It was a pleasant evening at the John Cumming Stadium for the annual Clydesdale Cup meeting, with Lanark United providing the opposition in this semi-final. A healthy crowd turned out to watch Carluke Rovers’ first competitive fixture of the new season.

The opening half was a fairly quiet affair, with Lanark enjoying the better of the chances while Carluke rarely tested former Rovers goalkeeper Josh McGill.

Carluke’s first opportunity arrived after 10 minutes when Jamie McIntyre fired a free-kick over the crossbar.

Lanark came close in the 17th minute as a dangerous cross from the left flashed right across the face of goal, with their striker only inches away from making the vital contact.

Three minutes later, a breakdown in play allowed Ellis Scott a clear run on goal, but Eoin Wallace produced an excellent save to keep the scores level.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 37th minute. A free-kick from the left was delivered into the Rovers penalty area, and with the defence and goalkeeper unable to deal with it, Lanark captain Callum Anderson nipped in to guide his header into the net.

Carluke almost found an immediate response just before the interval when Struan Nicholson struck a powerful effort from distance, forcing McGill into a smart save. Moments later, the referee brought the first half to a close with Lanark holding a slender 1-0 advantage.

Rovers started the second half with greater intent and began to enjoy more possession in the final third. Their best opportunity came in the 56th minute when a long throw found Struan Nicholson inside the penalty area. His effort was saved by McGill, with the rebound falling to Jay Keenan, whose shot from a difficult angle drifted over the bar.

Lanark had the chance to double their lead in the 68th minute after being awarded a penalty when Callum Shanks was adjudged to have clipped the Lanark forward inside the area. Ellis Scott stepped up from the spot, but Wallace made a comfortable save to keep Carluke in the contest.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between during the closing stages as Carluke continued to push for an equaliser, but Lanark defended well to see out the match.

The final whistle confirmed a 1-0 victory for Lanark United, who progress to the Clydesdale Cup Final.

While defeat was disappointing, there were plenty of positives for Carluke, particularly in the second half where they applied sustained pressure and created better opportunities. On the balance of play, however, Lanark had done enough to edge a closely fought contest.