STEWART MAXWELL has urged his Rob Roy players to man up if they want to stay in the hunt for promotion from the Super First Division.

 

Second-top Rabs passed up a glorious opportunity to move within five points of table-topping Pollok when they relinquished a 3-0 lead at Rutherglen Glencairn last night and were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw.

Maxi said: "We came roaring out of the blocks and were deservedly three goals to the good inside the opening half hour and looking a good bet to add to our lead.

"But a disputed penalty on the stroke of half-time - our guys said the Glens player was fouled outside the area - gave them a huge lift and I warned my players that decision might come back to haunt us.

"That's exactly how things panned out as the Glens hit two goals in five minutes, and they went on to carve out a couple of other openings and we could easily have ended up losing the game.

"It would been a travesty in many respects, however we have to realise this is a fight for the promotion places involving as many as five teams and we must show ourselves capable of toughing it out to earn the right to play our silky football. We didn't do that and almost paid a heavy price."

The combatants looked anything but evenly matched as the Gateway Stadium contest got underway, with the sharper looking Rabs playing the more threatening football going forward, and it was obvious the Glens backline was struggling to contain the trio of Willie Sawyers, Kevin Watt and skilful winger Chris Duff.

Having the greater cutting edge saw a number of near things ensue before the visitors got their noses in front after the Ru'Glonians failed to clear their lines at a corner kick and the ball found its way to a grounded Watt, who cleverly hooked the ball up and beyond helpless goalkeeper Jon Hutchison.

The 1-0 scoreline was to last just three minutes as Rob Roy doubled their advantage through Sawyers, who pounced upon a lamentably short passback by Willie Galloway to poke the ball past the advancing Hutchison and into an empty net.

The one-way traffic continued apace and, 29 minutes in, Rob Roy were awarded a penalty after Watt was sent crashing by a clumsy Andy Neil challenge, and the on-loan Clyde striker dusted himself down before expertly tucking the ball in the net for 3-0.

Glencairn were looking a dejected bunch at this stage, but gradually they came more into things as the half wore on and whistler Stephen Brown threw them a lifeline on 45 minutes when he adjudged that Davie Barr's tackle that felled Ross McNeil in the art of shooting to be inside the area.

He pointed to the spot and Dennis McLaughlin dispatched the ball home to make for a 3-1 half time scoreline.

Nobody can deny the tongue-lashing meted out by gaffer Willie Harvey during the interval certainly worked in readying Glencairn for the fray because they took the game to the Rabs right from the whistle and, by the hour mark, their deficit was totally wiped out through well-taken counters from the pacy McNeil and his more experienced striking partner McLaughlin.

Harvey said: "I didn't mince my words at half-time in letting the guys know my feelings about gifting three goals to Rob Roy with what I can only describe as kamikaze defending.

"We were like rabbits caught in the headlights during that first 45 minutes, but I'm really chuffed with the reaction and performance we got after the break.

"We could have gone on to win but, over the piece, a draw was a fair result."

David Winters missed a spot-kick as Pollok were held to a 1-1 draw away to a battling Yoker Athletic, while Cumbernauld United vaulted into third-top spot as Gary Carroll (2), Gavin Mackie (2) and Scott Murphy were on target in a 5-1 rout of Kilsyth Rangers.

And inroads were also made by Shettleston following a 3-0 defeat of Thorniewood United, thanks to Chrissy McCormack and a Rikky McIntosh double.

Meanwhile, reigning champions Auchinleck Talbot went back atop the Super Premier Division standings after running out 3-0 winners over Irvine Meadow with striking prospect Mark Shankland netting a free-kick to go along with Steven White and David Gormley counters.

Hurlford United - the only team capable of preventing a third consecutive Talbot championship win - stayed on the shirt-tails of their rivals with a 3-2 defeat of relegated Cumnock.

 

LAST NIGHT
Stagecoach Super Premier: Cumnock 2 Hurlford 3, Irvine Meadow 0 Auchinleck 3.
Super First: Neilston 0 Largs Thistle 0, Cumbernauld 5 Kilsyth 1, Thorniewood 0 Shettleston 3, Glencairn 3 Rob Roy 3, Yoker 1 Pollok 1.
Central First: Dunipace 3 Blantyre Vics 1, Lesmahagow 0 Bellshill 1, Ashfield 0 St Anthony’s 3, Carluke 2 Lanark 1, Vale of Clyde 4 Benburb 2, Renfrew 0 Wishaw 1.