Rodden 50

Tamburrini OG 84

Kilbirnie Ladeside
1. J. Houston
2. Grant
3. H. Houston
4. Hughes
5. Shearer
6. Gordon
(sub Robinson 90)
7. P. Ferris
(sub Duffy 71)
8. Gillies
(sub M. Ferris 75)
9. Barrett
10. Tamburrini
11. Rodden
Subs not used: Heafey

Pollok
1. Wilson 7
2. Sweeney 7
3. Fabiani 6
(sub O'Neil 6 6)
4. Gayne 6
(sub Gibson 60 6)
5. Pacitti 7
6. Aitchison 7
7. Bryers 7
8. Logan 7
9. D. McWilliams 6
10. Hamilton 7
11. Watt 7
Subs not used: Smith, Fitzpatrick & Heaton

Fab was apparently later taken to hospital with
suspected concussion.

Stevie Aitchison is crunched (videograb)

Pollok in the first half after some Kilbirnie pressure, created a host of good chances to open the scoring. Hamilton and Watt sent good shots just wide of the post and Mario Pacitti sent a flashing header just over the bar. Raymond Logan then came inches away from the opening goal when he just failed to touch a great Hamilton through ball with an open goal at his mercy.

David Watt then brought out a good save from Houston and from the rebound McWilliams blasted the ball against the keeper when it looked easier to score. Watt was again unlucky when his clever shot from 20 yards beat the keeper but hit the outside of the post. From the resultant corner Pacitti saw his header well cleared of the line by Grant.

Logan again missed a great chance to score hitting the keeper when he was put clear by Aitchison. Kilbirnie were content mostly to hit on the break and created one good chance when after a neat one-two with Tamburrini, Kenny Gillies shot just wide of the post.

Half-time: Kilbirnie Ladeside 0 Pollok 0

The second half followed a similar pattern and Kilbirnie hit Pollok with a sucker punch with a classic breakaway goal. From a corner kick Pacitti just failed to put in a header and the ball broke to Grant. He hit a long diagonal ball that found no less than 3 Kilbirnie players alone in the Pollok half. DEREK RODDEN was first to reach the ball and he showed great composure to slip past keeper Wilson and finish with a neat outside of the foot shot from 12 yards.

Midfield melee at Valefield (videograb)

Kilbirnie then had their best spell of the game with some good play from Gillies and Barratt that lead to a number of corners that were just about dealt with by the Pollok defence. Pollok continued to play good football on the ground and it looked like one of those days that they would never score as many good chances were wasted. Hamilton sent a great defence splitting ball to McWilliams but he shot weakly at the keepers legs. From the corner McWilliams was again the sinner with an incredible miss somehow sending a free header into the ground and over the bar from 5 yards out.

Pollok push for the equaliser (videograb)

Logan was next to come close when his back post header hit the inside of the post and was cleared. Hamilton then somehow mis-kicked in front of an open goal and his second attempt was blocked by a terrific tackle from Hughes. Watt then saw Houston pull off a fine stop from his 25 yard shot and McWilliams again hit the keeper with the ball from the rebound.

Just when it looked like Pollok would never score a goal came which, after several viewings I still cant decide who scored it. In the 85th minute Hamilton did brilliantly on the wing to beat his man and sent in a great cross. Drew McWilliams seemed to get a slight touch of the ball towards goal before it cannoned off defender MARK TAMBURRINI and went into the net.

The last 5 minutes were frantic with both side coming close. The Pollok defence went asleep letting Houson send in a cross that Rodden met with his head, forcing Wilson into a good save. Logan then had a good snapshot just go past the past with Houston well beaten.

Pollok could easily have taken all three points with the chances they created. However I think they will be relieved to get a point it was one of those games where nothing came off apart from the lucky break for the goal. Kilbirnie were very tough and hard working and had good performances from Gillies and Barratt but especially right back Grant who used the ball intelligently and made some great forward runs.

Full-time: Kilbirnie Ladeside 1 Pollok 1

McNeill 17

Apiliga 90

Pollok
1. Wilson 6
2. Sweeney 6
3. Fabiani 6
4. Gayne 6
5. Pacitti 6
6. Aitchison 6
7. Bryers 6
8. Fitzpatrick 6
(sub D. McWilliams 56 6)
9. Watt 6
(sub Hendry 77 6)
10. Hamilton 6
11. McNeill 6
(sub O'Neil 86 6)
Subs not used: Smith, Heaton

Johnstone Burgh
1. Donoghoe
2. Robertson
3. Maxwell
4. Juttla
5. Smith
6. McShane
(sub Apiliga 71)
7. Thomson
8. Murray
9. McHarg
(sub Anderson 71)
10. Mackinnon (s/o 82)
11. McLay
Subs not used: Canning, Devenney, McCue

Unfortunately the standard of football on show was pretty poor and only some nasty scenes at the end will remain in the memory.

