Central League First Division
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Maryhill
Dunky Sinclair named an unchanged side after the 5-0 win at home to Benburb last week which meant no return as yet for Andy Brown and Jordan Marshall keeping his place filling in at centre half. But if last week was the best of the season, this week it was a bit flat and despite all their second half pressure and chances Thistle could not get the winning goal.
The game was only three minutes old when Niall Reynolds lunged in on Wells and conceded a penalty which was put away by Andy Monaghan to give Maryhill an early lead. Reynolds was booked for protesting about the award of the kick.
An early clash between Thistle’s Neil Schoneville and Monaghan turned nasty and set the tone for a game which wasn’t exactly played in the best spirit. The two went at each other throughout the game and the Hill man was frankly lucky to last the 90 minutes after some of his antics.
It wasn’t too long though before the Jags were back on level terms when they won a free kick 25 yards out. It was more or less central and Graham Gracie hit a tremendous left-foot strike to send the ball into the left side of the goal past a helpless Hay.
The rest of the first half was an extremely scrappy affair with neither side getting hold of the ball and playing football until the 42nd minute when Ross McGeachie won a header and released Gracie who slipped a ball through between the defenders and into the path of David Reid. He was through and in on goal but couldn’t quite get the ball out from his feet and the chance was gone. Thistle were made to pay a minute later when Maryhill broke straight back up the park on the left wing and although there was a question of a handball by Maryhill’s Furay in the build up to the goal, there was no doubt about his finish – a low drive across keeper Alan Colquhoun into the bottom corner.
Half Time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Maryhill 2
Maryhill started the second half well and could have scored on a couple of occasions in the first 10 minutes but Thistle were back on level terms in 54 minutes. Reynolds made a marauding run down the right wing, going past the left back and hitting the byeline before cutting the ball across the six yard box and McGeachie timed his run perfectly, just managing to nick in front of the keeper and get a touch to the cross to deflect it in from a couple of yards out.
Just after the goal Larkhall made a double substitution with Brian Jack and Mark McKeever coming on for Reid and Clarke and in the 61st minute nearly took the lead. Jordan Marshall took a free kick just inside the opposition half and curled it to the far post, McGeachie met it with his head and should really have scored but put the ball over from five yards.
Three minutes later McGeachie set up Ryan Innes with a great back heel, the midfielder took a touch and shot from just inside the box. The keeper half-saved it but the ball spun up and over and looked to be going over the live before it was cleared.
Thistle were piling on the pressure and three minutes later Innes headed past from a Scott Nichol free kick before Canning had a shot scrambled off the line when it looked net-bound.
In the 72nd minute the game again turned niggly and there was a double sending off when Nicholl got involved with Maryhill’s Furay who saw red but the Jags man only picked up a second booking for the incident.
Thistle’s last real chance came 14 minutes from time when McGeachie stooped to get on the end of a cross from McKeever but the keeper held the ball well with Gracie waiting to pounce on any slipups. Maryhill ended the half like they began with a couple of decent efforts but it would have been a bit of a travesty if Thistle had lost in the end after their second half efforts.
Full Time: Larkhall Thistle 2 Maryhill 2
Larkhall Thistle:
Colquhoun; Reynolds, Schoneville, Marshall, Nicholl; Reid (Jack 57), Innes, Canning, Clarke (McKeever 57); McGeachie, Gracie. Subs: Moss, Brown, Duris
Maryhill:
Hay, Beckley, Lundie, Temporal, Banks, Callendar, Furay, Ferguson, Monaghan, Ndlovu, Wells. Subs: Orr, Assante, Omar, Liftler
Thistle scorers: Gracie, McGeachie
Booked: Reynolds, Schoneville, Innes, Canning Red: Nicholl (two bookings)
Best on the day for Thistle: Ross McGeachie put in his best performance since returning from injury and capped a hard working display with a well taken goal as well as being involved in most of Thistle’s attacking play.
Any Comments?
Do you agree or was big Ross the worst man on the park? Should the Man of the Match have been somebody else? Leave a comment and let us know!
Here's my report for the Maryhill website and programme – pretty much the same as yours, I think, except that I noted a few more bookings!! Cheers.
Central League – Division 1
Saturday 20th September 2014
LARKHALL THISTLE 2 MARYHILL 2
Maryhill were perhaps a little fortunate to emerge with a point following a dull and uninspiring encounter at Gasworks Park.
The prospects looked good for Hill early on, however, and after only three minutes they were awarded a penalty when William Wells was fouled by Niall Reynolds. Andy Monaghan made his usual effective job from the spot to make it 1-0. The home side responded and put the Maryhill defence under some pressure, and Grant Hay in the Hill goal saved well from a Ross McGeachie shot. A deserved equaliser arrived after thirteen minutes, although there was some controversy surrounding the award of a free kick for Andy Banks’ challenge on McGeachie. There was no doubt about the quality of Graham Gracie’s perfectly executed conversion, however, and Hay was left with little chance as the ball sped past him into the net. Memorable moments were in short supply for the remainder of the first half, with some over robust challenges and petty squabbling from both sides the order of the day. A 20 yard drive from Monaghan was well saved by Thistle keeper Alan Colquhoun, and a shot from David Reid for Larkhall which narrowly missed the target were the only real moments worthy of mention, before Maryhill regained their lead just before the break. There was again an element of controversy about the goal, with claims from the home side that Kieran Furay handled the ball before firing a low shot into the net from close range.
Half Time – Larkhall 1 Maryhill 2
Early in the second half Andy Monaghan had a shot from eighteen yards saved by Colquhoun, but most of the subsequent play took place in the Maryhill half. A well merited equaliser came after 56 minutes when, following a good run and cross from Niall Reynolds, Ross McGeachie shot home from six yards. The home side were well on top after this and missed a series of chances to take the lead. McGeachie headed just over the bar, a shot from Mark Canning was inches out, and a third goal looked certain when Ryan Inness’ lob beat Hay, but Paul Callander managed to scramble the ball clear just before it crossed the line. Paul Temporal then kicked a goalbound effort off the line, and another header from McGeachie was well saved by Grant Hay. The scrappy and undisciplined tone of the game was underlined with red cards for Larkhall’s Scott Nicol and Maryhill’s Kieran Furay sixteen minutes from the end following a petulant exchange. There was always the chance that Maryhill could snatch the game against the run of play, and a quick break presented William Wells with a good opportunity five minutes from the end, but his weak effort was easily gathered by Colquhoun.
In the end, Larkhall will consider themselves unlucky not to have taken all three points, with Maryhill relieved to hear the final whistle after a poor performance.
LARKHALL -: Colquhoun, Reynolds, Nicol, Marshall, Schoneville, Canning, Clarke (Jack 58), Innes, Gracie, McGeachie, Reid (McKeever 58).
SUBS (unused) – Duris, Brown, Moss
SCORERS – Gracie (13), McGeachie (56)
YELLOW CARDS – Reynolds (3), Nicol (33), Innes (79), Canning (79), Schoneville (82)
RED CARD – Nicol (74)
MARYHILL-: Hay, Beckley, Lundie, Temporal, Banks, Callender, Furay, Ferguson, Monaghan, Ndlovu (Orr 26), Wells.
SUBS (unused) – Littler, Asante, Omar
SCORERS – Monaghan (pen 3), Furay (43)
YELLOW CARDS – Banks (13), Monaghan (20),
RED CARD – Furay (74)
Referee – Daniel McFarlane
Man of the match – Andy Banks
Opponents’man of the match – Ross McGeachie
Cheers John, it’s not often somebody agrees with me 🙂