A match that started so well for the Ants ended in disappointment as Lanark took all 3 points in a match where the Ants may feel they deserved more but lady luck deserted them and the wait for a league win continues.

It was all smiles within 3 minutes when the Ants took the lead, Bembo found Carballo on the left and his cross into the box saw Ewart put CAMMY LAWSON under pressure and the Lanark centre half diverted the ball past Hallford and into the net to make it 1-0 to the Ants. This should have buoyed the Ants on but they seemed to go into their shell a bit inviting Lanark onto them and in the 18th minute the visitors were level. An Ants free kick was won in the air by a Lanark midfielder who headed it to KIERAN BRANNAN, he flicked it to Martin who then played the striker through on goal and he hit a first time shot past Perry into the back of the net to level the scoring at 1-1. There wasn’t much happening in terms of chances with Lanark having a couple of half chances and Gallacher pulling a shot wide for the Ants until the 35th minute when Barclay’s cross/shot was saved by the feet of Perry and the rebound came off McCluskey but luckily for Saints it dropped the right side of the post and out for a goal kick. Two minutes later the Ants almost levelled when the ball pinged around the home teams penalty box, Bembo flicked the ball towards goal but it went inches wide. The goal that made all the difference arrived in the 43rd minute when a ROSS BARCLAY cross into the box was misjudged by Perry and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

HALF TIME LANARK 2 (BRANNAN 18, BARCLAY 43) v 1 (LAWSON (OG) 3) ANTS 

The second half saw a much more positive approach from the Ants, Ndlovu having a shot go over from just outside the box in the opening minutes of the half. The Ants thought they had the equaliser in the 53rd minute but Crawfords free kick cannoned back off the bar and was cleared to the halfway line, Trialist A done well to win the ball back and set Carballo free, who made a great run to the byline and got his cross in but it was also headed to safety and the chance was gone. It was pretty much all Ants now with Lanark playing on the break, but despite their best efforts they couldn’t grab the goal they needed, Crawford went close with a deep cross that almost ended up in the net and Trialist A had a great header equally well saved by Hallford.

Lanark then had a good chance after 72 minutes but Perry saved well from Brannan and then Gallacher got a brilliant block in to deny the Lanark striker from the resultant corner. Littler then had a great chance in the 75th minute when he got on the end of a Crawford corner but his header lacked direction and went wide of the post. Debutant Mohamed Alsarmi went on a mazy run that almost seen the winger through on goal but he slipped on the heavy pitch and just failed to get on the end of a ball he’d knocked past a defender and Hallford was out well to gather. Ciaran Smith then put Crawford through on goal but the ball jumped up just as he was about to strike it and he blazed over the crossbar. Perry then denied Brannan with a fine diving save as the Ants got hit on the counter trying to claw their way level but it wasn’t to be, a final chance for Burns going over the bar after another promising run from Alsarmi teed up the striker but he leaned back and the shot failed to hit the target.

A disappointing result ahead of this Saturday’s SoccerShop Challenge Cup 2nd round tie at home to Lowland League East Kilbride.

Speaking to the Ants media team after the match Ants manager Danny Taylor had this to say “I thought we started the game well enough, then stopped playing and let Lanark back into the match. We pushed hard for the equaliser in the second half but just couldn’t get it, Individual errors are killing us just now but we’ll keep working hard to rectify this”

FULL TIME LANARK 2 (BRANNAN 18, BARCLAY 43) v 1 (LAWSON (OG) 3) ANTS 

ROGUE MONKEY DIGITAL MEDIA MAN OF THE MATCH – SHAUN GALLACHER

McKenna Pak hosted its first ever match in the “Seniors” with East Kilbride the visitors and the Ants will be the happier of the two sides after a 94th minute leveller gained us our first ever point in the West of Scotland football league.

It is a cliche but this was a game of two sides with EK Thistle taking the better it in the first half, the Ants the more dominant in the second half but the Ants deserve credit for coming from behind not once but twice to earn their point.

