KINGS OF COMEBACK
Wee Gers grab point in dying seconds
Cambuslang Rangers manager Paul McColl praised his players’ spirited comeback on Saturday but insists it was made a lot harder by a “catalogue of blunders” from the referee.
The man in the middle failed to spot four incidents in the box that could have warranted The Lang a penalty, according to the Somervell Park boss.
And to add insult to injury, striker John Gemmell, who netted a dramatic last-minute winning header, was on the end of some unsporting behaviour from some of the United players throughout the 90 minutes.
McColl said: “We should have had four penalties. You would have taken one of them but [the referee] never gave any.
“One of their boys has even punched the ball in the box. It’s the same old poor decisions.
“It was a total catalogue of blunders – we don’t seem to be getting any luck with referees.
“But we came back and Gemmell got the equaliser. It was a great goal he scored.
“The thing was, he was getting assaulted the whole game.
“He was kicked and punched but because he’s six foot five the referees just think he’ll be okay. Then he gets booked for complaining.
“I’m not saying they were a dirty team but I’ve never seen anything like it.
“Credit to him he didn’t moan too much about it but I think he got a bit
fed up with it all and he even had to get the physio on to look at his injuries.”
Dale Simeon got Cambuslang off to a great start inside 11 minutes on the bobbly surface at Robertson Park.
A long goal-kick from Iain Stewart was flicked on by Gemmell for the influential attacker who brought the ball down on his knee, turned and beat two defenders in the box before firing into the keeper’s bottom left-hand corner.
Pettigrew got United back into the game six minutes later when his deflected effort rolled past scrambling Lang keeper Iain Stewart.
Disaster then struck for the visitors when Mark Bishop mistimed his jump for a high cross and Darren Bowie was on hand to strike the ball on the bounce past Stewart from close range.
As the Wee Gers pushed for an equaliser, Thorniewood exposed the gaps in the opposition defence. Bowie was finding joy down the right wing and caused McColl’s men problems with crosses into the box.
Another mistimed header let Keigan Parker in on goal but he shot wide after being put under pressure from a defender.
Stewart then came to Lang’s rescue in a one-on-one situation and raced from his line to clear.
Matters for Cambuslang got worse on 86 minutes as Bowie converted another cross from the right wing.
But an enthralling final few minutes saw the boys in blue salvage an unlikely point. Firstly, Robert Halliday’s high ball in to the box was flicked on by Thomas Kilmartin and headed into his own net by Darren Ferguson. And a foul on Gers’ Hal Bohme in the Thorniewood half led to a free-kick which was punted into the penalty area.
Gemmell met it with a diving header that found the back of the net to ensure the Wee Gers had fought back from 3-1 down to draw for the second week running.
“It was a bit dramatic at the end,” said McColl. “The parks are really hard at this time of the season and they’re really bobbly. The park didn’t suit either team.
“The goals we lost were disappointing and it could have been more if it hadn’t been for Iain Stewart.
“We were down and out with five minutes to go so fair play to the boys the way they came back.”