Normally the gaffers post match thoughts come through the medium of video however Ants TV didn’t get the chance to catch up with him after the match on Wednesday night on camera so we caught up with him on the phone later that night

ANTS TV – Sum up tonight’s match for us?

John Kelly – Tonight’s match was a typical end of season game where both teams really had nothing to play for, however I felt the level of our performance was not good enough. We set high standards in training and we try and take that into our games but tonight was well below par.

ANTS TV – Why do you think that was the case?

John Kelly – I think the game itself lacked any real quality if I’m honest, it was a very hard watch and was poor enough to make your eyes bleed. It was like both teams wanted to see who could kick the ball up the park the furthest and hope for the best at times which isn’t something we look for in our approach but again it’s been a long season and it did smack a lot of just wanting the season over, that meaningless game feel you get at the end of the season.

We had a decent backing tonight and I can only apologise to the guys who made the trip to Johnstone to support us

ANTS TV – One game left away to Newmains, whats the main aims in that one

John Kelly – We hope to go into that game and get a positive result, give some players who have been on the fringes extra game time,  but to be honest we are now looking at the summer and build on what we feel has been a positive first season for this squad.

#itsanendofseasonantsthing #forzaants

The fact that the Airbus A380 coming in to land at Glasgow Airport was one of the biggest talking points after the match could tell you everything you need to know about the match as a spectacle. An end of season match with nothing but pride to play for saw both teams fail to create many clear cut chances, although on the balance of the clearer cut chances Burgh maybe just deserved the three points.

The Ants almost got off to a flier after only 3 minutes when a corner was flicked into the path of Leszczynski at the back post but he was caught unaware and could only instinctively throw a leg at it which the ball hit and went inches past the Burgh keepers post. McCulloch then almost found the Burgh’s number 10 with a long free kick buttoo the striker failed to get on the end of it and the ball went out for a goal kick. Despite the tricky conditions under foot the Ants put together a nice move with Crawford and Smith linking up well before the ball found FItzpatrick in the box, he tried to square the ball across the six yard box but it hit an Ants player and was partially cleared to the edge of the box, McGarrigle and Lezczynski did well to create an opening for the Ants polish striker but his shot lacked direction and power and was held by the Burgh keeper. The Burgh’s best chance of the half fell to the number 10 when he was sent in on goal, beat the Ants poor offside trap and he raced in on the advancing Curran, but the Ants keeper stood tall and saved well when the striker eventually got his shot away.

HALF TIME – JOHNSTONE BURGH 0 v 0 ANTS

The second half got underway and within a minute of the restart we saw the appearance of a special guest as the Emirates Airbus A380 flew into view as it approached Glasgow Airport, a magnificent beast of a machine which took almost everyone’s eyes off the pitch for the minute or two it was in plain sight, the noise deafening, and then we turned back to the football and waited for something of interest to happen on there. The Ants fashioned a decent opportunity when Lezczynski and Smith combined well and found Crawford at the back post who fizzed the ball across the box but there were no takers and the chance was gone.  The match was getting a little stretched now and 11 fired over for Burgh when he should have hit the target, then Williams wild swipe at the back post saw his goalbound effort almost go out for a throw in but the ball was kept in play.  The Burgh then almost took the lead when their Keeper launched a free kick into the Ants box but it evaded everyone and Curran had to be alert to tip the ball over the bar and then from a free kick the ball was headed into the path of the Burgh’s number 10 who contrived to head over from 2 yards out.  The goal that won the game came in the 85th minute. The Ants had a corner kick and the ball was cleared long into the path of substitute MARK GARNER who raced through on Curran as Marshall tried to get back to stop him, and slotted the ball past Curran into the empty net sparking joyous scenes around Keanie Park from the home team fans and management. The Burgh Number 10 would be forgiven if he woke up in cold sweats last night as he spurned yet another great chance this time from a long ball by number 11 sent him through again on Curran but the Ants keeper was quick off his line and made a great tackle outside the 18 yard box to stop the Burgh doubling their lead.

FULL TIME – JOHNSTONE BURGH 1 (GARNER 85) v 0 ANTS

The Ants ended their home league campaign with a 3-2 win v Forth Wanderers when super sub Fraser Wheatley headed home on his home debut fifteen minutes from time to claim all three points.

The Ants were looking to bounce back from successive 5-1 defeats on the road to Lesmahagow and Vale of Clyde and Forth for their part aiming to build on a 2-2 draw with promotion chasing Ashfield as the sun shone down on a decent crowd at McKenna Park and it was the visitors who got off to a dream start when miscommunication in the Ants defence saw RYAN CHERRIE’S free kick evade everyone and sneak in at the back post with only 9 minutes on the clock. The Ants fans could have been forgiven for thinking not again given the previous two weeks but their despair turned to joy a minute later when Leszczynski flicked on a Litter throw into the path of STEVEN FITZPATRICK who showed great composure to lob the ball over the head of McPhee and into the net to bring the scores level.

The Ants had keeper Owen McCallum to thank for keeping the scores level in the 19th minute when he produced a great save from Boulbrachene after the forward had been sent scampering through on goal by Grenfell but McCallum stood tall and palmed the ball away one handed and the chance was gone. It wasn’t a game of many chances but Leszczynski fired over from the edge of the box for the Ants before the second goal which came in the 35th minute.  Good link up play by Leszczynski and Smith saw the latter break into the box and his square pass found Fitzpatrick who’s shot was only partially cleared by the feet of McPhee and straight to the feet of Williams who done well to get a cross to the back post where PAUL SMITH reacted quickest, reaching the ball with a diving header to divert the ball into the net and put the Govan side 2-1 up much to the delight of the McKenna Park crowd. Boulbrachene always looked dangerous when he got involved and he almost put Forth level just before the half time whistle but his shot lacked direction and went just past the post.

HALF TIME – ANTS 2 (FITZPATRICK 10, SMITH 35) v 1 FORTH WANDERERS (CHERRIE, 9)

It was a case of de ja vu for the Ants fans at the start of the second half as they saw their side lose another quick goal at the start of the half, In the 47th minute Former Ants man Tony Duffy found REDOUANE BOULBRACHENE with a through ball and despite suspicions of offside the Forth forward rounded Ants keeper McCallum and tapped the ball into the empty net to bring us level again at 2-2.  This sparked the Ants into life again Crawford had a free kick go wide, Conway’s flick from a Littler throw was held easily by McPhee and Leszczynski had a shot fly over as the Ants looked to go regain the lead, then Marshall’s free kick dipped just too late and went over.

The Ants introduced striker FRASER WHEATLEY for his home debut in the 63rd minute to give them a bit more height up front and 12 minutes  later the big man settled the match when he cushioned a fine header past McPhee and into the corner of the net from Littler’s throw in. The Ants had Marshall to thank in the 80th minute when he dispossessed Tobin just as the big sub was about to shoot when the ball broke to him free in the penalty area but it was the Ants who remained in front and claimed all three points.

FULL TIME – ANTS 3 (FITZPATRICK 10, SMITH 35, WHEATLEY 75) v 2 FORTH WANDERERS (CHERRIE 9, BOULBRACHENE 47)

Saint Anthony’s FC vs Forth Wanderers

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
April 13, 2019	2:00 pm	West Region League 2	2018-19

Ground

McKenna Park
392 Shieldhall Rd, Glasgow G51 4JA, UK

Results

Club	1st Half	2nd Half	Goals
Saint Anthony’s FC	2	1	3
Forth Wanderers	1	1	2

Saint Anthony’s FC

1	Owen McCallum Goalkeeper
2	Kris Littler Defender
3	Graeme Crawford Defender
4	Stephen McGarrigle Defender
5	Greg Marshall Defender
6	Anton Conway Midfielder
7	Paul Smith 12 Forward	35'
8	Mark McIlvaney Midfielder
9	Steven Fitzpatrick 16 Midfielder	10'
10	Kamil Leszczynski 14 Forward
11	Fraser Williams Midfielder
12	Darren Taylor 7 Midfielder
14	Chris MacDonald 10 Midfielder
16	Fraser Wheatley 9 Forward