Strugglers looking up after upturn in fortunes
GLENMUIR 3 NEWTOWN UNITED 0
HOW Glenmuir’s fortunes have improved in the space of a few weeks!
Languishing at the bottom of the table after eight straight defeats and relegation staring them in the face, that prospect is now banished and the team can look to progressing up the third division and building confidence for next season.
This remarkable transformation has coincided with the appointment as manager of Wayne Conroy, who has steered them on an unbeaten run of three matches after this result in mid-week when they also registered their first clean sheet of the season. From being pointless the win has taken their tally to 13 points - boosted by being awarded six points following the withdrawal of Lourdes Celtic.
Fog threatened the abandonment of this match, but it cleared early in the second half, by which stage Glenmuir had virtually wrapped up the win. Indeed, had they converted the many scoring chances they created they would have been out of sight.
They dominated the play against opponents missing quite a number of players and went in front after 15 minutes. A corner kick on the right by Eibhin Caldwell was headed down by Oisin Muirray for twin brother Sean to fire home from close range.
A couple of minutes later they increased their lead thanks to a cool finish by David McComish under the Newtown goalkeeper from near the penalty spot after being fed by Luke Murray.
John Byrne should have made it 3-0 but blasted the ball over the crossbar with only the goalkeeper to beat. It was one of several opportunities that the home side flittered way, as they showed some rustiness after playing their last game in early December.
The Newtown keeper made a great save, pushing a powerful strike by Eibhin Caldwell from the edge of the box over his crossbar.
Sean Murray continually had the beating of his marker on the left flank, and Caldwell was again foiled by the keeper just before the break.
The winners went off the boil after the break, taking some 20 minutes to get into their stride again and wrap up the points.
However, Sean Murray eventually scored his second and the side’s third goal with a speculative effort when he played the ball into the box and it sailed over the goalkeeper.
The home side could afford to make full use of their bench and provide players with precious game time in the latter stages. GLENMUIR: John Burlingham, Willie Kelly (Liam McKenny), Edgar Bitanis, Oisin Murray, Niall Hand, David McComish (Ashraf Binjamal), Eamon Kenny (Ronan Molloy), Eibhin Caldwell, Sean Murray, John Byrne (Danny Mullen), Luke Murray (Peter McDermott).