Tag: pollok

Match Report: Darvel 1 – 1 Pollok

After a week’s break Pollok travelled to Darvel for matchday 28 of the West of Scotland Premiership to take on the side sitting one place above them in the table.

The manager made one change to the starting line up from the 5-3 win over Troon with Lyon being replaced by Gary McCann. Buchanan moved into a more central role in midfield.

Gary McCann came into the side for this game after starting the tie against Troon on the bench.

After an initial burst of action in the opening couple of minutes where Truesdale did well to deal with a back pass fired at him from the centre circle and Menzies got a good header away from a dangerous cross the game settled into a midfield battle with little in the way of goalmouth action.

The first shot on target arrived in the seventeenth minute when Stirling powered in an angled drive which stung the palms of Longmuir. Whilst Darvel were dominating possession they were finding it hard to create chances against a hardworking and disciplined Pollok midfield and defence.

Adam Forde looks for a foul in the middle of the park.

Buchanan was one of those hard workers and when he intercepted a pass in his own half he strode forward and got his head up. His pass released Docherty through the inside right channel. When he drove into the box he stumbled and then slipped but managed to retain possession and prodded the ball back to Christie. He knocked the ball passed his opposing defender and was taken out as he went past. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Christie stepped up and calmly sent Truesdale the wrong way to put Pollok one up in the twenty seventh minute.

Darren Christie slots home his second penalty against Darvel in a matter of weeks.

Darvel equalised in the forty-second minute. As Pollok prepared for a free-kick to be crossed into the box it was instead passed out to the left wing. The cross was a good one as it dissected Longmuir and his defence and was bundled home at the far post by Ferguson.

With a minute to go until the break Pollok carved out a great opportunity to regain the lead. McCann intercepted a pass in his own box and dribbled forward to the halfway line. A simple pass back to Mullen was quickly re-distributed to Esplin in the middle of the park. His pass split the Darvel defence and allowed Docherty to run through on goal. He rounded Truesdale but his shot towards goal was superbly blocked by a sliding defender. All square at the break.

Docherty comes agonisinly close to putting Pollok back into the lead on the stroke of half-time.

The second half was a couple of minutes old when a couple of the Recreation Park sprinklers made an unscheduled appearance in the centre circle. Given how much of the game was getting played in the middle third of the pitch it was surprising no one got soaked.

The sprinklers come on early in the second half, delaying play slightly.

Pollok created the first chance of the half after some tenacious work by Forde. He held off a couple of challenges before sliding a pass into strike partner, Docherty. His first touch was good but his low strike was probably heading wide although Truesdale got a fingertip to it to make sure. From Mullen’s corner Brownlie headed wide.

Brownlie rises highest to head towards goal in the second half.

Darvel then resumed their domination of the ball and whilst it wasn’t quite defence against attack if it had been the defence was winning. Just before the hour mark the home side put together some slick passing which presented a good scoring opportunity just inside the box. The shot however was not as accurate as the passing which had preceded it and Longmuir was able to save.

Menzies headed a dangerous free-kick out for a corner from which Syme – playing his third league game against Pollok in seven weeks – headed over. At the other end a curling free-kick from Mullen was met by the head of Brownlie whose effort was well saved by Truesdale.

In their search for a winner Darvel were restricted to long range efforts – one of which Longmuir had to tip over the bar. In the end Pollok’s resoluteness and organisation merited a point.

 

Longmuir at full-stretch tips a long-range shot over the bar.
It was a frustrating afternoon off the bench for Lyon.

With Beith’s midweek win at Auchinleck Talbot having given them a commanding lead at the top of the table Darvel knew anything less than a perfect run in would probably not be enough to retain their league title. Whilst the game had been less than memorable it did in fact mark the end of an era as it turned out to be Mick Kennedy’s last game in charge of the East Ayrshire side.

For Pollok it was another game ticked off with the defending much improved on the reverse fixture only a few weeks previously at Newlandsfield. A hard won point in a fixture that had an end of season feel to it throughout the second half.

 

Match Report: Peter Thomson

Photos: James Graham

Full Match Highlights from Mark Donnelly:

 

Stewart Maxwell’s thoughts on the game:

Pollok v Troon: Match Report

After the Scottish National team gave the country a boost with two Hampden victories, football on the south side of Glasgow continued with Troon visiting Newlandsfield for match day twenty seven of the West of Scotland Premiership.

Pollok manager, Stewart Maxwell, made two changes to the team narrowly beaten by Darvel the previous Friday. Sean Burns and Kenny Barr dropped out to be replaced by Craig Menzies and Adam Forde. Fraser Mullen also switched from right to left back.

