Carluke welcomed St Peters FC to the John Cumming Stadium for this West of Scotland League game. The Rovers were looking to continue their winning start to the season and extend their lead at the top. However after a poor start to their season St Peters are starting to put together some good results and this was going to be another tight encounter.

The first real effort of the game came when St Peters Aeden Dunnett showed the Rovers defence a clean pair of heels down the left wing before cutting in on goal. Fortunately for Carluke though his shot from a tight angle went past the far post.

The game was a tight affair in the first quarter of an hour but St Peters should have taken the lead in in the 17th minute. A low cross from the left was collected at the back post by striker Daniel Sinclair. He in turn cut it back to Jamie Millar but the midfielder ballooned his effort over the bar with the goal gaping.

This was to be a game of few chances and goals would be hard to come by. However Carluke managed to edge ahead in the 21st minute. A swinging corner by Ben Rennie was met at the back post by the in rushing Robbie Dunsmore Gascoigne and the defender’s bullet header from close range found the back of the net. 1-0 to Carluke.

This goal settled Carluke and they started to take more control of proceedings. They nearly extended the lead two minutes later when a lovely knock on by Gary Stewart was latched onto by Nicky Prentice but the striker pulled his shot wide of the far post. This was followed by a brilliant run by Ben Rennie down the left wing as he got past three St Peters players before hitting a shot from about 10 yards that Jay Bett in the St Peters goal did well to put behind for a corner.

There was always a danger however that without the cushion of a second goal St Peters could get back into this game and so it transpired. A long throw from the left wing was not dealt with by the Rovers defence. The ball was allowed to bounce and was bundled into the net by Riaghan McCarthy. An important equaliser for the visitor just before halftime.

This was a setback for the Rovers who had to dust themselves down and go again in the second half. Again as the half developed Carluke looked the more dangerous and had the lion’s share of possession without creating much in the way of chances.

This changed in the 64th minute when a long throw for Carluke was cleared but only as far as Nicky Prentice. He in turn fed it wide to Mikey Downs. The frontman did brilliantly to turn his man and thread a great ball across the 6 yard box where it found an unmarked Gary Stewart to knock the ball over the line to make it 2-1 to Carluke.

Carluke were further aided not long after when St Peter’s striker Daniel Sinclair got sent off for a second bookable offence but rather than go into defensive mode St Peters threw caution to the wind, put three men up front and bombarded the Rovers defence with high balls into the box. The defence stood firm however and coped well with the aerial assault reducing St Peters to only a couple of half chances. That said Carluke were pleased to her the final whistle and that it is now six league wiins in a row putting the team clear at the top of Division Four.

The squad and management will get a well earned rest from league duty next Saturday when they take on Tynecastle FC in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup in what will be another tough encounter.

Match Report by Stevie Kane

Thanks to John McLachlan for supplying some match photos in the absence of our regular photographer.