Glens crash out to resilient Utd
Harvey’s men lose lead and bow out of Scottish
Glencairn tumbled out of the Scottish Junior Cup as they let slip a lead they had held for more than an hour.
There were three changes to the starting line- up after last week’s penalty shoot-out defeat in the West of Scotland Cup.
Rhys Donaldson returned at sweeper after almost two months out with a hamstring injury, and he replaced Ryan Docherty who was on the substitute bench.
Sean McGuire was called out to work, meaning Jordan Marshall came in to midfield, and goalkeeper KP McAllister replaced unavailable JC Hutchison.
The Glens started positively and the second minute saw Jay McKay spin away from his marker and slip a pass through to the overlapping Del McNab, but home goalkeeper Conor O’Boyle raced to kick clear.
The pressure continued, and Glencairn got their early reward as they capitalised on a defensive error to take the lead in the fourth minute.
Team anticipated a defensive header back to O’Boyle, and dribbled round the stopper before rolling the ball into the net from a tight angle.
It was his eighth goal of the season in nine starting appearances.
Cumbernauld responded with a shot from Craig Johnston but McAllister was equal to the effort and Murray Loudon slipped the ball past McAllister a minute later but Donaldson cut out the danger.
Simon Eeles was next to try his luck but his effort was deflected wide.
A major feature of the first half was the attacking threat on the left of United winger Johnston, and Stewart Hall had a busy time as the home side repeatedly used Johnston as the focal point of many of their attacking threats.
Johnston was allowed to run 40 yards with the ball before firing in a shot which was straight at McAllister.
Both sides were unchanged after the interval, and Glencairn started the second half on the front foot again, with Jordan Marshall setting up McNab for an angled shot from 16 yards which O’Boyle saved comfortably.
McGregor’s impressive defensive performance continued as he cleared Johnston’s shot off the line in the 53rd minute.
A minute later McAllister atoned for another poor kick as he dived to his right to palm away Tiffney’s low shot from 20 yards.
Cumbernauld pulled themselves level in the 66th minute, but there was a real touch of fortune about the goal.
A cross to the back post bounced off a United player and then hit defender Ryan Sullivan half a yard from goal, and the ball squirmed past McAllister into the net.
Glencairn looked to re-establish their lead quickly and McNab’s angled shot caught Marshall by surprise as the ball landed at his feet in front of goal, and the split second he had to react was missed as the ball flashed well wide.
United edged in front in the 75th minute as a cross from the right came over bodies in front of goal and found the head of Murray Loudon at the back post, and his effort found its way into the net almost in slow motion off the arm of McAllister on the goal line.
The Glens went close to bagging an equaliser in the 84th minute as McArdle’s cross from the right picked out Team, and his sweet volley was well blocked on the goal line by the diving O’Boyle. Rutherglen Glencairn: McAllister, Hall, Eadie (Hamilton), Donaldson, McGregor, Marshall (Cullen), McNab ( McArdle), Hunter, Team, Fraser, McKay.