Following Saturday’s exit from the Macron Scottish Junior Cup away to Broughty Athletic, Ants manager John Kelly wanted to place on record his thanks to the fans and committee who travelled to Elgin and Broughty to give the boys their backing.

Speaking to The Ants website John said “I want to thank the support we have had in both our Scottish cup ties this season, two big long away trips to Elgin and Dundee and the backing that the boys and myself got was as usual, excellent. The New Elgin result was a great one for the team but unfortunately we couldn’t repeat the same performance against Broughty, who are a top team”

“My only regret is that I couldn’t give our superb following another round in the Scottish Cup this season so from me and my players, Thank you for your support”

Ants striker Kamil Leszczynski was the toast of McKenna Park as his double saw the Ants go into the hat for the third round draw on the 8th of October as John Kelly’s injury ravaged side left it late to put New Elgin to the sword.

The Ants were missing NINE players as they made the 4+ hour journey north to face North Region side New Elgin in the second round of the Macron Scottish Junior cup leaving them down to the bare bones but they dug out a fine 2-1 victory against a stuffy New Elgin side.

Ants top goalscorer last season Scott Arthur came back to haunt the Ants with new club Vale of Leven, scoring two goals in a 5-0 defeat of John Kelly’s men at McKenna Park, in a match where nothing went right for the injury hit home side.

The Ants made a number of changes to the starting XI from the win at Maybole, with Patrick, McLean, Milne, Turner, McLaughlin and McGarroch all not making the 11 for various reasons including injury to at least 4 of them, Goalkeeping coach Tony Curran taking his place between the sticks, with Crawford, Williams, Leszczynski, McGarrigle and Taylor coming into the side.

 

 

 

After the disappointment of the midweek defeat to Vale of Clyde, Ants manager John Kelly rung the changes with four changes to his starting line up. Littler, Conway, Mark McIlvaney and Sinclair coming in place of McGarrigle, Marshall, MacDonald and Williams. The changes though did not immediately appear to have made a difference as it was the visitors who took the lead when a long diagonal ball found Howson at the back post, he squared the ball to MARTIN JANIK and the big striker knocked past Patrick to give Newmains the lead with only three minutes on the clock much to the despair of the Ants crowd who were looking for the team to bounce back.

Having said that, it was somewhat of a false dawn for the visitors as from then on in it was pretty much a game of attack v defense as the Ants piled on the pressure looking for the equaliser, with the visitors having to try and play on the counter. There were a couple of half chances for the Ants as Gallacher, Edwards and McLaughlin all had efforts that were either easily dealt with by Meek or went high or wide of the target. Sinclair, making his first start since joining in the summer, was impressive on the right hand side and his crosses were causing problems at the back for the visitors and in the 15th minute he almost got lucky as one of his crosses ended with Meek adjusting his feet well to save as it threatened to go in. Leszczynski will probably feel he could have done better in the 22nd minute when McLaughlin clipped a ball to the back post, Gallacher couldn’t get his head to it but it found the Polish striker who caught the ball maybe a little too well and from a tightish angle his shot went over the bar. Milne then whipped in a great cross a minute later onto the head of the aforementioned Leszczynski but he couldn’t direct his header on target and Meek watched on gratefully as the ball went just past his near post. In the 26th minute the Ants got the goal their play deserved and a fine team goal it was too. Gallacher picked up the ball in the middle of the park, he ran with it then passed it to McIlvaney, who played it to McLaughlin, he switched the play to the Ants left back Milne who in turn found Gallacher, His short pass found DAVID EDWARDS 25 yards out and the Ants striker let fly with a shot on the turn past he despairing Meek and into the bottom corner to level things up with his 4th goal in 6 games for the club.

Having drawn level, the Ants were now in the hunt for a second to take the lead and the McKenna Park crowd were almost celebrating again on the half hour mark when good play between McIlvaney and Leszczynski saw the latter find Milne but the left back’s shot flew inches wide of Meek’s far post. There wasnt long to wait though when in the 35th minute the Ants did take the lead, Sinclair’s cross finding the head of KAMIL LESZCZYNSKI at the back post and he powered a header across the keeper and into the net to make it 2-1 to the Govan side. Sinclair then had a shot of his own well held by Meek but the Newmains keeper was powerless to stop the Ants extending their lead in the 42nd minute when Edwards laid the ball back to MARK MCILVANEY at the edge of the box and the midfielder smashed the ball home for his second in two games to give the Ants a two goal cushion. Newmains almost grabbed a second in first half injury time but Banks was denied by a great tackle from Crawford, which led to the Ants defender picking up a sore one for his troubles as the ball went behind for a goal kick.

