MATCH REPORT: ARTHURLIE 0-0 POLLOK

Arthurlie 0-0 Pollok

By Ross Lafferty

It was derby day on Saturday at Dunterlie as Arthurlie welcomed their local rivals, Pollok, to Barrhead for the first time since winning promotion to the West of Scotland Premier.

A bumper crowd was in attendance, and the weather took a turn for the better for the afternoon, but despite the favourable conditions the crowd were rarely treated to the sort of entertaining football that both teams are capable of.

The first effort on goal arrived on 8 minutes, and from an unlikely source, Lance Pearce latching on to a loose at the edge of the box but lashing his effort high over the target.

A minute later, it was away side’s turn to try their luck, Darren Brownlie seeing a header easily saved by James Scott.

Arthurlie did come close to opening the scoring on 22 minutes, Jordan Leyden curling a shot from distance only to see Jordan Longmuir tip brilliantly over the bar.

Pollok then launched a counter from the resulting corner, Stuart McCann’s shot being deflected wide from close range.

Both teams were having their moments and Del Esplin shot narrowly wide for the visitors on 28 minutes before it was Arthurlie’s turn to counter-attack, Dale Simeon sending his effort high over the bar with only Longmuir to beat.

Ten minutes later the visitors again came close, Calum Gow’s header from a corner being cleared off the line by ‘Lie skipper Gary Carroll.

The second-half started a little more subdued with neither team really getting a grip on proceedings.

Pollok looked to change things on the hour mark, taking off Stephen Docherty and replacing him with Adam Forde.

It was Arthurlie who forced the first meaningful attack after the change, however, new signing Max Kerr being released into space on the left before sending a dangerous cross across goal that Gary Carroll only just failed to get on the end of.

Pollok left -back Mark Sideserf was injured in challenging Carroll for the cross and had to be immediately replaced by Sean Burns.

Carroll was then fouled on the edge of the box as ‘Lie tried to find an opener and Leyden curled the free-kick narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

With 8 minutes remaining ‘Lie introduced the returning Darren Ramsay and recent signing Dylan Martin in a bid to inject some fresh life into the game.

Moments later Martin almost had a dream introduction getting on the end of a left-wing cross at the back-post, but he could only look on in anguish as his header drifted safely across the face of goal.

It was the last real chance of a game that rarely threatened to live up to the hype, and both teams will be disappointed to have come away with only a point after a pair of under par displays.

Arthurlie team: Scott, Pearce, Bradley, Nolan, Magee, McLaughlin (Warnock 90), Leyden, Roulston, Simeon, Kerr (Ramsay 82), Carroll (c) (Martin 82)

Subs not used: MacNeil, Shields, McBride, Kerr (GK)

Pollok team: Longmuir, Brownlie, Sideserf (Burns 68), Rumsby, Gow, Esplin, Christie, Buchanan (Lyon 77), S.Mccann (G.McCann 77), Docherty (Forde 60), Krol (Duff 77)

Subs not used: Menzies, Lumsden