Play rages at Newlandsfield (digicam)

Pollok started the brighter of the two sides and David Watt twice forced good saves out of keeper Donoghoe. Pollok got the opening goal in the 20th minute. Referee Brolls played a poor advantage for Burgh which ended with Aitchison winning the ball and playing the ball over the top of the defence. PAUL MCNEILL showed good pace and after a nice cutback shot home from 12 yards with a low shot that the keeper got a hand top but couldn't keep out.

Another good chance followed soon after when Hamilton had a spectacular hitch kick go just over the bar and Bryers had a header cleared off the line. As the half wore on Burgh came more into the game and started to put the home sides defence under pressure without actually forcing a save out of keeper Wilson.

Half-time: Pollok 1 Johnstone Burgh 0

Johnstone were almost on level terms a minute into the half when a good move down the left wing ended with Murray at full stretch sending a clever effort just wide of the post. Another good chance was created when both McHarg and McLay got breaks of the ball in the box but neither managed to hit the target. Pollok sub Drew McWilliams then ran half the length of the park in a breakway only for his final touch to let him down allowing Donoghoe to make a brave stop at his feet.

Pollok on the attack against Burgh (digicam)

McWilliams was then involved in an off the ball scuffle with MacKinnon which saw the Burgh man red carded for kicking out, but Drew McWilliams was lucky to escape similar punishment for his part. Burgh made two subs that changed the course of the game with both ex-Port Glasgow forward Ian Anderson and former Partick and Kilbirnie star Moses Apiliga proving to both heroes and villains.

Sunkissed Newlandsfield, shame about the game (digicam)

Some pretty bad tackles followed from Burgh as they fought for an equaliser that resulted in four bookings in as many minutes. Burgh in the first minute of injury time got a well deserved equaliser after very skilful fast run from Anderson ended with MOSES APILIGA scoring neatly at the near post from the cutback. An incident followed soon after involving Apligia and Sweeney that was unsavoury to say the least.

I don't think anyone could argue that a draw was the fair result. Pollok were very poor today with the midfield particularly out wide not producing the goods. For Burgh I was impressed again with Jaz Juttla at sweeper up who gave a classy, brilliant performance and never put a foot wrong, while Murray and McHarg also looked good.

Full-time: Pollok 1 Johnstone Burgh 1

Pacitti 28
Hamilton 44
Logan 45
Bryers 55
Watt 61, 64, 75
McNeill 68, 85
D. McWilliams 69

Pollok
1. Smith 7
2. Sweeney 7
3. Fabiani 7
(sub O'Neil 59 7)
4. Gayne 7
5. Pacitti 7
6. Aitchison 7
7. Bryers 7
(sub D. McWilliams 59 7)
8. Logan 7
9. McNeill 8
10. Hamilton 8
(sub Hendry 70 7)
11. Watt 8
Subs not used: Wilson, Fitzpatrick

Saltcoats Victoria
1. Kirkwood
2. Scott
3. Reilly
4. Ryland
5. Morrison
6. Lynch
7. Dunlop
8. Collie
9. Smith
10. Finigan (sub Phairs 70)
11. Curry (sub Chau 70)
Subs not used: Fairlie, Pollock, Conn

In tropical conditions at Newlandfield, Pollok threatened to run up a scoring record in demolishing Saltcoats Vics. The first half saw Logan and Hamilton miss easy
chances before the opening goal in 28 minutes.

Pollok on the attack in the second half (digicam)

A corner broke to MARIO PACITTI and he shot home a volley with the outside of the foot from 8 yards out. Saltcoats where then reduced to 10 men when No 8 Martin Collie was ordered off for an off the ball incident that was spotted by one of the linesmen.

Vics' best chance of the game came when centre half Morrison had a powerful shot well saved by Smith. More good chances were wasted with McNeill twice and Logan failing to hit the target. It was a minute before half time before Pollok got a second goal and what a wonderful goal it was.

Some great passing football ended with Watt playing in DAVID HAMILTON and he showed brilliant skill to flick the ball past his marker with his left foot and then crash home a great volley with his right from 12 yards out.

On the half time whistle it was 3-0 when calamity keeper Kirkwood spilled a Watt free kick and RAYMOND LOGAN was on hand to score from close range.

Half-time: Pollok 3 Saltcoats Victoria 0

Pollok used the extra man to their advantage in the second half and a relentless wave of pressure left the seaside visitors flattened in rampant Lok's wake. The final score could have been higher were it not for some good goalkeeping and a bit more frequently wastefulness in front of goal.

