It was the penultimate match of the WOSFL Fourth Division season and Carluke Rovers travelled to play East Kilbride Thistle. Carluke sat in 4th place on the table on the same points as West Park United with East Kilbride Thistle in 5th only 2 points behind. Both teams still had visions of taking that 3rd spot from West Park United and what would have been a real promotion had Lowland League re-organisation.

Showpark as always been a tough place to visit and this match proved to be no different.

With Manager Thomas Devine absent due to family commitment so it was down to coach Stephen Ferguson to lead the team in this difficult match.

East Kilbride took the game to Carluke early on and a corner 5 minutes in from former Rovers striker Connor McKenzie seen East Kilbride header over the bar.

Carluke quickly settled into the game and a half chance in the 12th minute was easily held by the East Kilbride keeper from a shot by Connor McIntyre.

In the 16th minute a clearance from defence by Ronan Shiels was picked up by Connor McIntyre who played a great ball into space for Gary Stewart who took on the shot from 20 yards but it went harmlessly over.

East Kilbride came close in the 21st minute, with Connor McKenzie fouled on the edge of the Rovers box the referee let it play on as the ball slid through to another ex Rover, Keiran Evans, but with only Wallace in the Rovers goal to beat Evans tamely placed his shot straight at the keeper.

26 minutes in and Mikey Downs intercepted a ball in midfield and played a ball through to Stewart, with 2 defenders closing Stewart down putting pressure on him, his shot hit a defender and the side netting.

With 34 minutes gone East Kilbride came close again as a corner into the box was met by the head of Jordan Grant who only managed to head down into the ground and the ball bounced harmlessly up and over the bar.

The match was pretty even at this point with Carluke probably slightly edging it but the deadlock was to be broken in the 43rd minute as simple cross into the box was met by Wallace in the Carluke goal but a fumble meant the ball dropped to East Kilbride’s Jake Hughes who easily fired the ball into the top of the Rovers net.

Little real chances after that and East Kilbride Thistle went into the half time break 1 up.

The second half started well for the Rovers with Jamie McIntyre coming close with a shot from the edge of the box going just wide to the East Kilbride left hand post with keeper Craig Hart scrambling.

Ben Rennie came close for the Rovers in the 49th minute having beat 2 players at the edge of the box but his shot went just wide.

A break by East Kilbride in the 50th minute almost seen them go 2 ahead as a great shot was parried by Wallace in goal only for it to fall at the feet of Kevin Barry Grant but an excellent block by Callum Shanks kept the score at 1-0.

Controversy 3 minutes later as a through ball to Ben Rennie seen him heading towards goal as Hart in the East Kilbride goal came rushing out to meet him, Rennie played a perfect ball across to the incoming Gary Stewart from a yard behind yet the referee somehow seen this as offside.

Carluke deservedly levelled the scoring in the 65th minute as Ben Rennie picked up the ball on the edge of the box and worked his way across 3 defenders before swinging a perfect ball across the face of the goal where Jamie McIntyre was on his own and with one touch to stop the ball and a second to slide it under the keeper it was all square.

Carluke were unlucky not to take the lead in 67 when a speculative lob from the edge of the box by Mikey Downs beat the keeper but went wide of the post.

Carluke were now well on top and created several half chances to take all 3 points but in the end and with light fading the referee brought the game to a close with the points shared. This was enough to put Carluke into 3rd as we go into the final game of the season,

With East Kilbride and West Park with what could be seen as easier matches against lower opposition, Carluke now knew a win on the final game of the season at Wishaw would see them finish in 3rd.

Match Report by Kevin Ramage

 

Photography by Kevin Ramage