The Ants can count themselves a little unlucky not to have left Keppoch Park with at least a point but a 2 goal lead proved unsurmountable as Glasgow Perthshire ran out 3-1 winners in a blood and thunder encounter. Both sides had recorded good results the previous week with The Ants beating league leaders Port Glasgow and the Shire taking all 3 points away to much fancied Gartcairn so both came into the game full of confidence but it was Glasgow Perthshire who started this match well and after only six minutes on the clock they almost took the lead but JP Craig’s shot was well blocked by Maxi Neossi. Two minutes later the big forward had another chance but headed over from a corner. There only looked like one team who were going to open the scoring and so it proved in the 18th minute, a lovely through ball by Gemmell found CRAIG SMITH who cooly slipped the ball through the legs of the advancing Campbell to put the home side a goal to the good.

The Ants started coming into the game and had a couple of chances blocked before both sides were reduced to ten men. A Crawford corner was headed goalwards by O’Brien and Burns saved but could only parry, the ball fell on the ground and a stramash ensued with the keeper trying to get ontop of the loose ball and the Ants players trying to put the ball in the net, a matter of handbags followed as both sides took umbrage and Shire Keeper Burns was sent off for his part, whereas Ants forward Grant Kelly was shown a red for attempting to take advantage of the loose ball. Craig was proving to be a handful for the Ants rearguard and almost doubled the Shire lead and would have done so if not for the leg of O’Hara who deflected the ball wide of the target. The match had opened up a little with the extra room and started to flow from end to end with the Ants looking to level and Perthshire looking to extend their advantage, Graeme Crawford came close after his initial free kick was punched clear by sub keeper Calder but his shot went just over the bar and the half ended 1-0 to the homeside.

The half time pies and bovril’s were still being finished off when Perthshire doubled their lead from the spot after Neossi was harshly judged to have fouled Craig in the 48th minute, Mr Dubois judging that he had pulled the forward back and DAVIE KIRKWOOD gave Campbell no chance from the spot to make it 2-0. The Ants then took a firm hold on the match looking to get back into it and dominated the rest of the half with Perthshire having to play on the break when the chance arose. The Ants pressure continued and in the 54th minute Kieron Maxwell had an effort from 30 yards but Calder got his body behind the ball. Four minutes later and they managed to claw a goal back when GRAEME CRAWFORD gave Calder no chance with a great free kick into the top corner. Clearly buoyed by this the Ants pushed forward and should have done better after the ball fell to Duncan at the back post but he shot wide.

Michael O’Hara was next to try his luck, his intial shot was blocked but on the rebound he unleashed a ferocious shot but it lacked direction and Calder did well to show good reflexes and parry the ball wide. The Ants fans were on their feet again as Duncan fired a free kick goalwards which looked for all the money that it was going in but the ball crept an inch wide, then Crawford saw a header well saved by Calder and the goal deficit remained. We hadn’t seen much of the Shire going forward but in the 72nd minute they scored a goal which took the wind right out the Visitors sails when MARK THOMSON fired home direct from a free kick which hit the inside of the post to make it 3-1 to the home side and the Ants facing a mountain to climb.

Despite the obvious blow from conceding the killer third, credit to the Ants they didn’t throw the towel in and tried in vain to reduce the deficit but to no avail and it finished here Glasgow Perthshire 3 v 1 Saint Anthony’s

Ants Website Man of the Match – Maxi Neossi

 

A Kieron Maxwell double was enough for the Ants to see off league leaders Port Glasgow despite going a goal behind after only 5 minutes at McKenna Park. The visitors got off to a dream start with not only their first attack but the first attack of the game, Neossi’s header was only partially cleared to McGarrigle and the centre half played the ball out wide to McCormick, his cross into the box found the foot of BRADLEY ANDERSON who flicked the ball past debutant Campbell in the Ants goal. To their credit the Ants rallied well and cleared their heads to pretty much dominate the remainder of the half.  The Ants almost equalised a miute later, Campbell was charged down as he tried to clear from a passback but regained control of the ball in his hands, he found Conway who’s through ball was meant for Duncan, only for the ball to be intercepted by McClement. The Port captain’s header was heavy though and he had to scamper back to clear off his own line. Maxwell then went close but his shot went just over.

The Ants kept up the pressure and Maxwell’s cross almost found Duncan but Dunn managed to clear eventually, then a fantastic ball from O’Hara found Kelly on the left, he beat his man then crossed to Duncan who was closed down quickly by Dunn in the Port goal, at the second attempt the Ants hitman beat the keeper but could only watch on as the crossbar stopped him levelling the scoring and Crawford couldn’t get enough power behind his effort from the rebound. Duncan again had a great chance to level in the 13th minute when neat interplay saw O’Brien find Kelly on the wing once more, again his cross found Duncan who tried to lob the ball over the keeper but there was just too much height and the ball drifted over.