HALF TIME – ANTS 3 (EDWARDS 26, LESZCZYNSKI 36, M.MCILVANEY 42) v 1 NEWMAINS (JANIK 3)

The second half was more of the same with the Ants camped in the Newmains half for the vast majority, and within minutes of the restart the home side almost added a fourth when Leszczynski played a neat 1-2 with Edwards but Meek did well to save from the former’s drive at goal. With 58 minutes on the clock the Ants got the 4th when Leszczynski found CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN who danced and twisted away from a couple of Newmains players before pirouetting from a third then steadied himself to fire past Meek into the far corner. The Ants then introduced Andy Turner and Gary McGarroch with Sinclair and Edwards making way and if Newmains thought this would mean a bit of respite they would have been wrong with both players looking to add to the Ants goal tally.

Leszczynski once again was denied by Meek in the Newmains goal when he was put through on goal, the keeper this time thwarting him with his feet. The Ants were pushing hard for goal number five and in the 68th minute they got the goal their efforts deserved with another great team goal. Patrick took a short goal-kick to Conway, who rolled the ball to Milne, The Ants full back spotted the run into the channel by Leszczynski and found him with a great long pass, he beat a Newmains defender before cutting the ball back into the path of sub ANDY TURNER who didn’t even have to break his stride to dispatch the ball past Meek for his first goal for the club and the Ants fifth of the afternoon. Credit to Newmains who could have easily thrown in the towel but they kept trying to play football, and a nice move saw Janik sent down the edge of the penalty box but his cross was a little too close to Patrick who gathered well.

This spurred the Ants back into action and two goals in three minutes put the gloss on the scoreline, the first coming from the penalty spot when Leszczynski was fouled in the box and GARY MCGARROCH stepped up to calmly put the ball past Meek for his first goal for the club to put the Ants 6-1 ahead and then a goal of the season contender from ANDY TURNER in the 78th minute when he volleyed home from the join between the touchline and the halfway line after Meek had miskicked an attempted clearance, the Newmains keeper tried to chase back in vain but he was helpless to stop it as the ball went in at his far post to put the Ants fans into seventh heaven.

Newmains did manage to pull a consolation goal back a minute later when a mix-up in the Ants defence saw Patrick come to collect a through ball, whilst an Ants defender or two tried to shepherd the ball back to him, only to see the ball fall to ALLAN HALLIDAY who couldn’t believe his luck and he gladly rolled the ball into the empty net to make it 7-2. There were a couple of further chances for the Ants to add to their tally but a mixture of good goalkeeping, last gasp defending and poor finishing saw them unable to notch any more goals.

FULL TIME – ANTS 3 (EDWARDS 26, LESZCZYNSKI 36, M.MCILVANEY 42, MCLAUGHLIN 58, TURNER 68,78 MCGARROCH 75 (PEN) ) v 2 NEWMAINS (JANIK 3, HALLIDAY 79)

 

Three points, in the third game with three goals scored showed that three really is the magic number as the Ants put Lugar to the sword at McKenna Park. It could, and probably should have been a wider margin as the Ants missed a few gilt-edged chances but the main thing is they recorded the win, with a clean sheet to boot.

The Ants were fresh from a week off after the match v Thorniewood was postponed the week before and right from the first whistle looked right up for the fight. Within the opening five minutes they almost took the lead when Edwards cross met Williams at the front post but he was stretching to reach the ball and didn’t connect properly with the ball going over the bar. That set the tone for the majority of the half as the Ants piled the pressure on, although Lugar did threaten now and then from the counter attack and Patrick did well to narrow the angle on Dunn. Leszczynski and Edwards were causing the Lugar backline no end of problems and with 12 minutes on the clock Milne found the former, who turned his marker but could only shoot into the side netting.  Chris McLaughlin, making his first start since re-joining from Neilston, was pulling the strings in the middle of the park and a diagonal pass from him found the head of Leszczynski at the back post but his header went just wide.

