For matchday fourteen of the West of Scotland Premiership, Pollok welcomed local rivals Arthurlie to Newlandsfield for the first time since a 3-1 win in March 2024. Having won promotion back to the top-flight at the first time of asking last season, the visitors arrived sitting in fifth place in the table, but that gap was not on show at Newlandsfield as Pollok secured a comfortable win to extend their unbeaten win against Arthurlie to twelve matches, stretching back to our last defeat in this fixture in April 2016.

Maxi, fresh from his marvellous fundraising efforts in the Malaga marathon, was forced into one change from the win over Beith. Trialist Stewart Houston, recently of Gartcairn, coming in for the suspended Jack Walsh.

The game kicked off with the sun out and a healthy crowd of 838 in attendance, higher than all but one game in SPFL Leagues One and Two. The home side started positively and when Russell was brought down on the edge of the box in the second minute, Carlo Monti curled the free kick narrowly wide.

With eight minutes on the clock Pollok took the lead. A long throw from the left by Scott was flicked on by Russell. McCann fought tenaciously for the ball before laying it back into Russell’s path to apply a low finish past Waters.

The away side almost equalised two minutes later when they got a free header from a corner but Millerick was superbly positioned to clear off the line.

The Southsiders doubled their lead in the eighteenth minute. A one-two between Leyden and McCann took the captain – and former Arthurlie player – to the edge of the box. On the half turn he chipped it over Waters and into the top corner.

As they tried to get back into the game Arthurlie’s only efforts were long range and off target. For Pollok Monti had an audacious go from inside his own half which went wide and a lightning-fast breakaway after brilliant work by Stewart saw Stirling tripped as the defender was forced to take a yellow card for the team.

With seven minutes to go until halftime Pollok put together a superbly crisp passing move from left to right involving Scott, Russell, Stirling and Stewart before Monti’s shot found the side netting. Arthurlie perhaps could have grabbed a lifeline a couple of minutes before the break when a free kick was floated in and headed wide. It was their best chance of the game.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 2 – 0 ARTHURLIE

Pollok remained the dominant side in the second half. Monti was finding room on the right and after a brilliant first touch from a Leyden cross-field pass fired in a low cross which was brilliantly defended. He was then involved again when slipping a pass down the wing to McCann whose low cross was flicked toward goal by Russell and Waters was forced to tip it round the post.

Waters was back in action on the hour mark when McCann latched on to a headed clearance and drove at the heart of the Arthurlie defence. Having made room for a shot he produced a sweetly struck low drive but Waters was able to save with his legs.

Millerick was next to threaten when he ran from the halfway line, beat two defenders and shot from just inside the box. Waters again diving to his right to tip it round the post. McCann’s header from the corner was straight at the keeper.

 

Pollok sealed the three points with a third goal in the eighty-third minute. Rice picked up the ball on the edge of his own box and drove forward. His pass found Monti whose ball over the top was perfect for McCann to run on to, take a touch and fire home. It was a superb goal, and richly deserved.

There was a brief moment of controversy in a game which was well-handled and played in the correct spirit when Burke was shown a second yellow and a red. After discussion it was decided that the substitute had not previously been booked so he was allowed to stay on the park. The away side could have grabbed a consolation in the dying moments when a cross from the right found an attacker perfectly placed but the ball seemed to bounce off him six yards out and went harmlessly wide.

So the Pollok fans had their early Christmas present with a well-deserved three points and one of those performances where all the players rated at least seven out of ten. Everyone involved with the club will be hoping there are more displays like this one to come in 2026.

POLLOK 3 – 0 ARTHURLIE

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham