Leaders Vale keep up good work

Newton Vale ........... 3 Cambria .................. 2

Newton Vale took their good form into the new year but were made to work for their first three points of 2018 by Cambria AFC.

Mark McFadden showed composure in the box and played a nice pass for Darren Hampson to score from close range, his 13th of the season, to give Vale the lead.

Cambria bounced back from this setback and home keeper David McKegney made a couple of saves from long range shots. But Cambria got the equaliser when a well-whipped cross was delicately finished by their tall striker.

Newton started to improve slightly but nowhere near the standard they had set in previous games.

And they got back in front when Kevin McFarlane was able to cut the ball back for Marc McFarlane who did well to keep his shot low and a slight deflection saw his shot nestle in the net.

In the second half, Cambria made a couple of changes to try and get back into the game but it was Vale who extended their lead.

They went 3-1 in front when Kevin McFarlane stole the ball from a midfielder and played a neat pass through to Craig Fellows who drove into the box and finished well into the bottom corner.hen Cambria saw two close-range free-kicks saved and eventually found their second goal to set up a nervy last 20 minutes. They piled on the pressure as the Vale defence mopped up the threats at the back.

Craig Fellows was still causing problems on the right-hand side and put in some excellent crosses but unfortunately Newton could not get a striker on the end of them.

McKegney was then called upon to make a fantastic one-on-one save with minutes to spare and guarantee that Cambria would not repeat their actions of the previous encounter by stealing a last-minute equaliser.

All other fixtures involving teams based in Rutherglen and the surrounding areas were postponed.