Carluke Rovers were looking to get their league campaign back on track today when they welcomed Kello Rovers to the John Cumming Stadium. It was not going to be an easy task as Kello are flying high, lying second in the league with only one defeat all season.

The game was to be played in benign conditions and for the first 10 minutes defences were on top limiting any efforts on goal. That changed however in the 14th minute when a long clearance by Chris Owen went over the heads of the Kello defence and was latched on to by Jay McInally. The striker collected the ball and carried it forward before shooting across the Keeper. Ryan Dunsmuir in the Kello goal was beaten all ends up but the shot hit off the inside of the post and squirted back across goal to safety.

In 28 minutes the ball was won well on the halfway line by Carluke’s Ross Girdwood who then played a good pass to Mikey Downs on the left wing. He cut inside and found the space to shoot on goal but the Kello keeper managed to block the shot with his feet.

Carluke were in the ascendancy during the first half but that first goal was eluding them and Kello were dangerous at times also. One such incident came in the 32nd minute when a freekick at the corner of the Carluke goal was curled to the back post. It missed everyone and just went past the Carluke upright.

Then more good play from Carluke following a corner found Mikey Downs on the edge of the box but his volleyed effort was again well saved by the diving Dunsmuir in the Kello goal. This was the last of the action In the first half where Carluke had created the bulk of the chances but had nothing to show for it.

Carluke were looking to continue in the second half as they had finished the first but both teams knew that the first goal in this game of few chances could prove decisive and in the 51st minute Kello should have got it. A tackle inside the Rovers box by Chris Owen was deemed a foul by the Referee and he awarded Kello a penalty. Greg Miller stood up to take the kick but pulled the penalty wide of the left post much to the relief of the Carluke team.

The penalty however did change the flow of play and Kello started to come more into the game. In 57 minutes Kello’s Alistair Smith had his shot well saved by Garry Black in the Carluke goal. Then it was Carluke’s turn to be thwarted when a freekick to the backpost
It wasn’t cleared at close quarters and just as it looked the ball would find the net a flailing leg from the Kello keeper as he was going down saw the ball cleared to safety.

This was the last real action of the game and both teams were content to settle for a 0-0 draw. The result and performance augers well for the remainder of Carluke’s league campaign as they try to claw back points on the teams directly above them. Next week will be another tough test against the improving Royal Albert.

Photography by Kevin Ramage