The Ants grabbed their deserved equaliser in the 19th minute of the match with a well worked goal. Campbell’s kick out was flicked into the path of Maxwell who set Crawford free down the wing and his pin point cross was met by the head of KIERON MAXWELL to head home his second goal of the season and level the scoring, no less than the home side deserved at this stage. Kelly was causing all sorts of problems on the left and in the 24th minute a wonderful run almost led to a second goal but his pass to Duncan was a little too heavy and the chance was gone. The visitors had barely got out of their own half but in the 26th minute were unlucky not to take the lead against the run of play when Fancis went on his own little run before cutting the ball back to McGarrigle who’s shot was well blocked by O’Brien.

The Ants second goal finally came on the half hour mark. A Duncan free kick was blocked by the Undertaker’s wall and O’Hara’s follow up shot was deflected for a corner. From the resultant Crawford corner KIERON MAXWELL rose highest in the box to notch his and the Ants second goal of the game with a powerful header past Dunn to send the Ants fans into raptures. This seemed to jolt the Port into action and in the 34th minute McAfee shot just wide after a good turn and shot. The Port started to come into it more as the half came to a close, The Ants had the taste of blood though and were in the hunt for a killer third. Duncan once again came close after another fine Crawford cross but his header went inches over the bar then McAfee again fired over for the visitors and the half ended with the Ants leading 2-1.

After all the chances in the first half the Ants fans would have been forgiven for expecting more of the same in the second, and the Port fans hoping a managers rocket would see a reaction from their team, who hadn’t lost a league match till this point but the match almost seemed to stagnate with only half chances coming for both keepers rarely tested until the 63rd minute when Mr McKay pointed to the spot when Neossi was deemed to have fouled Johnstone, giving the Port a potential lifeline. McAfee stepped up but Campbell showed the Ants fans what he has in his locker with a great diving save, before getting up quickly enough to block McAfee at the second attempt. In the 78th minute Maxwell almost grabbed a hat-trick but his shot flew inches wide of the post. In the 90th minute Ants hearts were almost broken when McAfee once again went close but the ball flew across the Ants goalmouth and the full time whistle blew with the Ants back on track and the Port’s unbeaten run ended.

Ants Website Man of the Match – KIERON MAXWELL

 

The Ants unbeaten start to the season came to an end when East Kilbride Thistle left McKenna Park with all three points and will now look to bounce back to winning ways in two weeks when they host league leaders Port Glasgow.

East Kilbride started well and had the games first effort on goal within the first couple of minutes but McFadden was under pressure from Crawford and shot straight at Connolly, this seemed to rouse a lethargic looking Ants into some kind of action and a great run by Ryan Smith saw claims for a penalty but Mr Dixon pointed only for a corner after Smith’s cross was deflected out amidst handball shouts from the Ants forwards. O’Hara then found Maxwell but the midfielder, in his first game back from injury, snatched a bit at his shot and Treacy watched as the ball flew over the bar.

It was a battle of midfields with neither team creating many chances other than from set-pieces and it was from a set play that the visitors somewhat fortuitously took the lead in the 20th minute when Connolly spilled a free kick into his 6 yard box, both him and JAMES LENNOX went for the ball with the EK forwards closing in, with the ball spinning off the veteran Ants defender who watched on in horror as the ball squirmed home to make it 0-1 to the visitors.

The Ants almost hit back straight away but both Maxwell and Conway just failed to get on the end of an O’Hara cross. With half an hour gone McCarry tried an audacious lob from the halfway line which looked to worry the Jags keeper who was off his line but the panic calmed as he scampered towards his line realising the ball was drifting wide. Just before half time came the move of the match and one that should have resulted in a goal. Connolly found Maxwell with a kickout, who in turn passed back to Ryan Smith, the young winger slipped the ball to O’hara who switched the play to Crawford, his slide rule pass set Kelly free on the left hand wing and his cross picked out Maxwell but his header went just over the bar and the half ended with EK a goal to the good.

The second half was more of the same with decent chances at a premium, but a few half chances of note. O’Brien found himself with the ball at the edge of the Jags box but his shot lacked power and was easily saved by Treacy then a good run by Hastings across the Ants penalty area ended with a shot just wide of target. As with the first half it looked like goals would only come from set plays and Treacy did well to hold an O’Hara free kick which bounced just before him having come through a rake of players while at the other end Aaron Connolly tried to beat his namesake Jon from a similar distance but the big man wasn’t troubled.

