The Ants ended their home league campaign with a 3-2 win v Forth Wanderers when super sub Fraser Wheatley headed home on his home debut fifteen minutes from time to claim all three points.

The Ants were looking to bounce back from successive 5-1 defeats on the road to Lesmahagow and Vale of Clyde and Forth for their part aiming to build on a 2-2 draw with promotion chasing Ashfield as the sun shone down on a decent crowd at McKenna Park and it was the visitors who got off to a dream start when miscommunication in the Ants defence saw RYAN CHERRIE’S free kick evade everyone and sneak in at the back post with only 9 minutes on the clock. The Ants fans could have been forgiven for thinking not again given the previous two weeks but their despair turned to joy a minute later when Leszczynski flicked on a Litter throw into the path of STEVEN FITZPATRICK who showed great composure to lob the ball over the head of McPhee and into the net to bring the scores level.

The Ants had keeper Owen McCallum to thank for keeping the scores level in the 19th minute when he produced a great save from Boulbrachene after the forward had been sent scampering through on goal by Grenfell but McCallum stood tall and palmed the ball away one handed and the chance was gone. It wasn’t a game of many chances but Leszczynski fired over from the edge of the box for the Ants before the second goal which came in the 35th minute.  Good link up play by Leszczynski and Smith saw the latter break into the box and his square pass found Fitzpatrick who’s shot was only partially cleared by the feet of McPhee and straight to the feet of Williams who done well to get a cross to the back post where PAUL SMITH reacted quickest, reaching the ball with a diving header to divert the ball into the net and put the Govan side 2-1 up much to the delight of the McKenna Park crowd. Boulbrachene always looked dangerous when he got involved and he almost put Forth level just before the half time whistle but his shot lacked direction and went just past the post.

HALF TIME – ANTS 2 (FITZPATRICK 10, SMITH 35) v 1 FORTH WANDERERS (CHERRIE, 9)

It was a case of de ja vu for the Ants fans at the start of the second half as they saw their side lose another quick goal at the start of the half, In the 47th minute Former Ants man Tony Duffy found REDOUANE BOULBRACHENE with a through ball and despite suspicions of offside the Forth forward rounded Ants keeper McCallum and tapped the ball into the empty net to bring us level again at 2-2.  This sparked the Ants into life again Crawford had a free kick go wide, Conway’s flick from a Littler throw was held easily by McPhee and Leszczynski had a shot fly over as the Ants looked to go regain the lead, then Marshall’s free kick dipped just too late and went over.

The Ants introduced striker FRASER WHEATLEY for his home debut in the 63rd minute to give them a bit more height up front and 12 minutes  later the big man settled the match when he cushioned a fine header past McPhee and into the corner of the net from Littler’s throw in. The Ants had Marshall to thank in the 80th minute when he dispossessed Tobin just as the big sub was about to shoot when the ball broke to him free in the penalty area but it was the Ants who remained in front and claimed all three points.

FULL TIME – ANTS 3 (FITZPATRICK 10, SMITH 35, WHEATLEY 75) v 2 FORTH WANDERERS (CHERRIE 9, BOULBRACHENE 47)

 

A Scott Arthur strike in the 16th minute saw the Ants take all 3 points against third place Vale of Leven and it was a feeling of déjà vu as it was the strikers sole goal early in the earlier fixture at Millburn that got the Ants all three points on that occasion as well. Ants TV caught the match and the highlights are below –

Hello Ants, I hope you’ve had a great January!
How are your New Year’s resolutions holding up? I’d imagine better than mine
which has not lasted into February at all. In this issue of Ants Weekly I’d
like to take a look at a topic which has implications beyond football alone –
ticket touting. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the concept of ticket resale,
what with artists such as Ed Sheeran refusing entry to customers who’ve
purchased tickets from resale websites such as Viagogo. Many have seen this as
a positive move against the inflated prices from these companies and have
called for further action to ban this behaviour. However, it’s a more complex
issue than just banning it; did you know that even just lending your season
ticket to a friend qualifies as ticket touting?

