On a typical Scottish summer day, wet and windy with occasional warm sunshine, the Rovers returned to Huntershill Sports Hub again, but this time to play opponents West Park for the first time.
By the time the game started both teams had been drenched during their respective warm-ups and had retreated to dressing rooms to change, into dry tops at least.

It was the visitors who started brightly when, with barely a minute on the clock, captain Alan Inch picked up a West Park defensive clearance in the middle of the park and returned a shot from 25 yards which forced the home keeper to pull off an excellent save to put the shot round his right hand upright. The resultant corner kick found Rovers Girdwood at the back post. His header needed another save from the keeper to keep the scores level.

The home team responded almost immediately when West park’s Kanu took advantage of a defensive mix up on the edge of the Rovers box to strike a shot off the Rovers post.
The visitors continued to put pressure on the home defence and took the lead with only 7 minutes on the clock. A Carluke free kick on the right-hand side was fired to the back post by Miller. Once again Girdwood rose to head the ball back across the goal where Steele fired the ball into the roof of the net.

As the game progressed there were opportunities by both sides to score the next goal, but defences held out. Carluke’s right back, Brown, came close on 17 minutes when, after an impressive run through West Park midfield, he cut in from the right and fired a shot, which had the keeper beaten but it slipped just past the far post.

Carluke extended their lead on 26 minutes when Steele doubled his tally. He controlled an excellent through ball from Logan, moved past the defender to fire a shot off from just inside the box. It rifled past the keeper and hit the net on the inside of the left upright.

The Rovers were dominating most of the possession and almost added a third goal just before halftime. A Miller free kick from the right was controlled by Girdwood on the edge of the box on the left. He returned the ball across the box to Logan but his shot went wide.

Half TimeT – West Park 0 – 2 Rovers

The second half opened with home side injecting more pace into their possession which brought them more opportunities in front their visitor’s goal. They were rewarded for their efforts with a well taken goal on the hour mark.

Carluke introduced some fresh legs in the form of a number of substitutions. This seemed to settle the team once again and they began to dominate possession.
Clearly the next goal was going to be crucial towards the outcome of the match.

And it was the visitors who would strike next. On 76 minutes, an excellent play from Fullarton on the left resulted in a pass from touchline to Downs who was 12 yards out on the right side of the penalty box. He fired his shot across the goal past the West Park defence and keeper, and it hit the netting on the inside of the far post.

Once again, the home side began to dominate possession, and they almost succeed in breaching the Rovers defence with a few minutes left on the clock. A ball into the Carluke box from the left was headed up and over the diving McKinlay in the Rovers goal. Fortunately, Girdwood was on hand to head clear from the goal line.

The Rovers held on against a very good West Park side to record their second win if the League campaign.

Full Time – West park 1 – 3 Rovers

The Rovers are travelling north to the Highlands next week, as they compete in the 2nd preliminary round of the Senior Scottish Cup. Their opponents are Golspie Sutherland of the North Caledonian League. A club whose pedigree stretches further back than the Rovers start date of 1887.
A tough match no doubt, but hopefully they can go one better than their first venture in this competition last year.

Photography by Kevin Ramage