MATCH REPORT: ARTHURLIE 4-0 KNIGHTSWOOD

Saturday 16 September 2023 14:00

South Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Arthurlie 4-0 Knightswood

Dunterlie Park, Barrhead

Scorers: Fletcher (15), Sugufara (69), McPherson (78), Dykes (83)

ARTHURLIE safely made their way into the third round of the South Challenge Cup with what was eventually a convincing victory over Fourth Division Knightswood.

The Glasgow men may have went down by four goals but they certainly didn’t go down without a fight and it was only in the later stages of the game that Arthurlie’s class seemed to tell.

Simon Eeles got the first shot of the game away as the visitors tried to make some early inroads on the Arthurlie defence, but the full-back’s shot from 20 yards was easily claimed by Max Clarke.

At the other end, the home side came close after three minutes when Mark Docherty floated a ball over from the right to find Max Kerr, but his half-volley went well over with the goal gaping.

Dylan Dykes also spurned a great chance for ‘Lie, Mo Sugufara getting a cross in from the right that the striker could only head wide.

On 15 minutes Arthurlie did take the lead though, Dylan Fletcher glancing home a header from a left-wing Lee Roulston cross.

Sugufara then came close to adding a second himself, cutting in from the right and driving goalwards, but his shot from inside the box drifted just wide of the far post.

On the half hour mark it was only some incredible goalkeeping from Omar Joof that denied Arthurlie a second, the Knightswood keeper somehow keeping out a Dykes header from point-blank range with his right foot.

The home side weren’t getting everything their own way, however, and, following a slip by Conor Bradley, Lamin Sanyang was only denied an equaliser by a fine save from Clarke.

Joof was impressing in the Knightswood net, and he again came to the rescue with a great double save from Kerr and then Fletcher just after the break.

Arthurlie had came out quickly after the interval and Dykes came close to a spectacular second on 50 minutes, but saw his overhead kick from a Sugufara cross go narrowly wide.

It was 69 minutes before the second goal was eventually added, Dykes holding the ball up well, laying it off for the run of Sugufara into the box and the winger sclaffing a shot past Joof into the bottom corner.

Arthurlie added a third in fine fashion 9 minutes later when substitute Ciaran McPherson played the ball out wide to Kerr before making his way into the box and flicking the return pass home at the front post.

It was all very comfortable for the Barrhead men at this point after a dogged display from the visitors and Dykes added a fourth on 83 minutes following a fine run and pass by Conor Bolger.

Bolger was looking to get in on the action himself and a couple of minutes later he thought he had added another from the edge of the box but was denied by a fine Joof save low to his left.

It was the last notable action of the game and ‘Lie will be pleased to have claimed their place in Sunday night’s draw for the next round with the minimum of fuss.

Arthurlie team: Clarke, Roulston (McPherson 73), Greenwood, MacNeil, Bradley, Kerr, Docherty (Strain 73), McGuigan, Sugufara, Dykes, Fletcher (Bolger 58)

Subs not used: Kangni-Soupke, Magee

Knightswood team: Joof, Eeles, McBride, Montgomery, McKerracher, McAteer, Scarff, N.Pilkington (Nicol 71), Robertson (Murphy 52), Sanyang, A.Pilkington (McInteer)

Subs not used: Jenkins, Burns, Cameron