A healthy crowd turned up today at the John Cumming Stadium for a league game between Carluke Rovers and Royal Albert. Both teams are currently in the wrong half of the league but the two sides have strengthened recently and are showing much more consistency which is being reflected in results.

The game got off to an energetic start and Carluke should have taken the lead as early as the third minute. The ball found its way out to Dom Small on the right wing who flighted in a great cross to the unmarked Jay McInally but his header from close range was a good height for Brown in the Albert goal and he managed to parry it over the bar from above his head.

Royal Albert also had a great chance in the early stages when a cross was rifled in low and hard across the Rovers goal but jut too hard for Jack Hamilton at the back post who could only deflect the ball wide of the target.

Carluke were enjoying most of the possession without creating too many chances but in the 27th minute a speculative shot from Dom Small had the Albert keeper at full stretch to stop the first goal being scored.

Then just before halftime Royal Albert got a corner but it was cleared by Carluke who went on the offensive. Dom Small picked up the ball and fed it into to Ben Rennie but the midfielder’s shot just went wide of the far post.

Carluke’s defensive three of Ronan Shiels, Ross Girdwood and Olly Grenfell had limited Royal Albert to very few chances but unfortunately Shiels had to go off with a cut just above his eye sustained with a high boot. However Alan Inch came on in his place and it was business as usual on the pitch. The game was to take another twist when Royal Albert’s captain was sent off on the hour mark for high studs. This did look a harsh red card and probably a yellow would have been sufficient.

Carluke had been the better team throughout but the sending off forced Royal Albert to adopt a more defensive strategy and the question was could Carluke find a way through?

For all their possession Carluke were limited to mainly half chances by Royal Albert but they nearly snatched the winner in the 90th minute. A long throw into the six yard box by Connor Coyle wasn’t cleared and a Carluke foot tried to direct the ball high into the net from close range but it hit the underside of the bar and fell into the arms of a thankful Jordan Brown who was still on the ground from the initial effort.

This was the closest Carluke were to come to a winner and the game finished 0-0 against a battling Royal Albert.

Carluke Rovers confidence is building every week and they just need to add goals to compliment their solidity at the back not having conceded now for 180 minutes. Next Saturday The Rovers welcome West Park to the John Cumming Stadium with a 2pm kickoff.

Photography by Kevin Ramage