Unusually Pollok were kicking up the slope in the first half but it did not take them long to get going in an attacking sense. A free kick on the left was superbly whipped in by Mullen and Rumsby was on hand to bundle the ball home from a couple of yards with only two minutes on the clock.

Scott Rumsby wheels away in celebration.

Docherty then burst down the right and fired over a low cross. Forde tried to leave it to Buchanan but seemed to distract him and he fired over from a good position.

If the home support thought they were in for a comfortable afternoon that notion was quickly eradicated. Another Pollok corner in the fourth minute saw a Buchanan pass intercepted and Troon’s policy of leaving three players up the park reap dividends. Josh Black played a beautiful pass through the middle to namesake Ben who applied a dinked finish over the onrushing Longmuir.

Pollok resumed their attacks and Mullen fired a great ball out to Christie in the seventh minute to switch the play. Christie jinked past his fullback and delivered a dangerous cross that was well defended.

Troon then took the lead. There seemed little trouble as Longmuir comfortably clutched a header into the box. In looking to distribute quickly he rolled the ball out to Lyon who was facing his own goal. Lyon realised he was being pressurised and passed the ball back to Longmuir. In looking to clear long he didn’t connect as well as he would have liked and hit the ball straight into Josh Black. As Black moved in on goal Brownlie got in a great tackle but the ball was still loose and Black just beat Longmuir to it before turning and rolling it into the empty net.

Del Esplin tries to rally the Pollok squad after squandering their early lead.

Troon held on to the lead for slightly longer than Pollok had done but it was two all after twenty-two minutes. Another superb switch of play by Mullen found Christie on the run. He chested it past a defender and burst into the box to apply a classy finish into the bottom corner.

Darren Christie salutes the Pollok faithful after levelling the match.

Pollok then went in search of a third goal with some enterprising attacking play. Brownlie, Docherty – after tireless harassing of the Troon defence – Esplin and Forde all having efforts on goal but all missing the target.

After those missed chances the home side found themselves behind again in the thirtysixth minute. A dangerous free kick in from the left saw Buchanan tug Jamieson and the referee pointed to the spot. Longmuir got a hand to Wilson’s penalty but it was wellstruck and accurate as it found the corner of the net.

After a speculative long-range volley from Forde, Pollok almost equalised with the last action of a pulsating first half. A Mullen free-kick from the right was headed goalwards by Rumsby but it clipped the top of the bar.

Half Time: Pollok 2 – 3 Troon

The home side maintained their attacking intent at the start of the second half. After a corner was only partially cleared Lyon headed a pass out to Mullen who flicked on to Christie. His cross found Forde unmarked and he thumped home a ferocious volley to make it three apiece with forty eight minutes on the clock.

A thumping volley from Adam Forde draws Pollok level.

Troon then had two golden chances in the space of two minutes to regain the lead. First Josh Black saw a shot well blocked but the rebound fell perfectly for him but his shot took a nick off a defender on its way over the bar. From the corner the ball was partially cleared but eventually it was swung back in with the Pollok defence looking for offside. The assistant referee’s flag remained steadfastly at his side and Wilson was left with a gilt-edged chance which he skied over the bar.

Pollok regained the lead in the sixty-fourth minute. With the ball bobbling about the midfield Menzies produced a back heel which may have been meant for Esplin but found Forde. He played a superb reverse pass to his strike partner Docherty who finished with aplomb in off the far post.

Stephen Docherty after restoring Pollok’s lead.

Both teams continued to attack with Troon seeing a glancing header from a corner whistle just over and then Forde had a thunderous strike from twenty-five yards go inches wide with Burgess rooted to the spot. Christie then found Burgess’ midriff with a shot after an exquisite one two with Forde. Burgess was beaten in Pollok’s next dangerous attack after Forde fired Gary McCann’s cutback goalwards but his effort was cleared off the line.

Substitute Gary McCann looks to test the Troon defence.

With Pollok only one ahead Troon continued to believe and pushed men forward at every opportunity but the Pollok rear-guard were playing better than in the first half. With a couple of minutes to go a quick throw by Longmuir found Christie. He drove down the field before flicking a pass into Barr whose shot was tipped round the post.

After Menzies had a word with his refereeing namesake about the time he was adding on the referee seemed reluctant to blow his whistle and allowed play to continue. Pollok were therefore able to launch one last attack and after Barr found Forde with a lobbed pass his cross found Stuart McCann who headed home from six yards out.

Stuart McCann makes sure of the points with a close range header.

Eight different players had found the net in a pulsating encounter which had seen an abundance of attacking threat. Perhaps not a game either defence will remember with great fondness but a merited three points for the home side in the end. And no-one will have left the ground bemoaning a lack of entertainment.