Near the end of 2017, Celtic controversially
reasserted that fans should not lend a friend their season ticket. They claimed
that doing so risked compromising not only the club’s own safety measures but also
the SPFL’s regulations. Fans were outraged, and rightly so in my personal
opinion. While I do understand the rules by which a football club is bound,
more should be done to allow tickets to be reused in these situations, not to
fill the ground or even for the club to make money but just to give another fan
the chance to see their club play without engaging in an astronomical (not to
mention illegal) transaction. This topic signifies a fork in the road regarding
the sport’s continuing change towards commercialisation and it’s clear what the
right direction is.

For all except the most dedicated of fans, it’s
unavoidable to have to miss a game in a season. Maybe you’ve got to catch up on
some work, you’ve got a few errands to run or maybe you just don’t fancy a
freezing cold trip away up into the highlands. More and more clubs, such as
Liverpool and Wolves are offering a ‘ticket exchange’ system which allows
season ticket holders to inform the club of their non-attendance and allow
their seat to be resold. This scheme has been praised massively for ensuring
that stadia aren’t left half empty and is a positive move against ticket
touting issues. This contrasts with partnership deals that some clubs, such as
Manchester City, hold with the companies in question to allow trades between
fans to take place, usually at extortionate, inflated rates. With there being
no guarantee that season ticket holders will report their absences in time,
this is still very much a reality for many fans despite the ticket exchange scheme.

Football tickets for in-demand games are
especially prone to being touted. The Glasgow derby is a prime example.
Following cuts of away allocations for these fixtures to less than a thousand,
fans of the travelling side have been much harder pressed to find a ticket
which has led to supporters becoming left to scour resale opportunities. Some
opt to look for expensive hospitality options but the majority do resort to
this. There have been reported sales of around £1,300 for touted tickets for
the most recent derby at Ibrox on the 29th of December. The seller in question
also claimed to have around 6 tickets on twitter but details of this have been
removed online.

According to the Guardian, companies based off shore (of course this is to flout UK restrictions on touting) use software that ‘harvests’ tickets from specific football clubs purely to be sold on. Scarily, this software is free to use and readily available. Normal conditions don’t allow for a consumer to purchase more than a specified amount of tickets. This is usually a low but fair number and yet somehow hundreds of them appear online shortly after they go on sale. Be it up to the government to plug these legal loopholes or the club to see to it that no one overpays for a ticket, somebody needs to take action. £28 tickets for Arsenal vs Milan were recorded being sold for as much as £234.40 on Viagogo – over 8 times the original asking fee.

How do you feel about this? What would be your
solution to this problem? Get in touch at sjrussell23@outlook.com! Alternatively, email if you have any feedback or any other topic
you’d like covered in Ants Weekly. Thank you very much for taking the time to
read this, have yourself a fantastic week and I’ll speak with you all soon.

MON THE ANTS!!

The club are delighted to announce the signing of Goalkeeper Kenny McLachlan from Inverclyde AFC. Kenny has previously worked with Ants manager John Kelly in the past and John is sure that the experienced keeper will provide competition for Ants number 1 Owen McCallum, who is still out injured following a bad injury sustained in the 1-0 win over Ashfield. Speaking to the Ants website earlier today John said

Kenny is a player I know well having coached him when I was at Apex. He is a very strong and commanding goal keeper and his shot stopping is also very good.He will provide excellent competition for the keeper jersey at McKenna Park.

We look forward to seeing Kenny in action as he goes into the matchday squad for Saturday’s visit to Keanie Park

Welcome on board Kenny

The club are delighted to announce the signing of Welsh forward Frazer Wheatley following a successful trial with the club. Frazer joins the club having previously played for Welsh sides Llanwit Major FC, Bridgend, Llanelli Town AFC and Malvern Town. He is a bit behind fitness wise due to a lack of game time but manager John Kelly is sure it wont be long before he is pulling on the hoops, speaking to the Ants website he said

I am delighted to have got Frazer signed up. He has been training with us for a week now and we are very impressed with what we have seen. He played at a good level down in Wales and it was a no brainer to get him in the door. It will take a few weeks to get him up to full fitness as he hasn’t played much this year but he is a player with huge potential for the Ants.