Lugar were more or less camped in their own half and the Ants had a penalty claim turned down as Edwards appeared to be pulled back by Cornell. Despite the Ants dominance, it was almost the visitors that took the lead when Buchanan flicked a corner into the path of his defensive partner Cornell who stuck a leg to divert it goalwards, only for Patrick to save and the ball was cleared off the line. McLaughlin then had an effort at goal which didn’t really trouble Graham in the Lugar goal as the Ants continued their onslaught of the visitors goal.

The Ants thought they had broken the deadlock in the 32nd minute when a fine move involving Gallagher and McLaughlin saw the latter play a neat ball through to Edwards who raced in on goal and slotted the ball past Graham only for the ball to hit the inside of the far post then bounce along the goal line to hit the inside of the near post, just when it looked like the ball was going to finally cross the line Graham got back and collected it with only 3/4 of the ball in the goal, much to the frustration of the McKenna Park faithful. Edwards was getting close to the opener and he was a fraction too late to get on the edge of a Williams cross in the 35th minute and the ball went out for a goal kick. A minute later the Ants hit the woodwork for a third time, this time from Gallacher after clever play by Leszczynski. A goal had to be coming and in the 42nd minute the Ants were given a golden chance to do so from the penalty spot after MacDonald was judged to have been fouled by Cornell as he tried to cross into the box and DAVID EDWARDS gave Graham no chance, sending him the wrong way from the spot to deservedly put the Ants 1-0 up.

HALF TIME – ANTS 1 (EDWARDS 42 PEN) v 0 LUGAR

The second half was more of the same with the Ants pushing forward and Lugar restricted to a rare counter attack. The Ants thought they had doubled the scoreline in the 48th minute when MacDonald crossed for Edwards to tap the ball into the net but the Ref had already blown with the Ants winger judged to have been offside followed by half chances for McLaughlin and Gallacher. The Ants did eventually get the second goal in the 57th minute with a well worked goal. Patrick played a short goal kick to Marshall, He passed it to McGarrigle who played the ball to full back Crawford, his sweeping ball forward saw Leszczynski get on the end of it before the Polish striker squared the ball for DAVID EDWARDS to slam the ball past Graham to double the home side’s lead. Two minutes later it really should have been 3-0 when the impressive McLaughlin sent Williams through on goal with a well weighted pass but the Ants wing man saw his shot well saved by Graham.

The chances kept coming for the Ants as MacDonald had a great chance after some neat play down the wing saw Edwards beat three men, his cross found MacDonald at the back post but once again Graham did well to narrow the angle and put the ball over the bar for a corner kick that came to nothing. Edwards almost netted his hat-trick in the 73rd minute, Crawford again found Leszczynski with a long ball which caught out the Lugar defence, but this time Edwards couldn’t get on the end of the cross, then Milne really should have done better when he headed over from a pinpoint cross from McLaughlin. Lugar’s only chance of note in the second half was when Buchanan headed wide from a free kick with 77 minutes on the clock.

Six minutes from time the Ants finally killed the game off when CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN beat Graham with a fine free kick that was whipped in with pace and found the far corner to the delight of the McKenna Park faithful who must have been wondering if the missed chances would come back to haunt them. Lugar were reduced to ten men in the final minute when Cornell, who had already been booked for complaining after the penalty, brought McLaughlin down on the edge of the box and was shown a second yellow card. Salt was almost rubbed into the wound from the resultant free kick but McLaughlin’s effort went just over the crossbar.

FULL TIME ANTS 3 (EDWARDS 42 PEN, 57, MCLAUGHLIN 84) v 0 LUGAR

The Ants home league campaign got off to a poor start as they were roundly beaten by Johnstone Burgh 1-3 at McKenna Park on Wednesday night.

It all started so brightly for the Ants when after only two minutes on the clock they took the lead. Milne found Edwards from a free kick and his cross found FRASER WILLIAMS only 2 yards out to bundle the ball home to the delight of the McKenna Park faithful. Five minutes later though Burgh were level when JASON HARDIE sent a free kick through the Ants defensive wall and past the diving Patrick to level it up at 1-1. Both sides had a couple of half chances for the remainder of the half, but there was nothing of real note until the 43rd minute when The Ants had a great shout for a penalty knocked back by Ref Murdoch when Edwards was pulled back by Orr as he looked to bring down a ball over the top but much to the annoyance of those of an Ants persuasion no whistle blew and play continued

HALF TIME ANTS 1 (WILLIAMS 2) v 1 JOHNSTONE BURGH (HARDIE 7)

