Macca blasts petty players as Lok ride their luck to victory
POLLOK kept alive their New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup ambitions on Saturday with a scrappy 1-0 victory over Irvine Meadow that had manager Tony McInally apologising afterwards.
Derek Hepburn’s solitary first-half strike was enough to secure Lok’s progress after wasted chances threatened to cost Macca’s side.
Despite his players seeming to lose the plot during the second half, with striker Michael Daly being sent off and Tam Hanlon taking a hissy fit after being substituted, Pollok managed to stave off a Medda comeback. But it was far from convincing for McInally.
He said: “Our ill-discipline almost led to us pressing the self-destruct button. That’s simply not good enough for myself or the people who turn up in rain, hail or shine to support this club.”
Daly was shown the red card for an off-the-ball incident involving visiting stopper Ryan Begley and that was followed by Hanlon’s petulance at his substitution with just over 20 minutes left to play – tearing off his jersey while leaving the pitch before booting a water bottle down the touchline.
The gaffer added: “We could and should have put the game to bed before half-time but for a mixture of poor decision making, good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.
“The guys are again on top coming out for the second half and looking good, but the balance of play swings with Michael’s sending-off and we end up coming under pressure over the closing stages.
“We almost concede an equaliser when their player hits the crossbar. It would have been a travesty, but these are the things that happen if you don’t put away your chances.”
Daly, Chris Walker and Liam Rowan had all come close to opening the scoring before Hepburn showed how it should be done just after the half-hour mark. Given time and space at the back post to control David Winters’ cross, he directed a low shot past visiting keeper Shaun Newman.
The former Ayr United shotstopper denied Rowan early in the second period, but he was more of a spectator after Daly’s dismissal in 58 minutes.
But the Ayrshiremen’s lack of a cutting edge was all too apparent and it looked as if Pollok’s backline would see out the game comfortably until their final-minute scare when Jarred Willet floated an effort beyond the reach of Lok No.1 Jordan Lonmuir, only for the ball to bounce down off the underside of the crossbar before being cleared to safety.
Visiting full-back Mark McLelland said: “We gave them too much respect in the first half and were fortunate to be only 1-0 down at half-time. But we certainly had them rattled in that final half hour.”
The Ayrshire club’s co-managers Gareth Turner and Michael Wardrope were disappointed at losing but happy with their young side’s performance. Turner said: “Many of the guys were playing at Newlandsfield for the first time and were all over theh place early on on. Pollok are ca capable of playin ing the ball a around you if g given space a and time. “We spoke at half-time about theh need to get tight and press higherh and the players took it on board – along with Pollok going down to 10 men obviously. “To lose 1-0 isn’t a disaster considering where we were at the start of this season.”
HOLDERS Auchinleck Talbot are also through to the last 16 thanks to a Mark Shankland penalty at home to Whitletts Vics. But another of the fancied sides, Beith, suffered a shock exit against Largs Thistle, who ran out 5-4 penalty shoot-out winners following a 1-1 draw at Barrfields, where Paul Frize’s opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Nicky Jamieson.
Another upset saw high-flying Glenafton lose out 3-0 against Troon, for whom Ryan Nisbet, Adam Forsyth and Scott Chatham were on the scoresheet.
And eyebrows will have been raised by Larkhall Thistle tumbling out at home to Craigmark after leading 3-1, as well as St Roch’s running out 4-0 victors over Petershill with goals from Baboucar Mussa (2) Jordan Logan and Robert McGuire.
Neilston overcame Rossvale 1-0 through a wonder Brian Turner strike while Cumnock were the day’s highest scorers with Scott Anson (2), Keiran Wood(2), Paul Burns and Raymond Montgomery netting in a 6-0 rout of nine-man Kilbirnie Ladeside.
And the delayed first round clash of Dunipace and Lanark United was won 5-2 by the visitors thanks to a four goal showing from Sean Gallagher and a counter by Alan Christie.
In the unique double-header at New Tinto Park, goals from Rikky Hanvey, Stevie Swift, Ben Lewis and Carlo Monti helped Kilwinning Rangers to a 4-2 West of Scotland Cup defeat of Benburb and immediately afterwards Rob Roy secured a Scottish Junior Cup last 16 place with a 2-1 victory over Musselburgh Athletic.