’Frew still second
Gutted by narrow defeat
Craig Ritchie
Renfrew’s promotion bid hit another bump in the road as Rutherglen Glencairn continue their own fight for a spot at the top of the table.
Martin Ferry and Colin Clark’s side remain in second spot in the Super First Division, but will have been disappointed not to have taken something.
They still need a handful of points to secure automatic promotion to the new Premiership and they came racing out the traps in a bid to seal the win.
’ Frew were the first to threaten as Cameron Clark outpaced former Arthurlie midfielder Ryan McArdle down the left flank.
The youngster sung an inviting ball across the box, but there were no takers in a Renfrew shirt.
Defence was winning on both sides as each team struggled to create anything of real note in the opening exchanges.
But Renfrew enjoyed a significant spell of pressure around the half-hour mark, with Kieron Maxwell trying his luck from range.
At the other end, Renfrew goalkeeper Dale Burgess made a good save on the stroke of half-time to deny Sean McGuire’s header to keep the deadlock unbroken.
Glencairn were on the front foot early in the second half and, after Tony Fraser had fired wildly over the crossbar, Jay McKay linked with Sean McCall before seeing his angled shot deflected wide for a corner kick.
But the hosts would eventually find the back of the net in 50 minutes. Rhys Donaldson burst forward from defence, skipping beyond a couple of Renfrew tackles before almost being disposed.
However, the ball broke back to Donaldson and he managed to just stab the ball beyond Burgess from just inside the box.
Renfrew now had to chase the game and Jamie Benton came close to levelling the scoring on two occasions, but was unfortunate not to get on the end of another Clark cross which flashed across the face of goal.
Renfrew made a double change in the 63rd minute as Darren Jones and Paddy O’Keefe replaced Andrew MacLennan and Maxwell.
And they then made their third and final change in the 68th minute as former Glencairn striker Jamie Docherty replaced Benton.
Glencairn keeper Jamie Baker was proving to be a thorn in Renfrew’s side as the keeper produced a stunning save from Dominic Innes as they went close.
They then went incredibly close to an equaliser in the 88th minute as Docherty fired a close range shot that rattled off the face of the crossbar but it just proved that it wasn’t to be for Renfrew.
Renfrew: Burgess, Lyden, Miller, Healy, Chisholm, MacLennan (Jones), Benton (Docherty), Maxwell (O’Keefe), Innes, McKenna, Clark.
Subs not used: Wylie and McLeay.