Pollok Reports - September 2004

Saturday 18th September 2004 - Western Park, Renfrew. West of Scotland Cup 1st Rd. Att: 400 (pics c/o Kathryn MacLeod)

Renfrew 1 (0)

Pollok exited the Whyte & Mackay Trophy/West of Scotland Cup at the first hurdle after a disappointing display at Western Park. The 400 or so in attendance didn't see a particularly great game, with errors and sloppy play the order of the day.

Pollok 1 (1)
(Renfrew won 4-3 on pens)

Renfrew scorer: Billy McLafferty (57)

Pollok scorer: Willie Stewart (11)

Pollok opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Sweeney powered a header
towards goal from a corner, and despite the ball being blocked on the line,
WILLIE STEWART was to hand to net. Friels then headed weakly at Scrimgour
from McClay's long pass as Lok made a case for being the better side in the
opening 20 minutes. Renfrew's first real chance came in the 24th minute when
a corner caused panic in the Lok defence but despite Wilson being stranded
the chance couldn't be converted. Raymond Logan seemed to be winning
everything in the 'Frew area and 10 minutes before the break he met a
McKeever free-kick with his head but couldn't score.

Renfrew certainly shaded the second half, hitting Lok on the break time and again. In the 48th minute McLafferty saw an effort pawed away by Wilson, with McQuade heading wide in the 55th minute. Peter Jordan then fired wide for Lok, but the equaliser came in the 57th minute when BILLY MCLAFFERTY evading his marker to meet a cross and shoot past Wilson.

Raymond Logan receives instructions from the gaffer

McKeever nearly beat Scrimgour with a cross/shot but with 64 minutes on the
clock Pollok should have gone ahead again when Stewart released Friels on
the right but his cutback into the area was too powerful for the former East
Fife forward to get onto, and instead Logan attempted to divert the ball
past helpless Scrimgour, only to see his sole touch carry wide of the gaping
goal.

Sub Frankie Haggarty then shot wide for Lok from long range, and he also saw a free-kick blocked by Scrimgour. Renfrew could have sealed the tie in stoppage time when Kenna set up Cuthbert on one of Renfrew's many counter attacks, but the under no pressure he caught the ball on the volley and fired first time over the bar.

The game went to penalties with Haggarty (via the post) and Colsh both scoring, then Raymonds Logan and Dunne missing. Friels, Cuthbert, Tinney and Clark all then beat the keeper before Mark McWilliams missed again for Lok. Giant left-sided midfielder John McLay stepped up with confidence to seal the tie for Renfrew by firing beyond Wilson.

Renfrew: Scrimgour, Hammond, Quigley, Clark, Ross (sub 82 for Harvey), Kenna, McLay, McQuade (sub 76 for Dunne), Cuthbert, McLafferty, Prentice (sub 37 for Colsh). Not used: Thomson
booked: Ross 82
Pollok: Wilson, McWilliams, Jordan (sub 73 for Haggarty), Aitchison, Sweeney, McClay, McKeever, Logan, Stewart, Friels, Tinney. Not used: Proctor, Nelson, Paterson, McMenamin.
booked: McWilliams 47
ref: A Law

Saturday 11th September 2004 - Abbey Park, Kilwinning. Stagecoach Premier League. Att: 500 (pics c/o Kathryn MacLeod)

Kilwinning Rangers 1 (1)

Pollok condemned Kilwinning Rangers to their fourth defeat in succession, and
also denied Paul Wright a winning start as Buffs manager. Rab Sneddon brought Mark McWilliams into the side to compensate for Derek Heaton, sidelined with a broken nose, while new signing Andy McClay was on the bench.

Pollok 3 (2)

Kilwinning Rangers scorer: Ian Cashmore (43)

Pollok scorers: Gavin Friels (20, 33), Kevin Proctor (90)

Gavin Friels is congratulated after netting

Kilwinning went close in the 17th minute when unmarked Armstrong headed over. Pollok took
the lead in the 20th minute though when Logan's shot was put out for a corner by Wardrope. From the corne, McLauchlan's cutback found Logan who had a shot from closer in blocked but GAVIN FRIELS was on hand to fire in the opener. David Atha then forced Wilson into a save as the Buffs looked for the leveller. Armstrong then had a snapshot wide while at the other end McLauchlan crossed for McKeever but he was denied by a Gers defender.