East Kilbride should have taken the lead in the 75th minute when Craig’s free kick from wide was headed off the bar by Johnston, the ball landed square on the head of McFadden with an empty goal gaping but he was in fairness stretching a little and headed over. The Ants should have kicked on from this let off but seven minutes later they were down by two when Johnston’s long ball found the run of ANDREW GIBSON, who appeared to knock the ball past Connolly with the top of his arm and the Ants unbeaten run was hanging by a thread. A minute late the Ants pulled themselves right back into the game when O’Hara floated in a free kick which enticed Treacy off his line but he was never getting near it and ANTON CONWAY grabbed his second in two games with a nice little flicked header into the net. The Ants started pushing forward looking for the equaliser but this left gaps at the back and in the 90th minute a great run by Gibson saw his cross find McFadden but again the EK captain was foiled this time by a fantastic save by Connolly to keep the Ants in it.

Time was against the Govan men though and the full time whistle saw them taste defeat for the first time since the Sectional League Cup and will have to be much sharper when the league leaders come to visit.

Ants Website Man of the Match – Michael O’Hara

 

 

 

An Anton Conway strike in the 90th minute saw the Ants run out 2-1 winners at Millburn Park and sees the Govan side still unbeaten in the league this season with 3 games gone. The first half was an even enough contest with the Ants possibly shading it. In a chance bereft of many chances, Duncan and Kelly tested Morrison in the Vale goal while Connolly had little to do as the home side failed to hit the target, shooting wide or over when the opportunities arose. The half looked to be ending goal-less but just before half time Duncan was barged over in the box as he jumped to head a high ball. The ref had no qualms pointing to the spot and WULLIE DUNCAN continued his great start to the season netting his 3rd in 2 games by slotting the penalty away giving Morrison no chance.

The second half was slightly better in terms of chances created and in the 61st minute the home side levelled when Morrison’s goal kick was headed into the path of MATTHEW DEVINE by Cowan, and the striker, who had only been on the pitch a full minute, having replaced Clark, made no mistake giving Connolly no chance with a well placed strike. The Vale were reduced to 10 men in the 71st minute when Cowan was shown a second yellow and the Ants almost capitalised straight away but Kimbala shot wide after a good pass from O’Hara. Morrison did well to save in a goal mouth scramble which saw 3 attempts at goal from the visitors but the ball wouldn’t find the net, and Kelly’s follow up shot from the stramash slid just wide. In the 85 minute the Ants were also reduced to ten men when Lennox was sent off for an off the ball incident. From the resultant free kick Vale of Leven almost took the lead but Monaghan’s free kick was well judged by Connolly even though it was heart in the mouth stuff as it hit the top of the bar after being left by the Ants custodian.

It looked like a point a piece until the 90th minute when Connolly’s free kick was only partially cleared to Neossi, he passed back to Crawford, who’s long diagonal found Kimbala, the debutant slipped the ball back to ANTON CONWAY and the big midfielder floated the ball past Morrison into the top corner to spark celebratory scenes by the Ants fans and management. An absolute peach of a goal, worthy of winning any match, and as it turned out, the goal which saw the Ants run out 2-1 winners.

The new look Ants travelled to Meadow Park to face an Irvine Meadow side who themselves had undergone a pre-season transformation and it was the Ayrshire men who came out on top in this friendly match, but more importantly the new Ants management team got to have a look at a number of players and the first steps to full match fitness in time for the season beginning were taken.

The 5-1 scoreline makes it look like a battering but the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests, The Ants took the lead in the 22nd minute when midfielder JOHN MCGOWAN, in his second spell at the club hit a shot from fully 25 yards. It looked like the keeper would catch it but somehow it squirmed out of his grasp and into the back of the net. The Ants lead lasted only 8 minutes when the impressive BEN BLACK went on a mazy run, you get the feeling that had this indeed been a competitive match he would have been stopped, but he showed great composure to beat a couple of men then slot pas Connolly to level the match and the half finished 1-1.

The second half saw sweeping changes to the Ants line up with a full 9 players coming on for the visitors, with only full back Ross Cameron and goalkeeper Jon Connolly not being subbed. The match remained level until the 68th minute when Black’s cross hit off the head of Henderson who couldn’t have done anything about it and ricocheted past the diving Connolly to put the Medda 2-1 in front. The Ants gave as good as they got but a number of players only had 1 or 2 training sessions under their belt and began to tire towards the end and Medda took full advantage, scoring 3 goals in the last 5 minutes with a double for GREG VERNON sandwiching a GRAHAM MUIR strike.

The full time score may have been 5-1 but there were plenty of positives for co-managers Ronnie McDonald and Tony Kane to take from the game.