Once again playing up the slope in the first half Pollok carved out their first chance in the second minute. Gallacher clipped it into McCann who chested down for Cameron. His low shot took a nick off a defender which meant a comfortable safe for Krezeminski.

The away side responded with a great move which ended in a squandered opportunity. A perfectly weighted pass out to the right was met on the run by McCaw. His low cross found McMillan six yards out but he poked it wide of the post.

Rovers were producing some tidy passing moves but it was the Southsiders who took the lead in the nineteenth minute. A crunching tackle from Boyle won possession and McLauglin fired it long down the right. McGonigle flicked it on and then picked up McHugh’s back-heeled return. He whipped in a curler from the corner of the box which – with McCann making a run across the near post to deceive the keeper – found its’ way into the far corner.

Five minutes later, from almost exactly the same spot on the pitch, Gallacher found the top corner with a stunning free-kick after McGonigle had been crudely fouled to double the home side’s advantage.

Almost straight from kick-off Rovers created an opportunity to get straight back into the game but McCaw’s angled drive went wide of the far post.

The teams exchanged half chances with McAllister making a couple of saves whilst Henry produced a goal saving block inside the six-yard box. At the other end McCann had two shots on goal the second of which – after a great flick from McHugh – produced a stunning tip over from Krezeminski.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 2 – 0 ALBION ROVERS

 

The opening period of the second half saw shots on goal by both teams with McAllister saving from Campbell and then McLaughlin doing well to clear after another McAllister save hit off him and was trundling towards goal. For Pollok McHugh fired over whilst Gallacher curled a free-kick narrowly wide.

With 68 minutes gone, Cameron drove forward before passing to McCann who back-heeled into the path of Cassells. The substitute had clear sight of goal but side-footed his shot over the bar.

Five minutes later the home side got their third and it was that man Gallacher again. A left foot curler from a free-kick wide on the right found the far top corner to snuff out any potential Rovers comeback and ease the nerves of the Newlandsfield faithful.

With five minutes to go Gallacher was presented with the chance to complete his hat-trick but having been put thru one on one he was denied by Krezeminski who stood up well before pushing Gallacher’s shot behind for a corner.

Rovers grabbed a consolation with three minutes to go when slack play by Gallacher allowed Clark to whip in a dangerous cross which Page volleyed home from eight yards out.

It was the home side who completed the scoring though. With the game into injury time Cameron once again drove at the heart of the Rovers defence before slipping the ball to Watt. His low cross found Dachnowicz in splendid isolation and he made no mistake with a cool first-time finish.

FULL-TIME: POLLOK 4 – 1 ALBION ROVERS

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from Amy Allan and Ross MacDonald

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

The game was played in a blustery wind and the home side were the first to threaten when a cross from the right was headed wide by Low. Pollok’s first real surge forward proved more fruitful. A ball into space down the left was picked up by Cameron who got to the bye-line before picking out McHugh at the near post. The in-form striker made no mistake with a cool finish. Having scored in the eight minute he had another chance in the ninth minute from a long ball from Brown but his shot was straight at Leishman.

Leishman was called into action again when former Clydebank favourite Gallacher had a go from twenty yards but the big keeper got down well to save. At the other end Low found a worrying amount of space when a corner was played back to him but he fired over the bar. Pollok suffered another scare when McCreath misplaced a backward header and Low got his head to it but it went straight into McAllister’s arms.

The home side were enjoying the majority of possession and a territorial advantage but were struggling to cut open the Pollok defence. A good move did get McHugh in but his shot from a tight angle was tipped away by McAllister. They had one further half chance before the interval but headed wide from a corner.

 

HALF-TIME: CLYDEBANK 0 – 1 POLLOK

 

The pattern of play continued in a similar fashion in the second period with Rossiter missing a great chance from a long throw as he snatched a shot wide of the target at the back post. For Pollok, Cameron had a couple of efforts, one going over the bar whilst the second was curled wide of the far post after a good run down the right.

The Bankies passed up another couple of half chances from corners with a shot blocked before a header was powered narrowly wide. There were then inches away with a header from a free-kick which rippled the side-netting.

The equaliser arrived with a bit of route one football. A long ball over the top was perfectly weighted for McLaughlin who took a couple of touches before applying a clinical finish into the bottom corner.

Having taken an hour to find an equaliser Clydebank only took a couple of minutes to get themselves into the lead. A corner from the left saw a couple of shots blocked but it fell nicely for Callaghan who finished neatly on the turn.

With the rain now pelting down Pollok had to try and find an equaliser whilst keeping it tight at the back. McAllister was forced into a save low down to his right whilst at the other end Cassells fired a McHugh cross wide.

The Southsiders picked the perfect moment to find an equaliser as the game ticked into a second minute of injury time. Cassells crossed, Dachnowicz cleverly left it and McHugh provided an emphatic finish into the top corner.

FULL-TIME: CLYDEBANK 2 – 2 POLLOK

Match report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham