Cain proves he’s able with classy first-half strikes
MUIRHEVNAMOR 1 GLENMUIR UNITED 4
CAIN Bromley led the visitors to a crucial win that greatly enhances their chances of lifting the under-16 premier division title. They stay within five points of the now joint pacesetters with Quay Celtic joining Muirhevnamor at the head of the table with the potentially winning hand of three games less played.
Speedy striker Bromley inflicted the telling damage in the opening ten minutes, scoring twice as in the biting cold and driving rain the hosts struggled to get into any stride.
They improved in the second-half with the elements in their favour with by then Bromley having been forced off by injury before the break. He could at that early stage have completed his hat-trick and dashed any hope the erstwhile leaders had of rescuing the game.
An unfortunate own goal by Oboom Onuroah, turning a dangerous cross by Craig Lennon into his own net put the outcome beyond doubt ten minutes from the end. Dami Ababanjo revived fleetingly the prospect of a comeback when he struck home the rebound after Oboom Onuroah’s spot kick was saved by Kyle Connor. But a minute later Conor McGowan extinguished it when he drilled home the winners fourth goal through a crowded goalmouth with only a couple of minutes left on the clock.
However, on a wretched night for football the flying start by the visitors was key to the outcome, with the erstwhile sole leaders stunned by Bromley’s brace, and created just a lone clear-cut scoring opportunity in the first period.
Kyle Connor did very as James Mulligan got free in behind his defence and let fly a powerful shot from ten yards which was straight at the goalkeeper but he stood tall and parried it away in the closing stages.
Before that the home side had an amazing let-off as Bromley was set to pounce for his hat-trick. Teammate Paddy Nicholson beat goalkeeper Kent to the ball on the endline close to the Muirhevnamor goal and turned it low across the goalline Bromley raced in but challenged by an opponent he could only divert it across the face of goal and beyond the far post.
Glenmuir had a couple of scares as goalkeeper Connor spilled a high ball over his endline close to his goal, and it took a fine sliding tackle to halt a driving run deep into their penalty box by Joshua Ayoub at the expense of a corner.
But they were relatively untroubled. Muirhevnamor salvaged some pride when Shane Cairns was tripped inside the penalty box after conceding an own goal to fall three goals in arrears.
But McGowan crowned a convincing win when Paddy Nicholson’s corner kick grazed off the outstretched finger tips of goalkeeper Kent and fell at McGowan’s feet at the far post.
Muirhevnamor: Precious Kent, Uche Ibeh, Oisin Morrow, Conor Doyle, Oboom Onuroah, Joshua Ayoub, Michael Stokes, Samuel Olakubusabo, Mayo Badum, Adris Agunbiade, James Mulligan, Shane Cairns, Sean Hill, Dami Ababanjo. GLENMUIR: Kyle Connor, Jay O’Hagan, Kian Newell, David Ekperuoh, Luke Mur-