It was another home game today for Carluke as the weather again bit hard postponing many other games in the West of Scotland League. This was a match Carluke were keen to win to get their season back on track but it was also an important game for Port Glasgow as well.

The game started well for Carluke and for much of the first half they looked the more likely to score. In the 14th minute Christy Lawlor cut inside and shot at goal only to see the Port keeper parry the ball to safety. Then in the 22nd minute a corner from the same player nearly sneaked in at the Port Glasgow post but the Keeper punched the ball clear.

Then in the 29th minutes Connor McKenzie got pulled down, which appeared to be in the box, but the Referee only awarded a free kick which came to nothing. As has happened on so many occasions this season following this miss Port Glasgow ran up the other end and from a front post corner that was flicked into the net they opened the scoring. 0-1

Then in the 42nd minute, with their tails up, Port Glasgow scored a second this time from the penalty spot. Their no11 winger weaved his way into the box and was pulled down. Duly converted. 0-2. Then to compound matters for Carluke another penalty was awarded for what appeared o be a push. 0-3 at halftime.

Carluke started the second half feeling hard done by as to go in 3-0 down when they had been the better team was disappointing. There was not a lot happening in the early exchanges but Carluke had not given up on the game. However an error at the back on the hour mark put the game beyond them. The Port No11 chipped a ball into the 6 yard box and in coolly trying to chest the ball back to McGill in the Carluke the defender managed to find the back of the net. An own goal and 0-4 down.

To Carluke’s credit they never let the heads go down and kept plugging away for a consolation. It nearly came in the 63rd minute when a brilliant Greg Miller volley was pushed over by the Port keeper but then in the 76th minute Carluke got a goal back. The ball was played wide to Christy Lawlor whose cross into the box was met by Connor McKenzie to make the score 1-4.

Then 2 minutes later Carluke got a second to give the home crowd some unexpected hope. A corner from the right was not cleared and a thunderous volley from Carluke’s Greg Miller found the roof of the net and it was now 2-4.

Unfortunately this glimmer of hope was extinguished in the 86th minute. Carluke were pushing for a third but Port Glasgow got the break and their No9 found himself running through on goal and slid the ball past Josh McGill who got a hand to it and nearly kept it out.

This made the final score 2-5 to Port Glasgow. This Saturday Carluke travel to Vale of Clyde.

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Rovers Man of the Match
Greg Miller

Photography by Kevin Ramage