Pollok’s second home league match of the season was another midweek fixture under the lights – this time against bogey team St. Cadoc’s, and the run of defeats against them continued in a match where nothing came off for the Lok.

After the hard fought and windswept win over Shotts the manager made just one change to the side with Jay Nelson coming in for Ciaran McPhie.

Shooting down the slope the home team started on the front foot and took a grip of the game. Good pressing by Forde and Docherty forced a mistake in the St. Cadocs’ defence and Main intercepted a pass. He played it to Docherty who flicked it back into Main’s path. His strike was good but Max Currie flung himself to his right to push the ball away.

With nine minutes on the clock Docherty won a free-kick out on the left. Forde swung it in, Smith headed it down and Docherty volleyed it over the bar.

St Cadoc’s briefly threatened from a corner where a goal bound header was deflected wide but for the first twenty minutes Pollok were on top. So when the deadlock was broken in the 24th minute, it was very much against the run of play. A ball down the line was gathered by Diver and as he turned inside Forrester there was a double-ricochet and the ball broke kindly for him to play it into the path of McManus. He side-stepped Nelson and fired an unerring shot across Fry and into the far corner of the net.

Pollok took some time to recover from this blow and the next ten minutes were a bit more even. Fry had to punch away a goal bound header under pressure whilst a Forde corner was met at the near post forcing Currie into a point blank save.

After another couple of dangerous corners Forde tried his luck from a free-kick with a curling effort which was saved by a diving Currie. Main was next to threaten after a quick and incisive move ended with him bursting into the left-hand side of the box. His chip went over Currie but on to the roof of the net.

The Southsiders saw two more efforts from Forde and Docherty saved before the half was out as well as a beautiful move involving Main which ended with Docherty volleying wide.

HALF TIME: POLLOK 0 – 1 ST CADOC’S

The first half had seen the teams attempt to control the game and dominate possession. The second half turned out to be pure mayhem.

The opening ten minutes saw both teams awarded a penalty. Good pressing by Pollok saw them win the ball high up the pitch, Docherty passed to O’Kane whose shot from the edge of the box hit an outstretched hand. Main struck his shot from twelve yards well but Currie dived to his right to make an excellent save.

At the other end a very good break down the left ended with Diver passing to McLaughlin in space. As O’Kane got back he appeared to get the ball but perhaps a bit of the man as well. The referee pointed to the spot. Diver stepped up and blazed the ball over the bar.

The chances kept on coming. Diver got through in the inside left channel but his attempted chip was easily saved by Fry. Nelson then had a swerving shot which was destined for the bottom corner before another good save from Currie. Brilliant work by Nelson down the left saw him pick out O’Kane in space but his header missed the target.

Just after the hour mark Main strode forward and fed McPhie. His low shot was deflected into the path of Smith who put his shot into the side netting. Diver then had a go from his own half but the ball landed a few yards wide of Fry’s goal.

With sixty-six minutes on the clock it appeared St Cadocs were going to double their lead when a deflected strike beat Fry but Gow did well to get back and clear off the line. The main pressure was still on Currie’s goal though and Forrester volleyed a Forde free-kick over the bar.

Diver was then denied by a brave Fry save as a shooting opportunity from eight yards out presented itself after a cross from the right.

Into the last ten minutes and Pollok threw everything they had at the St. Cadocs’ goal. A Forde free-kick went just wide. McPhie blazed a good chance wide after great wing play by Gallacher and then a Smith cross was headed goalwards before being cleared off the line. The ball fell at the feet of McGregor who opted for a side-footed attempt which went just over the bar.

In the last minute Diver missed a wonderful chance to seal it for the away side when he blocked a Fry free-kick and was eventually played in with only a rapidly retreating Fry to beat but the stopper touched it over.

As the game went into injury time the near misses kept on coming in Pollok’s search for an equaliser. A Gallacher shot come cross from the left was agonisingly inches out of reach of a sliding McPhie and Smith saw a volley well saved by Currie.

With the last attack of the game a McPhie shot from outside the box was tipped onto the underside of the bar by Currie. Many fans behind the goal thought the ball came down behind the line but the assistant referee disagreed. It had not been Pollok’s night.

So the home side’s poor run against St Cadocs continued in a pulsating match which will have enthralled any neutrals. There was little doubt that Currie was man of the match having look assured throughout and pulling off a number of wonderful saves.

 

FULL TIME: POLLOK 0 – 1 ST CADOC’S

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham