Carluke Rovers welcomed Easterhouse to the John Cumming Stadium today for this West Of Scotland league match. The visitors had beaten Carluke earlier in the season in the reverse fixture but with recent form the home side were confident of a better outcome.

The weather on the day was very poor with rain and a strong wind blowing down the pitch. Carluke decided to play with the wind at their backs for the first half and try and take advantage of the conditions to get ahead in the game.

However it was Easterhouse who were first to threaten in the 12th minute when a cross from the left was just out of the reach of the head of Kyle Ross. This was followed in the 17th minute with Carluke’s first real effort on goal. A direct free kick from Connor McQueen curled round the wall but could only find the side netting. Then in 22 minutes Kyle Baird in the Easterhouse goal failed to control a back pass properly and Connor McQueen nipped in but the Keeper managed to clear the ball to safety off the onrushing McQueen.

This was to be a game of few chances with defences on top but in the first half Easterhouse had a slight edge and were getting to the second balls first. It wasn’t therefore a great surprise when they took the lead. A simple cross to the back post saw Rovers keeper Garry Black distracted by Easterhouse’s Robbie MacArthur trying to get on the end of it. As it transpired both players failed to collect the ball and it nestled in the bottom corner of the Rovers net to make it 0-1 to Easterhouse in the 36th minute.

There was to be no more goalmouth action in the first half other than a freekick from Ross Steele which was easily saved by the Easterhouse keeper and the teams went in at halftime with Easterhouse leading 0-1.

Hitting into the wind in the second half Rovers knew they were going to have to show more urgency if they were to get something from this game. Their anticipated comeback was delayed however when there was an altercation involving several players from both sides and the Rovers bench. This caused a delay for at least five minutes and when the game re started Carluke were caught cold. As soon as the ball was back in play it was played down the Easterhouse right. A cross came in that was missed by a Rovers defender only to find the feet of Robbie McArthur and the striker shrugged off a challenge before squeezing the ball under the diving Garry Black in the Rovers goal. 0-2 to Easterhouse.

If Rovers though it was going to be a tough game to get back into they now had a mountain to climb. Manager, Thomas Devine rang the changes and made several substitutions bringing on some quality off the bench and Carluke pressed hard to get the goal that would make a game of it. Then in 67 minutes Carluke got the goal they had been pushing for. A corner from the right was not cleared by Easterhouse and when it landed at the feet of Ronan Shiels the defender blasted it into the roof of the net from 6 yards out to reduce the deficit.

The last 20 minutes were all about Carluke pushing for the equaliser with Easterhouse intent on sitting on their lead and hitting Carluke on the break. For all their endeavour there were only a couple of half chances for Carluke in the final 20 minutes. Firstly Jacob Maceachen did well to make space for himself. He cut inside but his shot was directly at the Keeper who made the save. Then a good Rovers move down the right wing saw the ball played in to Ross Steele. The midfielder turned and hit it with his left foot but the Easterhouse keeper got down and put it behind the post. That was the last of the action and Easterhouse held on for a narrow win which keeps their promotion hopes alive.

Carluke on the other hand have to dust themselves down and prepare for a very difficult away game next week against high flying Port Glasgow who are in the midst of a great season and are destined for promotion.

Photography by Kevin Ramage