It was the visitors who had the first chance when McDonald fired goalwards but Maliska got down well to save and the ball was smashed to safety, five minutes later the keeper was called into action this time making a good save from Riddock. The Ants had started slowly and once again Maliska came to the rescue with 32 minutes on the clock when a cross found the head of Taylor and the young Ants keeper produced a fine save clawing the ball out for a corner. Ten minutes before the break the Ants had their own chance to open the scoring when good work by Trialist B saw him cut the ball back into the path of Crawford but he leaned back and fired his shot over the bar from the edge of the area. In the 42nd minute EK got the opener that on the balance of play you would have to say they deserved when David McKean’s pass saw McDonald attempt to control, the ball hit his studs, and on the way through Crawfords legs hit the right back’s knee and landed perfectly for BLAIR MCDONALD to run through on goal and slot the ball past Maliska much to the delight of the EK committee and coaching staff.

HALF TIME ANTS 0 v 1 EAST KILBRIDE THISTLE (MCDONALD 42)

The Ants changed it up a bit at half time, bringing on Bembo for Danny Smith and changing the shape a little and within 3 minutes of the restart the change almost paid dividends when Trialist B put a good tackle in on an Thistle defender and put the ball in Bembo’s pass but the Ants striker was denied by a good save from Trainor. Davidson then put a dangerous ball across the goal mouth but Trialist A cleared the danger well. The Ants were given a golden opportunity to level in the 58th Minute when the referee pointed to the spot and EVA BEMBO made no mistake from the spot, sending Trainor the wrong way to grab his 3rd goal in 3 games for the Ants and level the scores at 1-1. Despite having most of the pressure and the ball in the half the Ants were limited to shots from distance or thwarted by decent defending by the visitors, who always looked dangerous on the break. It was the visitors that regained the lead in the 71st minute when Diack squared the ball to SCOTT DAVIDSON who’s shot looked like it had been blocked by Crawford on the line but the ball looped straight up in the air, Maliska jumped up to deal with it but missed the ball under pressure from McDonald who appeared to impede the Ants goalie and the ball ended up in the net. A defeat would have been harsh on the Ants but credit to the boys they kept plugging away and Carballo almost equalised with 6 minutes left to play but his shot was saved by Trainor. The Ants threw caution to the wind as they piled on the pressure, forcing a series of corners and throw ins around the Thistle penalty area and in the 94th minute they were rewarded when a Crawford corner was flicked on by Trialist A and EVA BEMBO fired home from close range, racing to the bench in celebration to embrace gaffer Danny Taylor.

FULL TIME – ANTS 2 (BEMBO 59 (PEN), 94) v 2 EAST KILBRIDE THISTLE (MCDONALD 42, DAVIDSON 71)

A hard fought draw for the Ants who now travel to Moor Park to face Lanark United next Saturday

ROGUE MONKEY DIGITAL MEDIA MAN OF THE MATCH – SHAUN GALLACHERR

The Ants advanced into the 2nd round of the SoccerShop Challenge cup after finally seeing off an Irvine Vics side who came back from 3-1 down in the final 15 minutes of normal time to draw the match 3-3, with the Ants triumphing 5-3 on penalties as new the new management team took charge of their first competitive match in charge.

