Pollok had no time to rest on their laurels after an opening day win in the Lowland League West as they travelled to New Western Park to take on Renfrew in a midweek fixture.

The home side were right at it from the kick-off and early on got in behind down the right. The ball was cut back into the path of Harwood whose low shot was pushed round the post by McAllister. This was followed by another corner as Pollok struggled to get near the Renfrew goal in the opening ten minutes.

In the eleventh minute Gallacher headed the ball out wide to Watt who got his first chance to run at his full-back. He made half a yard and whipped in a dangerous cross which was headed up in the air. When it came down Cameron was on hand to volley home the opener. This appeared to flick a switch in the Pollok team who started spraying the ball about with some slick passing.

An outside of the foot thru ball from Cameron in the seventeenth minute found McCann and only alert goalkeeping from Donohoe kept the striker from doubling the lead. He was not to be denied two minutes later though. McGonigle played a beautifully weighted pass down the left to Walsh whose cross was perfection for McCann to slide in and knock it past the keeper.

The Southsiders were now in total ascendancy and playing some fantastic stuff. A great switch of play from McGonigle allowed Gallacher to combine with Watt whose cutback found Gallacher with a sight at goal but he curled his shot just over the bar. McGonigle showed his vision again a few minutes later when a well-timed pass saw McCann beat the offside trap and advance on goal. Donohoe came out to narrow the angle and managed to deflect McCann’s shot out for a corner.

After a penalty shout was waved away Pollok scored a third on the half hour mark and it was simplicity itself. Cameron won a corner on the left. Gallacher floated it in and Henry rose highest to head into the net.

Renfrew got a brief sight of goal when a shove on McCann went unpunished and Smith was able to advance on the Pollok rear-guard but he shot over from just outside the box.

Pollok’s fourth goal arrived in the 38th minute. Gallacher and Watt exchanged passes down the right and created some space for the former Clydebank man. He looked up and curled a ball to the back post where McCann and Cameron were making runs but they weren’t needed as ball flew straight in. It had been a devastating half hour of high tempo passing from Pollok which had produced four goals and taken the game away from Renfrew.

The home side did have a great chance for a first half consolation when a long ball into the box was headed up into the air by McLauglin and then mis-controlled by Walsh to set up a good shooting opportunity but McAllister was there with a superb save to deny Renfrew.

HALF-TIMEl: RENFREW 0 – 4 POLLOK

Pollok understandably dropped the tempo a touch in the second half with the game in their grasp and players just getting up to speed in the season’s early stages. They did however still look dangerous when they came forward. Gallacher switched the play to McGonigle whose whipped cross was brilliantly defended with a header over their own bar. From the corner the ball fell for Leyden had but he had a fresh air swipe.

With fifty-five minutes gone Cameron burst on to a McGonigle flick but was caught late by Healey. Most in the ground expected a yellow but the referee saw it as a red and the home side were down to ten men.

Some fine passing a couple of minutes later advanced Pollok up the pitch where Leyden found Watt with an incisive pass allowing the winger a sight of goal but his effort went narrowly wide. A few minutes later a similar passage of passing play started by McAllister ended with Cameron squaring it to McCann in the box. The pass was slightly over hit for a first time shot but the striker gathered it and, on the turn, shot just over the bar.

Renfrew got on the scoresheet in the seventy-third minute. A second corner in quick succession was missed by McAllister and although Cameron was able to clear at the back post it ricocheted straight back at him off an attacker and hit his hand. The referee pointed to the spot and Cook coolly sent McAllister the wrong way.

The game rather limped to its conclusion with the destination of the points decided in the first half and a raft of substitutions doing nothing for the flow of the game. McGonigle did have a chance of notching a deserved goal but his glancing header went over.

FULL-TIME: RENFREW 1 – 4 POLLOK

Attendance: 313

Man of the Match: Oliver Cameron

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham

This match saw the start of a new era for Pollok Football Club as they played their first match in the inaugural season of the Lowland League West, and their opening day visitors to Newlandsfield were Troon as the third and fourth placed team from last season’s West of Scotland Premier Division faced off.

As a sign of the stability around the club these days Maxi only handed out three debuts on the opening day – far fewer than in recent seasons. The debutants were McLaughlin, Gallacher and McCracken and they were to have quite the impact.

Despite the recent hot spell coming to an end Newlandsfield was bathed in sunshine as the teams took to the pitch for a three o’clock kick-off. Pollok were on the front foot from the start, forcing a series of early corners. The first of which was half-cleared to Henry but his snap-shot went over the bar. When a similar chance fell Watt’s way a few minutes later he forced McDonald into a fine, diving save.

Pollok’s next corner led to a great chance for Troon as they broke swiftly to the other end. It was four on two as the ball arrived at Veitch. His initial shot was blocked and on the rebound he fired narrowly wide. Troon hit the target with their next attack forcing McAllister to stretch to tip away a header which was destined for the top corner.

The opening goal arrived in the nineteenth minute and what a cracker it was. McAllister rolled the ball out to Bain who played it to Watt. He passed inside to Cameron who got his head up and delivered a superb pass in behind for McCracken to run on to. The summer signing from Muirkirk steadied himself and delivered an unerring finish in off the post to give the Southsiders the lead.

McAllister was forced into an acrobatic save to tip over a rasping drive from Guthrie as Troon went in search of an equaliser. But it was Pollok who almost troubled the scoreboard again just before the half hour mark when a clever ball out wide from McAllister set Watt away. He made great progress before slipping it to Gallacher who laid it back for Cameron. His shot was well struck but McDonald dived to his left to parry it away.

Troon continued to look good in the middle of the park but were struggling to create any meaningful chances and the Pollok rearguard – despite some nervy moments – were clearing any danger. Another good move down the right saw Cameron in on goal and Bronsky’s last gap sliding challenge took something off the shot and allowed the ball to be cleared off the line.

HALF-TIME: POLLOK 1 – 0 TROON

The first notable action of the second half arrived in the fiftieth minute when Pollok broke rapidly down the right wing. Walsh cut inside and let fly. McDonald parried the shot away and was up quickly to tip Watt’s effort on the rebound round the post.

The home side were continuing to look dangerous with Cameron forcing McDonald into another save but almost undid all their good work when a slack pass by McAllister was seized upon. Viviani was played in but his shot lacked power and was straight at McAllister.

The home support were then treated to a special goal by another debutant in the seventy-sixth minute to ease the nerves. Former Lok player Gow headed the ball straight to Gallacher who took a lovely first touch before volleying a sublime finish into the top corner from thirty yards. The Troon keeper had no chance.

With the cushion of a two-goal lead Pollok played it sensibly – keeping a good shape whilst still looking dangerous when coming forward. Boyle won the ball in the middle of the park before passing to McHugh whose shot was straight at McDonald.

There was one big scare with a few minutes to go when a deep cross from the right found Viviani, whose header was pushed on to the post by McAllister. The teams then exchanged half chances with Troon’s going wide and McCracken’s shot saved before the referee blew for time confirming a merited three points for the home side.

FULL-TIME: POLLOK 2 – 0 TROON

Attendance: 741

Report by Peter Thomson

Photos from James Graham

Man of the Match: Cameron Henry