Lok went two goals clear in the 33rd minute with a well-worked goal. Derek Paterson began the move with a powerful swerving pass from deep to Friels that the former Talbot man dummied, by accident or by design only he could say, but McLauchlan was alert to chase after the loose ball and with a Buffs defender close to him, he weaved, tricked and twisted his way down the left flank before firing in the cross for supporting GAVIN FRIELS to meet and blast past Wardrope.

Currie and Armstrong put the squeeze on Friels

Lok look for another goal

Logan then had a free-kick saved a minute later as Lok threatened to
overpower the shaky Buffs rearguard but in the 43rd minute the home side
pulled one back when Jordan's header from an Atha free-kick landed kindly for IAN CASHMORE to fire a quick low shot past the unsighted Wilson from the edge of the box.

The second half was poor fare with little real opportunity at either end apart from a succession of heavy challenges. One of these, in the 83rd minute, saw Atha pick up a second booking and off the 19 year old trudged. Donnelly headed wide with 3 minutes left, a miss punished by Lok sub KEVIN PROCTOR in stoppage time who sprung the offside trap and with almost too much time rounded Wardrope to net the third. Assistant Tony Ventri took a fair bit of stick from Mullen but he was certain in the decison.

Kilwinning Rangers: Wardrope, Mason, Mullen, Biggart, Currie, Burns (sub 74 for Geoghegan), Atha, Farrell, Cashmore, Armstrong, Donnelly. Not used: Fabiani, Smith.
Booked: Cashmore 39, Atha 45, Currie 59, Mullen 75
Sent off: Atha 83 (2nd yellow)
Pollok: Wilson, McWilliams, Jordan, Aitchison, Sweeney, Paterson (sub 71 for McClay), McKeever, Logan, McLauchlan (sub 79 for Stewart), Friels, Tinney (sub 84 for Proctor). Not used: Gibson, Burns.
Booked: Logan 44, McKeever 62

Saturday 4th September 2004 - Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow. Stagecoach Premier League. Att: 920 (pics c/o Kathryn MacLeod)

Pollok 1 (1)

The seventh highest attendance of the day in Scotland was recorded at Newlandsfield when the locking horns of Pollok and visitors Maryhill proved to be a big attraction to the football fans of Glasgow. Pollok's side was understrength with Martin Nelson suspended, and Frankie Haggarty, Willie Stewart and Paul McMenamin joining Paul McNeill on the 'unavailable through injury' list. New signing Mark McKeever made his debut though on the right of midfield.

Maryhill 1 (0)

Pollok scorer: Raymond Logan (2)

Maryhill scorer: Bryan Dingwall (59)

Lok opened the scoring in only the seocnd minute when John Tinney's inch-perfect cross found RAYMOND LOGAN, who bulleted a header beyond the outstretched arms of Scott Black. Referee John McKendrick was soon involved when he elected to book Stuart Wilson and Derek Paterson, and this action alsmost seemed to take the heat out of the game thereafter.

Mark McKeever nearly set Logan up to score in the 48th minute but the ex-East Fife man headed over. Maryhill levelled in the 59th minute by capitalising on poor Lok defending. Jones' free-kick was fumbled by Wilson and with no Lok defenders following up the rebound, BRIAN DINGWALL had all the time and space in the world to fire beyond the stranded Wilson from
close range to make it ten for the season for him. McGuinness and Gallagher of 'Hill and Logan all passed up chances to score thereafter but a draw was probably fair enough.

Peter Jordan and Brian Watret go up for a header

Raymond Logan goes close in the second half

Billy Jones and Raymond Logan in the midfield battle

Pollok: Wilson, Sweeney (sub 81 for Gibson), Jordan (sub 64 for Pinkowski), Aitchison, Heaton, Paterson (sub 77 for McWilliams), McKeever, Logan, McLauchlan, Friels, Tinney. Not used: Proctor, McMenamin.
booked: Paterson 6, Logan 59, Tinney 59
Maryhill: Black, Wilson, Baker, Miller, Cocozza, Jones, Murray, McGuinness (sub 80 for Gallagher), Dingwall, Watret, Essler. Not used: Giles, Hughes, Johnston, Craig
booked: Wilson 3, Miller 36