Vital three points halts Jags’ slide
Job well done against struggling Lesmahagow
Goals from Dougie Ryan and Martyn McLaughlin earned East Kilbride Thistle a vital victory to ease their relegation fears.
Both teams went into Saturday’s game at K-Park on the back of indifferent form with Jags having lost their last five games and Lesmahagow their previous eight.
But it was Alan Paterson’s men who came out on top as they registered a fifth Central District Division One win of the season.
Thistle started the game strongly and carved out a great chance inside the first minute.
Scott Hadden won a crunching challenge in the middle of the park and threaded the ball through the heart of the defence to Ryan who found himself one-on-one with keeper Daniel Tobin.
However, the ’Gow stopper was quick off his line to narrow the angle and made a fine block.
Hadden and Jordan White combined soon after to play in Ryan but as he flicked the ball beyond the keeper, he was ruled offside.
It was all Jags and the ’Gow struggled to contend with Thistle’s movement as they created another couple of opportunities with Callum McLean’s shot easily saved by Tobin then Ross Gillen headed narrowly over from a McLaughlin corner.
Thistle continued to dominate with ’Gow posing absolutely no threat at the other end.
Another chance for Thistle arrived in the 14th minute as Chris Faulds fed Hadden, who clipped a great ball to White and his stinging shot brought out a fine stop from Tobin.
Jags had to make their dominance count and they deservedly took the lead in the 19th minute.
Ally Morgan picked up the ball on the right and his weighted cross to the back post found an unmarked Ryan perfectly positioned to power a header home.
It was a goal which seemed to wake Lesmahagow up as four minutes later they ventured towards Thistle’s box with Lewis McDougall and Mark Fitzpatrick playing a one-two, allowing Luke Currie the chance to shoot over.
Thistle, however, powered on and went further ahead in the 27th minute.
Scot Gillespie’s ball to Faulds was quickly played through to McLaughlin, whose sublime 20-yard shot from the left curled and dipped beyond Tobin and into the far top corner of the net.
Thistle remained in control with White denied by Tobin who was doing a good job in keeping the scoreline respectable.
A few minutes later, Jags custodian Martyn Meek made his one and only save of the half as ’Gow eventually found a way through, only for Michael Brunton to shoot straight at the keeper from the edge of the area.
The closing stages of the opening period saw McLean shoot wide then White had a header from a Hadden cross blocked and cleared.
The second half, however, was a poor imitation of the first with very few clear chances created by either team.
It was more of an even game as White had a shot blocked with Gow’s Fitzpatrick coming perilously close as his point-blank header was brilliantly saved by Meek before being cleared.
The contest became a midfield battle with neither team making any real headway and the quality of football seen in the first half became a distant memory.
On the hour mark, good work from Gillespie saw him flash a ball across the face of goal with no takers to convert.
Ten minutes later, Ryan shot wide after decent play from McLean and McLaughlin.
The closest ’Gow got to getting on the scoresheet came when a McDougall shot at the far post was blocked and cleared with a Fitzpatrick cross then punched clear by keeper Meek.
As the game petered out, Thistle created another couple of half-chances with White stinging the palms of Tobin and Ryan having a shot deflected for a corner.
With the damage already done, Thistle were now happy to retain possession as they bounced back from last weekend’s 6-3 defeat away to St Roch’s.
Ultimately, this was an excellent win for Thistle who dominated the whole of the first half and netted two excellent goals to boot.
Lesmahagow, unfortunately for them, didn’t really pose any threat in the opening 45 minutes and then found themselves having to fight to get back into the game.
Thistle, however, had enough to keep them at bay without really posing much of a threat during a scrappy second half.
Next up for the Jags is a trip to Brig O’Lea to face fourth-placed Neilston this Saturday. Kick-off 2pm.
Teamsheet
Meek, Barclay, C McLean, Faulds, Gillan, Campbell (Gillespie), Morgan, Hadden (K McLean), Ryan, White, McLaughlin (Byrne). S McKean, Gray.
Tobin, McCole, Higgins, Duncan, McDougall, Boal (Cherrie), Clark, M Brunton (Noble), Currie (Reilly), Fitzpatrick, Whitefield.
Cumming, S Brunton.
Rossvale Benburb St Roch’s Neilston Juniors Port Glasgow Jnrs Greenock Juniors Wishaw Juniors Glasgow P’Shire Shotts Bon Accord Yorker Athletic EK THISTLE Blantyre Victoria Forth Wanderers Lesmahagow Jnrs Thorniewood Utd P W 18 13 18 12 15 9 14 9 15 6 15 6 8 6 13 5 12 5 13 4 12 5 11 3 9 2 13 2 10 1 D 1 2 3 2 2 1 0 2 0 3 0 2 1 0 1 L 4 4 3 3 7 8 2 6 7 6 7 6 6 11 8 GD PT 22 40 14 38 10 30 14 29 -9 20 -9 19 13 18 3 17 7 15 -6 15 -9 15 -2 11 -8 7 -25 6 -15 4
This was an excellent win for Thistle who dominated the first half and scored two excellent goals to boot...