Carluke Rovers travelled through to Barrhead today to play Neilston in what is the first of several cup games for the team. Today it was The South Region Challenge Cup and it was going to be a difficult assignment with Neilston being two divisions above.

The grass pitch was in excellent condition and so there were no excuses for either team. Never having played each other for a number of seasons both teams were naturally cautious at the start of the game. Callum Nelson was given his first start in goal in a competitive game and the young keeper did not disappoint throughout.

It was also to be a first start at centre back for young Liam Bordon making the step up from the u20s but as the teamlines were being submitted he was flagged up as suspended for being sent off in the same competition last season. This meant that team manager and former centre half David Donnelly had to step into the breach at short notice.

The first chance in the game came in the 15th minute. Struan Nicholson beat the offside trap on the left wing but when he fired in a great low ball across the goal there were no takers in a Carluke jersey.

Neilston had to wait till the 24th minute to create their first chance when their winger got to the bye line and cut it back to Connor Hamilton. He cut inside but his shot was well blocked by Shanks in the Rovers defence.

This was turning out to be a game of very few chances with both teams evenly matched. It was therefore going to take something special to unlock one of the defences and unfortunately for Carluke it was Neilston who produced it. A thunderous shot from 25yards saw the bar come to the rescue from Calum Hendrie. However the ball came off the underside of the bar and to the feet of Dylan Fletcher who slid the ball into the net as Callum Nelson was getting back to his feet. 1-0 Neilston.

It didn’t take Carluke long though to get back on terms when good play on the left by Kyle McAdam saw the ball into Struan Nicholson and when the forward tried to weave through the box he was pulled down and the Ref pointed straight to the spot. The kick was duly dispatched by Jamie McIntyre to give Carluke parity.

As halftime approached a well worked corner by Carluke saw Ross Steele run towards the corner of the six yard box to meet the low cross but his resultant effort was saved by the feet of Josh Gilmartin in the Neilston goal. That was to be the end of the action in the first half and both teams went in tied at 1-1.

The second half got underway with Neilston on the front foot but being well marshalled by Donnelly and Shanks in the Rovers central defence. They had helped limit Neilston to next to no chances during the first period. It took a slight error of judgement from Carluke that was to cost them a second goal. The ball was let go for what the team thought was a goal kick but the Ref gave the corner. The ball was whipped in perfectly and was met by the head of Connor Hamilton who rifled his header just under the bar to make it 2-1 to Neilston.

Carluke rang the changes in the second half and one of those coming off the bench was striker Callum Hume and a welcome return from injury of Ben Rennie and it was to the young striker who was to get his second goal in as may games when he was first to react to a parried save. A long Connor Coyle throw into the box ultimately found Callum Shanks, who wrapped his left foot round the ball to get his shot away. The keeper parried his effort but only to the feet of Hume who knocked the ball into the empty net past the Keeper. 2-2.

Carluke were slightly the better team at this point and were probably slightly the better team throughout game but they were undone by a fortuitous piece of bad luck in 70th minute.

Neilston were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and a wall was put in place. Unfortunately when struck the ball hit off the top of David Donnelly’s head and looped over the stranded Callum Nelson in the Rovers goal and under the bar into the net. 3-2 to Neilston.

To their credit Carluke pushed again to get back on level terms and did put the Neilston defence under a lot of pressure in the last 15 minutes but the home side held firm and ran out 3-2 winners.

This was a good run out for Carluke and a good display against a team two divisions higher and an indication of the levels they will need to reach next week when they travel to Dundee to play Tayport in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.