It was the visitors who came out in the second half looking more likely to take the lead as they started to take control of the game, with the Ants lacklustre both in and out of possession. A quick throw in on the 58 minute mark saw Marriott pass the ball back to ROBBIE MCCUTCHEON who’s cross was left by the Ants defence and keeper, who looked on in horror as the ball went in at the back post to make it 2-1 to the visitors. Leszczynski had an effort on the turn saved well by Collins but there looked only to be one winner, and when JASON HARDIE tapped home at the back post, strong suspicion of offside after Fyfe had flicked a long throw into his path, it was no less than the visitors deserved and put the game to bed as a contest

FULL TIME ANTS 1 (WILLIAMS 2) v 3 JOHNSTONE BURGH (HARDIE 7, 79 MCCUTCHEON 58)

The Ants slipped to an opening day defeat away to Muirkirk in a match that on another day could have finished 7-4 with both teams missing some great chances but it was Muirkirk who made two of their chances count and took home all three points.

The game was barely a minute old when Williams sent Leszczynski through on goal and he slipped the ball past Muirkirk’s goalkeeper Bogle but frustratingly for the Ants also past the post. Hesitation in the Ants defence then almost let Aitchison in for the home side but he tried to be clever and chip the ball over Patrick only to fluff his lines and chip tamely into the Ants keepers grateful hands.

Chances flowed as both times tried to break the deadlock and in the 44th minute the home side did just that when Gordon beat a couple of Ants players and his cutback from the by-line found NICK AITCHISON to slam the ball past Patrick to give the home side a 1-0 lead

HALF TIME – MUIRKIRK 1 (AITCHISON 44) v 0 ANTS

The second half was more of the same with both sides creating chances without taking them before a penalty was awarded to Muirkirk in the 61st minute when Crawford was judged to have pulled back Aitchison in the box, maybe a little harshly, and it was NICK AITCHISON who dusted himself down to beat Patrick from 12 yards and give the home side a 2-0 lead. The Ants had 3 great chances to get back into the match but Edwards and Leszczynski couldn’t convert the chances and it was Muirkirk who took all three points

FULL TIME – MUIRKIRK 2 (AITCHISON 44, 61 PEN) v 0 ANTS

 

The Ants sectional league cup campaign came to an end with a spot-kick victory over Greenock at McKenna Park to take the bonus point on offer following a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 8th minute of the match when ALAN FRIZZELL shot through a ruck of players past Patrick after a ball into the box was only partially cleared to the end of the box, Both teams had chances with Edwards and McGarroch going close for the Ants and Miller and Brown doing likewise for the visitors before the Ants were quite literally handed a penalty when ref Christie pointed to the spot following a handball in the box. Fresh from his debut double v Annfield Plain DAVID EDWARDS stepped up to give former Ants keeper Graham Black no chance from 12 yards to level it at 1-1 with 21 minutes on the clock. Greenock almost took the lead just after the half hour but Ants keeper Sean Patrick pulled off a great double save, injuring his eye in the process although continuing on despite his eye looking like it was closing over. It seemed it would be all square at the break but right on the stroke of half time the visitors once again went in front when Cameron found SCOTT MILLER with a cut back and he slammed the ball past Ants keeper Patrick to regain the one goal advantage.

HALF TIME – ANTS 1 (EDWARDS 21) v 2 GREENOCK (FRIZZELL 8, MILLER 45)

The second half was more of the same with both sides creating half chances and the game flowing from end to end, the next goal didn’t come until the 70th minute when Edwards turned provider as his corner saw GRAEME CRAWFORD leap highest in the box to head past Black to level the match at 2-2. Neither side could find a winner, Greenock coming closest with an effort that came back off the bar, whilst the Ants had some half chances of their own and the match would be decided from the spot.

FULL TIME – ANTS 2 (EDWARDS 21, CRAWFORD 70) v 2 GREENOCK (FRIZZELL 8, MILLER 45)

Greenock were first up for the spot kicks and made it 1-0, then Edwards levelled at 1-1, Houlihan restored Greenock’s lead to make it 2-1 before Leszczynski made it 2-2, Next up Patrick guessed right to deny Guthrie then Sinclair made it 3-2 Ants, Paterson levelled at 3-3 before Crawford made it 4-3 Ants, Greenock captain Doherty was next up but Patrick once again guessed correctly to deny Greenock and the Ants had picked up the bonus point