Today Carluke took another foray into Ayrshire to play Lugar Boswell in this important West of Scotland League game with both teams needing a win to stave of the threat of relegation. The game kicked off on a very good surface conducive to good football and it was Carluke who took the lead early in the match. A long clearance from right back Ayden McCormack caught out the Lugar defence and bounced over the head of the keeper as he came out to collect the ball. Carluke’s Connor McKenzie ran in behind and hooked the ball into the empty net. 0-1 to Carluke and a great start for the visitors.

The lead did not last long however and a long throw in from the right was knocked clear to just outside the box but a wonder volley by the Lugar No6 left Josh McGill in the Carluke goal with no chance and the scores were level in the 8th minute.

The play went from end to end for the next 10 minutes but then in the 19th minute Carluke’s centre half got turned inside the box and pulled the Lugar forward down for a definite penalty. This was duly dispatched by their No9 sending the keeper the wrong way and put Lugar into the lead at 2-1.

The game settled down after this and both midfields were comfortable but in the 42nd minute Carluke got an equaliser. A long free kick to the backpost by Michael Cookman found Mark O’Reilly and as he tried to reach it with his head he was pushed in the back and the referee pointed to the spot. Regular penalty taker Connor McKenzie took the spotkick and duly scored it levelling things up to make the score 2-2 at halftime.

The second half was only 7 minutes old when Carluke conceded a third. A long throw into the front post was knocked to the near post and managed somehow to sneak in between Josh McGill and his front post for a soft goal to make the score 3-2 to Lugar.

Carluke were not done though and went in search for the equaliser. It duly came in the 58th minute with Carluke’s two main goal threats combining. Connor McKenzie did great work on the left to elude a couple of tackles and put in a low cross. Christy Lawlor coming in from the right got in front of his man and fired a low left footed shot under the Lugar keeper to make the score 3-3.

Then in 64 minutes Carluke nearly took the lead when McKenzie rounded the keeper but was too near the byeline and couldn’t get his effort the right side of the post. Then in 70 minutes Carluke went close again. A corner to the backpost was met by William McGlone whose fierce volley looked goalbound all the way until the Lugar keeper pulled off the save match parrying it for a corner.

Despite these efforts it was not to be Carluke’s day when left Kieran Evans barged into the back of a Lugar player and the Ref had no choice but to award another penalty. This was subsequently converted and in the 80th minute Lugar found themselves in front again. Despite Carluke’s valiant efforts they were unable to come back for a third time and Lugar Boswell ran out 4-3 winners.

The Rovers need to dust themselves down again for next Saturday when the visitors to the John Cumming Stadium are bottom club Saltcoats Victoria.

Photography by Kevin Ramage