Port Glasgow boss thrilled as team blow away Carluke Rovers

The Undertakers’ 5-0 win, with all the goals coming in the first half, saw them climb two places to second in the Fourth Division standings and extended an unbeaten league run that now stretches back to the middle of August.

Speaking after the match, Jamieson said: “I was really proud of the team today, who went out and gave a first class performance  from start to finish.

“I was delighted especially for my defence, who kept the back door closed and gave Sam Murdoch a clean sheet, which was really important.”

Tam Jamieson was unsurprisingly delighted at the manner of his team's 5-0 win at Carluke Rovers. (Image: Alex Craig) The visitors got off to the perfect start when Kenny Mearns dispossessed Grenfell straight from kick-off and laid the ball off to Shaun Rodgers, who set up Jack Purdue for a superb 25-yard shot into the top corner with just 25 seconds on the clock.

That put Carluke’s backs to the wall and the hosts were unable to get out of their own half for the next 10 minutes.

Unsurprisingly it wasn’t long before Port added a second, Sam Murdoch launching a 70-yard ball up to Rodgers on the right wing, whose cross to the back post was met by a beautiful glancing header from the unmarked Dylan McLaughlin on 11 minutes.

The Undertakers’ third was a contender for their goal of the season; John Mitchell’s long clearance was headed clear by Grenfell, but Rodgers caught it on the volley with a stunning 30-yard effort into the top corner of Black’s goal.

Purdue sent a 35-yard strike inches over the bar as the relentless onslaught on the Carluke goal continued, but the visitors didn’t have to wait too much longer for their fourth, Jayden McGivern stealing the ball from Small as Carluke tried to play out from the back and playing in Rodgers for a curling shot into the corner.

Port Glasgow are now in second place in the Fourth Division standings. (Image: alex craig) That left the Port 4-0 up with just 18 minutes played, and though a lull followed in the scoring, the visitors didn’t let up in their dominance and a fourth arrived on 38 minutes, with McLaughlin and McGivern combining to find Mearns on the edge of the box, and his lay-off set up Alex McWatters for a driven cross which was converted by McGivern from five yards out.

Port should have had a sixth before the break, only for captain Ross Kearns to see his 25-yard effort come back off the crossbar, but that took none of the shine off a first half in which the Port were on fire throughout.

The second half, unsurprisingly, was no contest, though Carluke did pass up a couple of decent opportunities, Henderson firing wide from five yards out after latching on to a free kick into the box, before the same player tried his luck from 30 yards, only to shoot well wide of Murdoch’s goal.

A flurry of substitutions followed from both teams, but they were never going to change the outcome, and a clean sheet for Murdoch and the defence only added to the smiles in the Port camp on the final whistle.

Saturday's win extended the Port's unbeaten Fourth Division run to five matches. (Image: alex craig) The result sets up the Port perfectly for this Saturday’s West of Scotland Cup second round tie at home to Cambuslang Rangers, in which Jamieson’s on-song team should present a stern test for a Somervell Park side who have lost their last four matches in all competitions and who are still struggling to adjust to life in the Second Division after two successive relegations.

Kick-off at Parklea on Saturday is at 2pm.

Team: Sam Murdoch, Euan Campbell, Jayden McGivern, Ben McDowall, John Mitchell, Jack Purdue, Ross Kearns, Alex McWatters, Kenny Mearns, Shaun Rodgers, Dylan McLaughlin. Subs used: Mitchell Duffy, Curtis Woods, Ronnie Wilson, Ciaran Boyd, Trialist.

The Port’s sponsors are Dragon Soup, Coop Funeralcare, The Caledonian Bar, Autotec, Dunns MOT Centre, Clydeview Motors, and Dare2Create.