Carluke Rovers travelled to Glasgow today for their West of Scotland league game against an unbeaten Knightswood team who were sitting top of the division. Knightswood had signed well in the close season with a few seasoned junior players who had played at the highest level and so this was always going to be a difficult match.

The game kicked off and Carluke started brightly and should have taken the lead in the second minute. A good run down the right by fullback Hugo Brown saw him get to the byline before cutting back it back to Mikey Downs about 8 yards out. His effort was deflected onto the underside of the bar before being cleared with Carluke players screaming for a goal. The Referee thought otherwise and Knightswood cleared the danger. Then just a minute later the same two players combined again. This time a cross by Hugo Brown was headed just wide by Mikey Downs.

Carluke were to rue missing those two early chances when in the seventh minute Knightswood took the lead. Good play down the left hand side saw Lewis McArthur collect the ball for Knightswood. He got to the edge of the box and hit a fierce shot just inside the far post of keeper Mark McRoberts giving him no chance. 1-0 to Knightswood.

This match had the look of a high scoring encounter when in the 10th minute Carluke equalised. Mikey Downs gathered the ball and passed it out to Dom Small on the right. Small, who was going to prove to be a thorn in the Knightswood side throughout the match, beat one man and thundered an unstoppable shot into the roof of the Knightswood net for the equaliser.

This parity was to be short lived though when in the 15th minute a Knightswood corner from the left was headed back across and scrambled over the line by Liam Strain to regain the lead. Then only 4 minutes later a long speculative ball out of defence resulted in a mix up at the back between the Keeper coming out to clear, a Rovers defender and the Knightswood striker resulting in the ball breaking towards to the Rovers goal and an easy tap in to an empty net for their No9. This was a real blow to Carluke who had been playing well in what had been a tight affair until that point.

The loss of this third goal had clearly rattled Carluke Rovers and in the 21st minute Knightswood could have extended their lead but for a brilliant point blank save by Mark McRoberts who somehow managed to put the shot over the bar. Mark McRoberts, who is one of the coaches, was an experienced Keeper who stepped into the breach as Carluke’s first two choice keepers were unavailable. He did not let the team down making some great saves and commanded his box.

Matters settled down at this point in what was a frantic match but in 36 minutes another long ball into the Rovers defence was cleared but only as far as Liam Coogans who unleashed a shot from 25 yards into the roof of the Rovers net giving McRoberts no chance and making the score 4-1 to Knightswood.

This was not a fair reflection on the way the game had gone to this point but Knightswood had been more clinical. However in a game of great goals Carluke Rovers were to get the best of the bunch with a wonderfully crafted goal of the season contender by Dom Small. Small had tormented the Knightswood defence all first half and when he gathered the ball just inside the Knightswood half there was a sense that something could happen. He proceeded to beat his man beautifully with a little drag back and then moved towards goal. He noticed the keeper off his line and chipped him beautifully from 20 yards out. This time with his left foot for his second goal. This was to be the last of the action in what had been a pulsating first half with Knightswood leading 4-2.

It was highly unlikely that the second half would see such a glut of goals that the first half had produced and this turned out to be the case. However there was still plenty of action as in 48 minutes a direct freekick for Knightswood cannoned off the bar. Then a couple of minutes later at the other end more good work by Dom Small saw him cut the ball back from the byline to Mikey Downs but the ball got stuck under his feet from a few yards out and the opportunity was missed.

Carluke continued to search for that third goal that would set up a grandstand finish whilst Knightswood seemed content to see time out. In the 63rd minute Carluke nearly got their goal. A free kick on the right hand side was fired in low by Dom Small and it should have been knocked over the line but Knightswood managed to clear it.

In a game which see sawed from end to end things settled down for 20 minutes but Carluke were still trying to get that third goal and it nearly came in 83rd minute. A good run down the right by full back Hugo Brown resulted in a shot which just flew past the far post just out of the reach of the onrushing Ben Rennie. This was followed by another effort from man of the match Dominic Small who managed to wriggle free from his marker and shot high towards the roof of the net but it was tipped over by Ross Shaw in the Knightswood goal.

To their credit Carluke continued to push for a goal right to the end and nearly got it in the 85th minute. A corner from the left was sent to the back post, then knocked down into the area. In the scramble the ball cannoned off the post and was cleared off the line.

This was to be the last of the action in a great game with Knightswood running out 4-2 winners in what was a closer game than the result would suggest. On this showing, against the best team in the Division, Carluke can go into their glamour cup ties later this month against Pollock in the Junior Cup and Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup a little more confident.

Photography by Kevin Ramage