Subject to international clearance he will be in contention for a place in Saturdays match day squad

Croeso ir clwb Frazer

The club are enraptured to note admission to the SPFL Clubs Statement League 2. It is an avowal of the hard work carried out by the club to keep it’s supporters and followers in the loop with the goings on within the club and the pellucidity of the statements provided by our wonderful admin team enable the message to be understood quickly and effectively.

It is surely these qualities that have led to our incorporation in the first ever Statement League 2 and we hope to ensure that going forward the club continues to provide clear and concise communication with yourselves and feel it would be foolish of us to repudiate this inclusion alongside such luminaries as Dundee United, our friends at Stirling Albion and the SFA/SPFL/Refs Union

For more information on the Statement League visit https://lewiscumming.wixsite.com/statementleague

ENDS

The club are delighted to announce that experienced full back Andrew Scanlan has rejoined the club following his departure at the end of last season.

Manager John Kelly has been busy trying to sort a natural left sided defender all day and speaking to the Ants website he said “After spending much of the day trying to get a player which is a natural left back, i am delighted to get to get the experience of Scanners back to McKenna Park, I briefly saw Scanners qualities last season and i think he will add a lot to the current squad and will give us a bit if depth in the full back position til the end of the season.”

Scanners himself is glad to be back in the McKenna Park dressing room “I am looking forward to getting back involved with the club and the dressing room have missed it over the past few months but circumstances have dictated or I would have still been there. After a good chat with John I was looking forward to getting back in about it till the end of the season and hopefully get a trial at Roma out of it 😂😂”

Welcome back on board Scanners its good to have you back

A crazy 10 minute period cost the Ants dearly at home to Carluke as the visitors scored three times to all but end the Ants interest in the promotion race for this season.

The Ants lined up with a trialist keeper in goals following the injury to Owen McCallum last time out v Ashfield and he was called into action straight away when he made a good block to deny Lafferty who had got on the end of a Biggart cross and then with the ball only partially cleared held on as McDonald shot straight at him. At the other end Arthur’s header failed to connect cleanly from a McGarrigle flick on, then Leszczynski’s cross found the Ants striker who did great to make spaAntce for himself in the box only to see his shot go inches wide as his search for a tenth goal of the season continued. The Ants were in the ascendancy as the half went on only for a mistake to cost them dearly in the 17th Smith’s pass succeeded in only finding Pettigrew on the wing and his cross was sent past McWilliam by CIARAN LAFFERTY who made no mistake this time to put the visitors a goal up.

This began a crazy spell with Carluke scoring another 2 goals within ten minutes, McWilliam saved from a Larkin shot and Crawford hacked the ball clear for a corner in the 23rd minute. Weir’s set piece could only be flicked on by Marshall at the front post and the ball was played across the six yard box by Lafferty to SHAUN WATSON who blasted past McWilliam to make it 2-0 Carluke and a minute later it was 3-0, this time CIARAN LAFFERTY grabbed his second of the game, slotting the ball past the Ants trialist having been put through on goal by Pettigrew’s pass.

The Ants to their credit never threw in the towel and when Cherrie made a rare mistake trying to gather a ball at the edge of his box Leszczynski couldn’t find an angle to get a shot away and passed to Gallacher who’s shot went just over the bar then Cherrie denied Leszczynski with his feet as the striker tried to get on the end of a MacDonald pass. The visiting keeper was having one of those days and try as they might the Ants couldn’t find a way past him, Littler trying next with a ferocious shot from the edge of the box but the big Rovers keeper got his fingertips to divert the ball onto the top of the bar and over, although the ref did him a dis-service by giving a goal kick.