Sponsor’s Man of the Match: Adam Forde

The Pollok forward was at the heart of much of Pollok’s attacking play and his goal early in the second half got the comeback started. Also chipped in with two assists in a decisive performance.

Match Report by Peter Thomson

Photos by James Graham and Nathan Bonnar

Scottish Junior FA Membership: statement

Following on from the unacceptable scenes at the match versus Irvine Victoria on the 25th September and the Club’s expulsion from the Scottish Junior Cup and associated fine, Pollok FC have considered what, if any, action the Club should take.


The Club have accepted the decision of the SJFA Management Committee but fundamentally disagree with the resulting sanction. It is clear that members of the Management Committee have had to expend a considerable amount of time reviewing the evidence and arriving at their decision and the Club regret that they have had to do so and are grateful for their consideration.

Nonetheless, to be leading a match with two minutes to play, to have the match abandoned and to then be expelled from the competition, with the financial and reputational damage associated with such a decision, given in equal measure to both clubs, when the catalyst for what happened was not of the making of anyone related to Pollok FC is not something we can agree with.


We have been proud members of what has been a remarkable institution for over 100 years. Our membership of the SJFA for the current season was paid for and confirmed many months ago. We will consider whether to apply for membership in the future at the appropriate time. Suffice to say, the mere fact that we have to consider our future membership is regrettable.

Supporter Information – Pollok V Clydebank

Ahead of Saturday?s match, we would like to remind all Pollok and Clydebank supporters that absolutely NO alcohol is permitted inside Newlandsfield Park under any circumstances.

All supporters are cordially requested to comply fully with this, as neither club is responsible for any expense or disappointment resulting from attempts to ignore it.

The game kicks off at 2:00pm. Admission is ?6 for adults, ?3 for concessions (OAP?s and under 16?s).

McCann brothers to return next season!

Murdie’s plans for season 2019-20 took another step forward this evening as brothers Gary and Stuart McCann signed contract extensions to carry them through until summer 2020.

Scotland international Gary, signed for Pollok in 2016 and has so far made 94 appearances (90 starts, 4 sub) in the black and white of Pollok, scoring 22 goals and creating many more.

Stuart joined the club a year later and quickly cemented his place in the team. He has so far contributed 26 goals in 69 appearances (57 starts, 12 sub). Alongside Jordan Longmuir and Danny Boyle, he has played most minutes for Pollok this season.

MTLN!

Just another brick in the wall

The second batch of commemorative Pollok bricks have been added to the pavilion wall at Newlandsfield and they look great. You can see them ?in the flesh? this Saturday as we host our Glasgow neighbours, Clydebank.

If you missed out last time, orders are being taken for the third batch of bricks. These would make a great gift for the special Pollok fan in your life or even for yourself to remember ?the happiest days of our lives?, watching the ?lok.

Orders will be taken for the next four weeks and forms can be obtained from the pavilion on matchday. John Hickey will be taking orders on matchday. Bricks are priced at ?35.

Christmas Foodbank Appeal 2018

In the run up to Christmas, the club is asking the Pollok support to bring along a small bag of non perishable food items to one of the next 3 home matches. This year the donations will be handed over to the Glasgow South West foodbank as well as the Lodging House Mission in time for Christmas to help those in our community who find themselves in crisis.

Non perishable food and basic toiletry items are welcome and at the moment they are particularly in need of;

The Pollok support have generously donated to the foodbank over the last few Christmases and most recently at Easter. Bags can be dropped off at the next three home games listed below.

17th Nov – Petershill

1st Dec – Clydebank

8th Dec – Renfrew

Supporter Info – Pollok v Cumnock

Ahead of this Saturday’s Macron Scottish Junior Cup match, we would like to remind all Pollok and Cumnock supporters that absolutely NO alcohol is permitted inside Newlandsfield Park under any circumstances.

In order to assist Pollok FC officials to manage this, security staff will be present at Newlandsfield on Saturday.

All supporters are cordially requested to comply fully with this, as neither club is responsible for any expense or disappointment resulting from attempts to ignore it.

The admission fee is ?6 for adults and ?3 for concessions (OAPs and under 16s).

Welcome to Pollok…Michael McMullin

Pollok are delighted to confirm the signing of defender Michael McMullin. Michael has been training with the Lok after leaving Albion Rovers and has featured as a trialist in recent games.

The 21-year old came through the Partick Thistle youth setup and after appearances for their development side and loan spells at Peterhead and East Stirling, Michael signed for Albion Rovers in the summer of 2017 where he made over 25 appearances for the League 1 club.

The defender who can play in the middle or on the left hand side is in the squad for this Saturday?s match against Premiership newcomers Cambuslang Rangers.

Welcome to Pollok!