The game kicked off in blustery and wet conditions and Bain immediately tested the home rearguard with a ball over the top. The defender just got enough on his header to allow the keeper to get his hands to it just in front of Monti. Glenafton’s McKee then saw a shot blocked after a free-kick was swung into the box.

After a long throw was worked across the box Bain had a go from twenty yards but dragged his shot wide. Pollok’s next attempt was to be much more accurate. In the twelfth minute ex-Pollok man Lindsay upended Leyden thirty yards from goal. Monti stepped up and curled a quite magnificent dipping free-kick into the top corner.

The Southsiders were not content to sit on their lead and dominated the play. A Monti piledriver was blocked and then in the twenty-sixth minute they produced a sweeping move back and forth across the pitch which ending with Rooney having a strike which Ecrepont – Scotland Under 19s goalkeeper – did well to push round the post.

Another intricate move into the box saw a series of neat passes but when the shooting opportunity arrived Monti dragged it wide. McAllister then made a comfortable save down to his left before a Glenafton free-kick was cleared to the edge of the box and from there a rasping volley went wide.

Just after the half hour mark McHugh drove at the heart of the home defence and let fly with a powerful shot. Ecrepont beat it away and Monti’s attempt on the rebound was deflected wide for a corner.

With a few minutes to go until half-time Pollok won a couple of corners. Houston just failed to get over the ball enough to head home and then Watt and Rooney worked the ball back out to Monti. His chipped cross went over the keeper but just wide of the far post.

HALF-TIME: GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0 – 1 POLLOK

The second half followed the same pattern as the first with Pollok very much in the ascendancy. A tremendous in-swinging corner from Monti found no takers in the six-yard box as the Southsiders looked to double their lead.

The second goal duly arrived just after the hour mark and started from a Glenafton free-kick. The ball was headed clear and Watt beat Lindsay to it. He played a lovely pass on to Monti who first-timed it to McHugh. From out wide he bore in on goal and found the far corner from a tight angle.

Monti continued to torment the Glenafton defence as he fired a free-kick just over and couldn’t quite find the right cutback after a jinking run into the box. Glens had a chance from a tremendous breakaway move but Mullen failed to find the target from the edge of the box.

Pollok continued to press in the closing stages and corners in quick succession from Monti and Leyden were both cleared away from under their own bar.

With five minutes to go substitute Docherty showed a sublime bit of skill and close control to beat two men and when his through ball to Monti didn’t quite come off the ball broke back to him and he curled a shot not too far wide.

A thoroughly satisfying performance for all concerned with Pollok. The coaching staff will have been delighted with a display that was full of discipline and control with a fair dollop of creativity thrown in. On a day when every player played their part and there were no shortage of man of the match contenders a special mention for young Liam Rooney who had to come on in the fifteenth minute to replace the injured Bain. He showed awareness, composure, grit and skill in a very admirable debut as he helped his team gain a modicum of revenge for the home defeat to Glenafton earlier in the season.

FULL-TIME: GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 0 – 2 POLLOK

Man of the Match: Carlo Monti

Match report from Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham