Matchday thirteen of the West of Scotland Premier division was played under the lights at Newlandsfield with Largs the visitors, and it was looking like Pollok would take all three points until a later sucker-punch from the visitors with the last kick of the ball.

Largs exerted a little bit of early pressure but all they had to show for it was a corner which swung across the six-yard box as Fry remained largely untroubled. The match’s first shot in anger came in the fifteenth minute and Lapsley’s effort took a deflection and trundled wide.

Five minutes later Devine had a good shot from distance which Fry had to dive to his left to save. However most of the attacking was down the other end of the pitch. A dangerous Bain free-kick was well defended and then Pollok produced three quality crosses in quick succession which ended in a Faulds shot wide of target.

The best move of the match so far arrived just after the half hour mark. Tran got his head to a stray pass and knocked it down to Lapsley. He played a beautifully weighted pass down the wing for Tran to run on to and pick out Docherty with a superb cross. His header was firm and well directed but Wilton made a superb fingertip save.

With half-time approaching Bain did brilliantly to dig out a dangerous cross from the right which was well defended at the back post. From the corner Forrester headed just over from six yards out. The half ended with a curling Largs free-kick from twenty five yards which clipped the top of the bar.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 0 – 0 LARGS THISTLE

The home side started the second half brightly with Docherty getting in behind and his low cut back was just touched away from the well-placed trialist who was on for the injured Forde.

Largs got a sight of goal when Tran lost possession and Bain failed to cut out a cross-field pass but the angled low drive went wide of the far post.

Pollok took the lead in the sixty-ninth minute with a superbly worked goal. Duncanson intercepted a pass and played a one-two with O’Kane before floating it forward for Docherty. He touched it to Nelson whose incisive pass found trialist just outside the box. He played in the onrushing Docherty and his low shot was well saved by Wilton but the striker was on hand to slam home the rebound.

 

Largs started to throw more and more men forward as they pushed the Lok rear-guard further and further back but all they had to show for it were a couple of long-range efforts easily saved by Fry until a clever free-kick with five minutes to go. With everyone expecting a floated ball into the box it was passed in low and then sent out wide. In blocking the ensuing cross the ball struck Duncanson’s arm and the referee pointed to the spot. Sewell stepped up and struck it well enough but Fry dived to his left to save.

With the game deep into injury time Largs got in behind down the right and fired over a low cross which Stracey clipped home at the near post. Pollok barely had time to kick-off before the referee sounded the final whistle.

It had been a fairly even game with both teams having spells on top. The lateness of the equaliser will have stung the Southsiders but they had put in another spirited display. The enforced substitutions of Forde and O’Kane had stretched the squad to its limits but they stayed together as a team and battled on bravely.

FULL TIME: POLLOK 1 – 1 LARGS THISTLE

Man of the Match: Calum Gow

 

 

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham and Gavin Ross

Full match highlights sponsored by Scottish Property Centre