It was the Ants who took the lead after only five minutes, when Ndlovu got on the end of a Patrick kick out, he knocked the ball on ahead of himself then a deft touch put the ball into the path of ROBBIE EWART, who will go down in Ants history as the scorer of our first ever goal in “Senior” football, and he made no mistake firing past Taylor. A short pass back then sent Bembo scampering through on goal, but as Taylor advanced the Ants striker tried a cute little lob which went just past the post. The Ants had the bit between their teeth in the opening exchanges, buoyed by the goal, and a nice move down the left saw Bembo and Ndlovu combine and the latter cross the ball to Carballo, the youngster slipped past his marker and found Ewart but he couldn’t generate enough power in his shot on the turn and Taylor held easily. Despite the Ants enjoying the lions share of the opening fifteen minutes they were handed a warning when Martins got on the end of a well delivered corner but he could only head past the post and the chance was gone. The Ants did soon make their pressure pay when Bembo found Ewart, who cut inside and fired a shot at goal which was beaten away by Taylor but EVA BEMBO was quickest to react inside the box and he fired the ball into the net with 19 minutes on the clock to make it 2-0 to the delight of the small number of Ants committee who had made the trip to the seaside. The two teams settled down and despite half chances at either end there was nothing of note to report until the 35th minute when DANIEL MARTINS got his head to a free kick that had been swung into the box and put the ball into the net past Patrick to reduce the deficit to a single goal.  Given a boost by the goal Vics started to come into the game more and Connor  came close when he was put through on goal but he tried to chip Patrick and didnt connect properly and the Ants keeper held easily then Watupa fired a short a yard or two past the post.

HALF TIME – IRVINE VICS 1 (MARTINS 35) v 2 ANTS (EWART 5, BEMBO 19)

The second half saw the Ants take the front foot and Tran and Conway combined well at a throw in, the former didn’t catch his cross correctly but it somehow found Carballo although the youngster couldn’t generate sufficient power as he spun and shot and Taylor gathered. The Ants did regain their two goal advantage in the 52nd minute. Ants U20s captain, Rui Carballo, making his first team competitive debut knocked the ball one way past his marker and then went round him on the other, raced onto his own knock on and raced towards the edge of the penalty box, his pinpoint pass avoided the attentions of Martins and landed at the feet of EVA BEMBO who grabbed his second and the Ants third. With just over an hour played Carballo swung in a corner that Conway just failed to get on the end of and the ball took a deflection and landed in the six yard box but Taylor was brave, diving onto the loose ball as Bembo closed in for his hat-trick. Bembo came within inches again of scoring his third of the day in the 68th minute. Conway sent Carballo scampering down the wing again where he was tackled by a Vics defender, but he showed great tenacity to win the ball back before crossing into the path of the aforementioned Bembo who just couldnt get a touch as the ball shot across the face of goal and cleared to safety. Patrick had so far had very little to do in the Ants goal during the second half but that all changed in the 75th minute when a cross into the box was flicked home by BRIAN CONNOR to give the home side some belief. The striker was then clean through at an angle but his effort only found the side netting and the Ants remained a goal ahead, that was until the 79th minute, Patrick came for a corner and punched it to just outside the box, the ball was played back in and BRIAN CONNOR beat Patrick to the ball before knocking the ball into the net to equalise. With no further scoring we headed to extra time

FULL TIME – IRVINE VICS 3 (MARTINS 35, CONNOR 75,79) v 3 ANTS (EWART 5, BEMBO 19, 52)

Extra time was a cagey affair with both sides tiring on the heavy Victoria Park surface with the only chances of note seeing efforts disallowed. Connor had the ball in the net for Vics but was judged offside after 103 minutes and then controversy reigned as the Ants thought they had won it in the 112th minute. A throw in from Littler was headed into his own net by Robb, but the man in the middle adjudged there to have been a foul by Bembo, which the video suggests is an incredibly harsh call, and we went to penalties.

Anton Conway, Rui Carballo, Ndjabulo Ndlovu and Danny Smith all netted for the Ants whilst the opening 3 Vics penalties were scored but the fourth taken by Sam McKee was saved by Patrick to give EVA BEMBO the opportunity to win it and he made no mistake sending Taylor the wrong way and earning the Ants a 2nd round tie against Lowland League high fliers East Kilbride FC in November at McKenna Park

ANTS MAN OF THE MATCH SPONSORED BY ROGUE MONKEY DIGITAL MEDIA – RUI CARBALLO