WOSFL - Conference B
v
Sat 31 July 2021
Score: 1 - 0

Match Report

Carluke Rovers welcomed Kello Rovers today for this West of Scotland League match. Carluke were looking to make up for the loss of 2 points when their previous opposition scored from the penalty spot deep into injury time to get a draw.

Carluke made four changes from the team that drew with Thorniewood. Coming in from the start was striker Ryan Watt, midfielder Jonny Wilson, defender Connor Jamieson and winger Lewis Murdoch.

The game started gently enough with both teams feeling each other out. Kello were first to get a look at goal when in the 4th minute their No. 10 cut inside off the left wing but his shot was easily saved by Dean Wilson in the Carluke goal. It took till the 10th minute for Carluke to get their first sight of goal when midfielder Marc Smith collected the ball on the left, cut inside and drove the ball towards goal only to see the Kello keeper make a good stop with his legs.

This was the start of a good passage of possession for Carluke and from a corner in the 11th minute they nearly took the lead. The ball was flighted to the backpost to the head of Mark Cassidy who knocked it back into the box to striker Ryan Watt whose header looked bound for the top corner only to be brilliantly saved by the Kello Keeper. Kello were creating opportunities on the break and in the 15th minute Wilson in the Carluke goal was forced to make a good block with Kello No 9 bearing down on goal.

On the half hour Jonny Wison nearly broke the deadlock when following good Carluke inter play the ball was fed out to James Frame who put in a great cross to Wilson who side footed a volley from 10 yards out but it was directly at the Kello keeper. Then in the 41st minute a great dummy by Steven Frame saw Jonny Wilson through on goal again. This time a great save by the Kello Keeper thwarted Wilson’s effort.

This was to be the last chance of the first half and the teams went in at halftime at 0-0.

Carluke had edged the first half but Kello were very much in it and were looking for the breakthrough as well. They nearly got in the 50th minute when a shot come cross from their No 11 nearly found the top corner but for the fingertips of Dean Wilson. He managed to knock the ball wide and when it was returned it hit off the top of the bar and past for a goalkick.

Carluke made a couple of substitutions with half an hour to go in an attempt to freshen things up and get the initial goal. However it was James Frame who was to prove pivotal in the outcome of the match with a couple of great runs to torment the Kello defence. The first of these was when he got the ball wide on the right and cut inside before shooting. This effort was deflected wide. It was then the turn of his namesake Steven Frame who headed over the bar from a corner.

Carluke were playing with more urgency now and pinning Kello back in their own half and in the 74th minute they broke the deadlock. A great run by James Frame through the middle of the Kello defence saw him pass a couple of defenders before squaring the ball to Steven Frame who calmly slotted the ball into the net to make it 1-0 to Carluke.

Then Captain Mark Cassidy had a point blank shot saved directly from a corner as Carluke sought to finish the game off.

Kello started to throw everything at Carluke for the last 10 minutes in an attempt to salvage a draw. They got a direct free kick from 25 yards out which hit the outside of the post from their No 12.

Carluke were not to be outdone though and went close again when James Frame went on another run but his resultant shot was saved by the Keeper.

There was to be no more incident and Carluke held on comfortably in the end for another 3 points. The next game for Carluke is this Wednesday with an 8:30pm kickoff at home against top of the table Ardeer Thistle.

Match Report by Stevie Kane

 

Photography by Kevin Ramage