WoSFL Conference A

GLASGOW UNIVERSITY 2 ARTHURLIE 3

By Frank Cassidy

STUDENTS of the beautiful game may not have found Glasgow University’s tactics pretty to watch but they were effective.

They were well organised at the back and withstood Arthurlie’s opening wave of attacks in the first half-hour.

Darren Ramsay had backheeled a ball for Lee Roulston to shoot wide before a superb Andy McLaughlin pass, delivered by the outside of his foot, found Dale Simeon.

His cross was cleared at the expense of a corner which was headed out into the path of Jordan Leyden, who curled a shot just past the post.

The opening goal was imminent, but it came at the other end after 28 minutes when Lewis Dibble outpaced the defence and fired a shot high into the net.

It was hardly a wake up call as Arthurlie had done most of the attacking but, incredibly, it was almost 2-0 minutes later when Scott Granger shot just over.

With half-time approaching, keeper Gregor Sanders had a superb save from a Simeon shot, after yet another defence-splitting pass from McLaughlin.

He could do nothing in the 40th minute, though, as Andy Carroll gathered the ball, steadied himself and placed a shot beyond his reach.

As the second half got underway, Nad Zeb was in a more advanced role and caused the home defence major headaches.

From one cross, he created chaos in the penalty box with the keeper grabbing the ball from under the crossbar.

Ramsay then had a shot deflected and Carroll had a spectacular volley saved as one-way traffic began to unfold.

On-form Sanders had three brilliant saves from Carroll, Gary Smith and Tam McGaughey as it looked like being ‘one of those nights’.

Then up stepped Smith in the 78th minute when he punished a moment’s hesitation in the defence and fairly hammered the ball home.

Five minutes later and it was 3-1. A slick passing move at breakneck speed between Carroll, Simeon and Smith was ended perfectly by a Smith header.

Glasgow Uni refused to let their heads go down, however, and they reduced the deficit with a shot from Calum Strang which crashed off the underside of the bar and in.

A big shout-out to the Arthurlie fans who journeyed to Airdrie on a cold Friday night to a freezing ground with no facilities open.

They also had to negotiate an online booking system to attend the match but their racous celebrations at the end made it all worthwhile.

ARTHURLIE – Scott; Zeb, Chalmers (McGaughey 57), Leyden, McFarlane, McLaughlin (MacNeil 81), Carroll, Roulston, Smith, Simeon, Ramsay.

Subs not used – Dunsmore, Bradley, Kerr (G/K)

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