This top of the table Lanarkshire derby clash was played out in dreadful weather conditions on Sunday morning but Blantyre managed to make the most of a bad situation and come out on top, mainly down to the quality of their finishing.

 

The match started scrappy due to the strong wind and lashing rain, it wasn’t long before Blantyre had taken the lead when Aaron Chambers took advantage of a mix up in the Cambuslang defence and skilfully lobbed the ball over the goal keeper from the edge of the penalty area, 0-1. 

 

The home side almost equalised minutes later when a long ball was played up the pitch to Barry Platt who then passed to Johnathan McLean out on the wing, McLean’s cross found Dylan Wilson and the resulting shot was cleared from the line by the quick reflexes of keeper Ryan Whitelaw.

 

Cambuslang by now were starting to take control of the match but proved wasteful with the ball in and around the Blantyre penalty area. On the half hour mark, Wilson crossed for Platt to shoot from the edge of the box, the ball seemed to be goal bound but for a deflection that sent it out for a corner.

 

Blantyre finished the first half strongly when Charles McLuskey gained possession deep inside Cambuslang territory and played a short ball inside for Ross Lyons to strike from twenty yards and narrowly miss the target.

Cambuslang broke quickly from the re start when a long ball was played out to the wing for the speedy Declan Coleman, he managed to cut inside the Blantyre penalty area and shoot from the narrowest of angles, going inches past the far post. 

 

The equaliser came on the fifty third minute after a sustained period of Cambuslang pressure. McLean went past a couple of defenders and shot from ten yards, Whitelaw got down to produce a great save but the rebound fell to the feet of Marcus Redman who made no mistake and lashed it into the back of the net!

 

This score line didn’t last for long however, a mistake by the Cambuslang defence offered an opportunity for Blantyre when they were under no apparent pressure! The ball came to the feet of substitute Jack Brown on the edge of the penalty area, he moved one way then the other trying to get space to shoot, he managed to find some room and kept his shot low and accurate, leaving the keeper with no chance.

 

Within two minutes Brown grabbed his second of the afternoon when Nathan McKecknie made a strong run into the box, passing to Brown, who then placed the ball beneath the falling keeper, 1-3. It was nearly a fourth for Blantyre but for the efforts of Jack Hart, his goal line clearance from a corner saving the blushes of Cambuslang.

 

Cambuslang hadn’t given up and had plenty of chances to get back into this game, Ryan Whitelaw in the Blantyre goal thwarting their efforts, making some good saves.

 

Daniel Cummiskey struck a free kick from twenty two yards and put the ball past the post by the slimmest of margins, Platt then watched as his effort from the edge of the penalty area was deflected and saved brilliantly by Whitelaw. 

 

Gerald Caruna was next to test the keeper with his headed attempt from a corner, but to no avail. Cambuslang had a final attempt when goal scorer Redman crossed for Platt, his shot was again saved by Whitelaw.

 

This result strengthens the lead of Blantyre at the head of the table, they are now seven points clear of their main rivals Cambuslang in second, who now have three games in hand. Both teams still have much to play for and Cambuslang will hope to put the disappointment of this defeat behind them and bounce back with a victory over Milton at the weekend, and getting their title challenge back on track.