Carluke travelled to promotion chasing Giffnock on Saturday for this West of Scotland league game.

The game kicked off with Carluke looking to settle quickly and feel there way into the game. However they were to be afforded no such luxury when they conceded in the second minute. A break down the left saw the ball crossed into the Carluke box and there at the back post was Giffnock No 6 who side footed it back across goal and in off the far post to make it 1-0 to Giffnock.

This was not the start Rovers wanted but it was great for settling the Giffnock nerves. The next opportunity fell to Carluke though when new signing Darrell Love got his toe to a nice through pass but the keeper managed to block the shot from close range.

As the half wore on Giffnock looked the more likely to add to their lead as Carluke were passive in their closing down and giving the home team too much space and time on the ball. In the 26th minute Giffnock nearly added to their lead. A throw in on the left hand side found the Giffnock midfielder. He managed to turn his man but his shot was deflected off the post and cleared to safety. Carluke were living dangerously at this stage and the wood work would come to their rescue again in the 33rd minute. A freekick at the edge of the Carluke box was taken short and the resultant chipped shot hit off the bar before being cleared.

Carluke got through to halftime only 1-0 down and still in the game but they would need to show more urgency in the second half if they were to get back into this game.

The initial signs were good when in the 47th minute Dom Small latched onto a through pass and looked up noticing the keeper was off his line tried a chip but it went agonisingly past the far post. There was definitely more zip about Carluke’s play and it was their faster closing down which brought the error that led to the equaliser. The Giffnock midfielder got caught in possession just inside his own half and when the ball was fed into striker Josh McGrillen. He bore down on goal and calmy rounded the keeper and knocked the ball into the empty net to make it 1-1.

Giffnock were rattled at this stage and Carluke were playing with a lot more confidence. A Carluke corner found it’s way to Darrell Love but his header went just over the bar. Then at the other end a good move down the right saw the ball crossed to the backpost where Giffnock’s No8 was unmarked but his downward header was well saved by the feet of Sanderson in the Carluke goal. It was end to end at this stage and Carluke should have taken the lead when brilliant play by Christy Lawlor saw him nip past his marker on the byline and his cutback was completely missed by the Carluke player when any sort of contact would have produced a goal.

Carluke were to rue that miss when in the 84th minute a run into the box by a Giffncock saw him fouled by Sanderson and the Ref pointed to the spot although it looked as if contact had been minimal if at all. The kick was duly converted into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1 to Giffnock.

This was a body blow to Carluke and with tiring legs they lost 2 late goals. Firstly in the 87th minute a pass across goal found a Giffnock player unmarked and he put the ball just inside the far post with his left foot. Then a freekick in the 90th minute went in off the post to make the final score 4-1 to Giffnock.

The scoreline did not reflect the game with Giffnock having the better of he first half but Carluke fighting back well in the second and giving themselves opportunities to win the game.

Next week is another tough away fixture to Thorn Athletic in Johnstone but the team are definitely moving in the right direction..

Photography by Kevin Ramage