star Man: On a day when it was all about digging in for the team Windlaw had three outstanding performers in Wullie Wilson, Kevin McCann and Tam Simpson and it would be wrong to pick one over the other given their contributions.

 

 

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