When your luck is out and good fortune evades you at every turn, you tend to lose matches and possibly even face relegation. And providence was certainly not with Rutherglen Glencairn at Blair Park.

It was an overcast day in the Kilmarnock area but for once it remained dry albeit cold. The Hurlford pitch was heavy but playable, however not conducive to good football, typically as the game progressed and the grass resembled Ayr Racecourse rather than a football pitch.

Still, conditions underfoot were the same for both parties and it was the home side who began well. In fact it would be some 38 minutes before Rutherglen would record a shot at goal.

It would be Glens’ keeper Allan Colquhoun who would be the stand out player of the first 45, with three spectacular saves. The first came from a Martin Brown 25 yard drive, which had the Glens’ keeper diving low to his left to push the ball away to safety. The number one was up quickly to prevent the corner too. Superb goalkeeping.

Whether Colquhoun saved the next one is debatable. An effort looked goal bound until the fingers of the number one tipped it over the bar. That was my take on events and the referee’s too but Colquhoun argued he never touched it.

It was very much all one way traffic as Hurlford searched for an opener and Glencairn offering little outside their own half. Brian Welsh added to the visitors’ problems when he limped off after only 15 minutes, replaced by Agnew, who would go on to have a decent game.

Rutherglen managed to get forward far enough to earn a corner, which was delivered right on top of United goalkeeper David Markey. However the outstretch arms fluffed the catch and spilled the ball in the middle of the six yard area. He was extremely fortunate to escape his clanger without loss of a goal as the home defence bailed their keeper out.

Then came the first of many incidents that that would earn the consternation of Willie Harvey and his back room staff. A shot from 15 yards struck a red and white jersey to the yells for a penalty. Nothing doing for it was if anything, ball to hand.

A free-kick in a dangerous position was awarded after Greenlees was hauled down, 25 yards from goal, slightly left of centre. Brown hit a fierce shot around the wall only to see Colquhoun make a fabulous diving save, this time high to his left. With 31 minutes of play, the stopper was responsible for this match remaining all square.

Glencairn’s first real opportunity of note, came after 38 minutes, following some poor defending by Hurlford. Failing to clear their lines, they allowed Andy Ward to strike the ball from the edge of the box. The defender watched his effort travel high over the bar but it was the first sign of creativity from the Glens.

At the other end, Colquhoun was called into action once more. Andrew Stevenson was released by a clever pass, which split the central defenders of Glencairn. As Stevenson avoided the chasing mob, he pulled the trigger as the keeper dived at his feet, spreading himself and sending the ball away to a safe area of the park. Fantastic goalkeeping yet again.

The only thing that let the big keeper down was his kicks. Whether it was from the ground, his hands or dealing with pass backs, they were simply atrocious – almost as if he had never attempted to put foot to ball previously. His hands however were very safe indeed.

That was until Paul Walker burst away on the right wing, delivering a deep ball to the back post, taking the keeper out of the equation with height and length. Paul Cameron was there to head the ball home breaking the deadlock. It has to be said, it was well deserved over the first period but unlucky for Glencairn in that it came seconds before the interval.

The second period was the complete opposite of the first. Suddenly the Glens’ found some drive, some fire in their bellies as they got stuck in against the United team.

They began to get forward more often, resulting in a cross from Galloway on the right, brought down on the chest of Joe Andrew, who quickly turned to shoot. However he slipped on the uneven surface, causing him to fall as he released his shot, which in turn was well wide. One wonders what the outcome would have been if he stayed upright before thrashing the ball towards goal?

Soon, it was Brett Agnew’s turn to fire in low from 18 yards, forcing keeper Markey into an unconventional stop with his legs to prevent the equaliser. Rutherglen were beginning to believe in themselves. A corner followed - a beautiful in-swinger, eluding everyone and had it not been for the head of a Hurlford defender on the back post, it would have been 1-1. The visitors’ bench were showing real signs of frustration as their team could not find a way through.

Yet another corner swung in from the opposite side by Ross Ballantyne, all the way over too the back post where Agnew took a tumble under pressure from the defence, again to the screams of “penalty”.

“Nothing doing,” said the man in the middle William Wilson. Again, it would have been a soft one but I have seen them given. I would back the referee on this one once more.

The Glens’ applied a lot of pressure during a 15 minute period but without reward.

Hurlford though were not completely penned in and almost doubled their lead from a Walker corner, which fell at the feet of Dolan, his close range shot cleared off the line. Up the other end, McClay whipped in a decent free-kick from the stand side touch line, which was met by the head of Joe Andrew. With the keeper on top of him just beyond the six yard line, his backward looping header dropped inches over the bar.

With things not going Rutherglen’s way, the management team were losing their cool – understandable considering their league predicament, which was worsening by the minute. Mr. Wilson came over to have a word with the away bench but they remained far from happy at some of the ref’s decisions.

To compound matters, the decision that upset them so much, was the award of a foul, on the far touch line, 18 yards out. Cameron delivered, John Craig headed home from close range near the front post and effectively sealed the result.

Despite being two nil down, the visiting side continued to fight for every ball, pushing forward in wave after wave of attacks. They played some lovely football on an awkward surface but could not find a way to place the ball in the net.

Possibly their best effort came from a Ballantyne corner, hit high and long taking Markey out of the equation. Andy Ward rose to meet the ball six yards out towards the back post, headed downwards only to see Markey collapsing on top of the ball on the goal line.

The number five did everything right and was clearly astounded that he had not scored. It would have been a worthy goal if he had.

Ballantyne again drove down the right, worked his way in towards the penalty area, where Agnew met his cross. His header was inches wide.

Next up was McCarry and McClay. The former saw his 20 yard shot blocked and the latter sent his effort well wide from 18 yards. Ballantyne delivered another excellent in-swinger from a corner, which was heading towards goal but Markey read it well, catching it comfortably on the line.

Then some magic from Paul Walker as he received the ball wide left of the Glens’ box. He cleverly jinked around the covering defender, ran along the byline, shooting low from a very tight angle. Colquhoun somehow managed to prevent the ball from slipping under his body from the close range effort.

Overall, the result was the correct one for Hurlford did what is required to win matches – scored goals.

Rutherglen – despite a gutsy, brave second 45 minutes, could have played until darkness and not broke their duck.

Hurlford Markey, Dolan, Spence, McCulloch, Greenlees, Cameron, Walker, Wilson, Stevenson, Craig, Brown Subs Cunningham, Nimmo, Fulton, Faulds, Adam

Rutherglen Colquhoun, Galloway, Eadie, Neil, Ward, Welsh, Ballantyne, McClay, McCarry, Andrew, Scott Subs Bennett, Hamilton, Connaghan, Agnew, Molloy, Connolly, Roper

Referee William Wilson

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