Pollok welcomed Albion Rovers, and a healthy band of followers, for a first ever visit to Newlandsfield for match day ten of the Lowland League West.

Maxi made two changes to the starting line-up as the injuries in defence mount. McCracken and McGonigle coming in for McCreath and Bain. It meant a makeshift back four and there were only four fit enough for a place on the bench.

After a minute’s applause for former President Gordon Allan the game kicked off with Pollok – very unusually – kicking up the slope in the first half.

The ball broke to in-form striker McHugh in the opening seconds but he didn’t quite catch his snap-shot and it was a gentle introduction to the game for debutant keeper, Krezeminski.

With eight minutes on the clock McCracken made a surging run forward from his left-back role and swung over a deep cross to find McHugh who volleyed over. A few minutes later it was right-back for the day, Stirling, who advanced into the final third and his low cross was well defended as McCann looked to prod home.

The first real test for either keeper arrived in the seventeenth minute when McGonigle curled one towards the top corner but Krezeminski was up to the challenge and flung himself to his right to tip it round the post. At the other end McAllister had to make a routine save from a free-kick before a good move down the left saw Albion Rovers afforded some space in the box but they couldn’t get a shot away and Boyle did some excellent defensive work in clearing.

Stirling laid off a Gallacher freekick to Cameron who volleyed over the bar before a mistake by McLaughlin let Albion Rovers in but McAllister made a good save from McMillan before Stirling made a goal-saving clearance from the rebound.

The opening goal arrived in the thirty-seventh minute. Cameron intercepted a misplaced pass and fed the ball to McGonigle. As he made his way to the bye-line Moses rather impetuously dived in and fouled the Pollok attacker. The ref pointed to the spot and Gallacher made no mistake from twelve yards.

The Rovers had a chance to equalise straight away but Dolan fired over the bar. An even better chance arrived a few minutes later when a beautifully weight pass sent Ronald through on goal but the attacker tripped over his own feet.

With three of the back four not playing in their natural positions the Southsiders defence had not looked at its most secure and was duly breached in the forty-fourth minute. A cross in from the right was only partially cleared to the edge of the box and McLaughlin’s shot took a deflection into the path of McMillan who buried his chance.

The home side responded immediately when McCracken and Gallacher worked an opening for the left-back to fire over a cross. McGonigle nipped in front of his marker at the back post to volley home.

If McCracken’s contribution to Pollok’s second was good his contribution to the third was exceptional. A crossfield pass with the outside of the boot which fell perfectly into the path of McGonigle. He jinked past Moses before finding Gallacher in the six-yard box. He took a touch before applying a clinical finish.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 3 – 1 ALBION ROVERS

After a breathless end to the first half the second half started in similar fashion. A willing run in the forty-sixth minute by McCann forced a corner. Gallacher floated it to the back post where McLaughlin volleyed home.

Pollok’s fifth goal arrived in the fifty-first minute. Cameron did well to retain possession in the middle of the park before pinging a lovely pass out to McGonigle. He bent over a cross with the outside of his left boot which McCann controlled before firing into the roof of the net for a well-merited goal. It was the game’s sixth goal in fourteen minutes and a burst of play from the home side which had taken the game away from Albion Rovers.

McCann could have had another soon after when he intercepted a slack pass from Krezeminski but the keeper did well to recover and save the striker’s shot with his left boot.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the game rather fizzled out, with substitutions aplenty and little in the way of goalmouth action. Albion Rovers had a number of long-range efforts none of which seriously troubled McAllister as the Pollok rear-guard looked a lot more composed in the second half.

FULL-TIME: POLLOK 5 – 1 ALBION ROVERS

MAN OF THE MATCH: LIAM MCGONIGLE

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham