Kilsyth pay price for poor start

Kilsyth Rangers were unable to complete a league double over Rutherglen Glencairn when the sides met for the second time in four weeks at Duncansfield on Saturday.
Joe Barclay got Kilsyths goal against GlencairnJoe Barclay got Kilsyths goal against Glencairn
Joe Barclay got Kilsyths goal against Glencairn

Kilsyth were 1-0 winners when they met at Rutherglen last month but it was Glens who took the honours this time round with a 2-1 success.

Rangers were poor on the day with the visitors just deserving of the win, although Kilsyth Rangers did have chances to salvage a point late in the game.

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Glencairn got off to a great start after Rangers conceded a free-kick just outside their own penalty area.

Kilsyth ’keeper Chris Prior got a hand to the well-taken free-kick but could only push the ball onto the post from which it rebounded to be scrambled into the net by Alan Muir.

For almost all of the first half it was all Glencairn with Rangers hardly having a shot on goal.

As a result it was no real surprise when the Rutherglen side doubled their advantage.

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Mark Duffy picked up a ball which really ought to have been cleared by the Kilsyth defence and had the easiest of tasks to score a second for the visitors.

Duffy should then have had another goal almost on half-time but missed the target from very close range.

The Kilsyth management were clearly very unhappy with the first half showing from their side and there were three changes in the line-up which came out for the second half.

Michael McGee, Nicky Prentice and Ryan Clougherty all came on with Gary Kelly, Corey Pearson and Paul McBride the trio to make way.

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The rejigged Rangers line-up made a better start to the second period and had much more possession, but despite this they were unable to seriously troubled Glencairn ’keeper J C Hutchison.

A touch of needle was beginning to creep into the game however and the referee was being kept busy with several yellow cards being shown.

Just after the hour mark Rangers pulled themselves back into the game when Joe Barclay bundled the ball into the net following a corner.

They then nearly got the equaliser just a few minutes later.

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Gary Livingstone got away and put over a great cross and Barclay and Hutchison had a tussle for the ball with the keeper eventually coming out on top.

It was all action for the remainder of the game with chances galore at both ends but Glencairn just held out to take the points.

It was a disappointing day for a Rangers side who will have to tighten up their defence and stop conceding early goals if they are to reach their target of around 34 points to escape the relegation zone.

The defeat left them seventh in the table with eight games to play.

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Next up for Kilsyth is an away match at Bellshill Athletic on Wednesday and a home fixture with Blantyre Victoria on Saturday.

Kilsyth Rangers; Prior, Waters, K McBride, Hamilton, Kelly, Walsh, Pearson, Barclay, P McBride, Livingstone. Subs: McGee, Prentice, Clougherty, Hogg.

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