Despite this Carluke did always look dangerous on the break and McWilliam in the Ants goal did well to come out and tackle Lafferty who had to pass to Larkin, but his cross never troubled anyone and went out harmlessly for a goal kick. Right on half time the Ants almost pulled a goal back with a fine move. McWilliam’s kick was headed away by Weir but only to Littler, he flicked the ball to Leszczynski who in turn found Arthur, he released Smith down the left flank who floated a lovely cross into the path of Leszczynski who met the ball on the half volley but his shot lacked direction and he hit it straight at Cherrie and the half ended with Carluke in full control

HALF TIME – ANTS 0 v 3 CARLUKE (Lafferty 17, 24; Watson 23)

Just as Rovers had an effort in the opening minute of the first half, The Ants signalled their attacking attention when Crawford found Arthur in the box but once again he was denied by Cherrie who beat away the Ants strikers latest attempt and the ball was hoofed to safety. Five minutes later Cherrie was called into action again, denying Arthur for the umpteenth time as the Ants top goalscorer fired almost straight at him after Crawford had found him with a free kick. Rovers first attempt of the 2nd half came 10 minutes into it when Weir tried a trademark piledriver from 25 yards but his effort was easily held by McWilliam. Arthur’s personal duel with Cherrie then continued but once again the keeper came out on top this time getting down low to stop well from the big man’s effort. On a rare excursion forward in the 65th minute Carluke almost ended the match as a contest but Smith was on hand to clear off the line and put the ball out for a corner.

The Ants kept plugging away but once again Cherrie denied them a goal to reduce the deficit this time diving to palm away Smith’s effort from 12 yards however they did get the goal they deserved from the resultant corner which was only partially cleared. Arthur picked out MacDonald at the back post and he rolled the ball to KAMIL LESZCZYNSKI who knocked the ball into the empty net from 6 yards out to make it 1-3 after 70 minutes.

The Ants spent the rest of the match virtually camped in the Carluke half only to find it difficult to beat Cherrie for a second time, Smith thought he had outdone the keeper with a free kick but he got down low to his right to save then Arthur had yet another effort on goal saved by the keeper.

Carluke were content to hold on to their lead and try and hit the advancing Ants on the break and the home defence received a warning with 10 minutes left to play when a long ball found Haley who outwitted Littler but couldn’t hit the target as his effort went inches past McWilliam’s far post.

That man Cherrie was on hand to deny the Ants twice in a minute with 8 minutes left to play. A free kick was floated in and Gallacher met the ball at the back post then fired goalward only to find the Rovers keeper in the way of the shot, the ball was only half cleared and Leszczynski must have thought he had brought the Ants to within a goal of the visitors but again the Rovers keeper flew up and tipped the ball over the bar.

Deep into injury time Carluke finally killed off the Ants with a counter attack when McKenna beat Littler in a 50/50 on the angle of the box, he slipped the ball across to GREG KANE who had the easiest of tasks to tap home from 8 yards into the empty net and make it 1-4.

A bit harsh on the Ants who on another day could have scored a barrow load of goals but it was Carluke who went home with all three points.

The club are delighted to announce the signing of Midfielder Ross McLean. Ross has been with the club since the summer after manager John Kelly asked him to join the group following a hiatus from Football and he has worked incredibly hard to get himself fit. Manager John Kelly explained

I am delighted to have Ross on board with us. Ross had a few years away from the game but i asked Ross to join the group at start of season and he has been working incredibly hard to get himself fit but he has picked up a few injuries during his spell so far. I know Ross very well having played alongside him when we were younger and he has also played at a very good level and has been very good for the group in the changing room. Hopefully he keeps up his hardwork on the training pitch so we can call on his unquestionable ability very soon.

Ross is sponsored by

and is in contention for a place in the matchday squad for tomorrow

The entries have been counted and verified and the prize fund has been calculated. The winner of Last Ant Standing will walk away with a sweet £320, Not a bad return for £10!

We now enter week 2 and the following people are still involved –

Entries for week 2 are now due and will be accepted until 23:30 this evening so let us know who you want for your next round. Thanks all for your support with our last ant standing competition