More action from Lok's rout of Saltcoats (digicam)

Goal number four came ten minutes after the restart when Paul McNeill fired in a deep cross for JOE BRYERS to tap in from close range and six minutes later more good football in the middle of the park by Aitchison and Hamilton ended with a powerful shot from 25 yards by DAVID WATT going through the keepers hands and high into the net

Pollok push forward for more goals (digicam)

The lead grew again in 64 minutes when a fine run and through ball by Chris Sweeney brilliantly lobbed home from 20 yards by DAVID WATT and not logn after that, another fine run and clever pass from Hamilton played in PAUL MCNEILL to round the keeper and score.

Almost from the restart a typical fast skilful run from McNeill ended with a square pass to substitute DREW MCWILLIAMS for an easy tap in and a brilliant team goal with no fewer than eight different players and eighteen passes in the build up lead to goal number nine. At the culmination of the move, Hamilton's headed cutback was expertly volleyed home by DAVID WATT for his hat trick.

The tenth goal took a bit of time to arrive and was probably the scrappiest of the lot. A quick break by Drew McWilliams the length of the field ended with an almighty melee in the box. Eventually the ball broke to PAUL MCNEILL who calmly beat his man and shot home low into the net from 12 yards out.

All in all a good display by Pollok with lots of good football. I made it 39 efforts on goal in the match with 32 on target giving you some idea of the dominance of the home side. Vics tried hard and had good performances from Dunlop and the hard working Gordon Smith up front.

For Pollok, McNeill and Watt were just too clever and fast for the Vics defence and Hamilton looked very impressive in midfield.

Full-time: Pollok 10 Saltcoats Victoria 0

Roberts 52 (pen)

McNeill 12, 16
Logan 78

Larkhall Thistle
1. Marshall
2. McAninch
3. Dodds (sub Morgan 62)
4. Paterson
5. Allan
6. Gardiner
7. McKeever
8. Bovill
9. Watret (sub Black 70)
10. Roberts
11. McQuade
Subs not used: Campbell, Main, Graham

With Ian Wilson holidaying, Ronnie Lowrie gave Allan Smith a run-out in goals, while forgotten man Lorn Gibson found himself on the bench.

Midfield action at Gasworks Park © Jane Knox (digicam)

Pollok opened brightly and the first real opportunity was created in the tenth minute. Just inside the Lok half, birthday boy Joe Bryers flicked the ball upfield for Davie Watt to chase, and the skilful Pollok attacker firstly controlled the ball before driving the ball low towards Marshall who saved well.

The Larkhall rearguard didn't hold out for much longer though as Paul McNeill was soon set up on the edge of the box before firing the ball low across the keeper into the net. By the 16th minute, Pollok were two goals clear. Thistle failed to defend a corner, allowing Paul McNeill the simplest of chances as he headed into the net from a yard out unchallenged.

As the half progressed, Pollok spurned chances to increase their lead, with Davie Watt at the heart of everything. Two free-kicks, one saved and one placed just wide of the target, were the best opportunities, and while Larkhall were hardly blunt upfront Brian Watret was clearly still recovering from a recent layoff.

Half-time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Pollok 2

The first notable action of the second half involved Pollok conceding a needless goal when Stevie Gayne was adjudged to have pushed a Larkhall attacker in the box. The referee booked him for his troubles and Paul Roberts converted the kick.

Pollok on the attack © Jane Knox (digicam)

Paul McNeill then broke clear for Pollok in 62 minutes before being halted by a well-timed Marshall challenge, but Larkhall soon found themselves down to ten men when the far-side assistant referee noticed an off-the-ball incident. As a result, Stephen McQuade was red-carded for a second bookable offence and Bobby Crilly followed him up the tunnel after a slightly heated protest.

Joe Bryers looking dangerous © Jane Knox (digicam)

Pollok made the usual late changes to the side, with O'Neil and Logan replacing Sweeney and Fitzpatrick, and it didn't take long for the changes to take effect when Raymond Logan had the ball liad off into his path and after one touch he lashed a low drive past Marshall from 20 yards.

Fellow sub John Hendry should have made it four with three minutes left when David Hamilton unselfishly squared the ball for him inside the area but with only the keeper to beat and the goal gaping, Hendry's lazy, casual and paceless effort was caught by Marshall.

The performance against Larkhall was workmanlike and on the whole professional, with good performances again from the front two. So, 3-1 it finished to Pollok and they now face Saltcoats Victoria in the Whyte & Mackay Trophy on Saturday.

Full-time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Pollok 3