Tam Jamieson on Port Glasgow cup win over Cambuslang Rangers

The Undertakers put Second Division Cambuslang Rangers to the sword with a fine 4-2 victory at Parklea – a result which was all the more impressive considering that the Port scored three of their four goals after being reduced to 10 men following the sending-off of captain Gary Pettigrew.

The Port side nearly opened the scoring in the very first minute when Alex McWaters put the ball through to Jack Purdue at the edge of the box, and a great save by Walker in the Cambuslang goal was required to keep the scoresheet blank.

Port Glasgow knocked Second Division Cambuslang out of the West of Scotland Cup with a fine 4-2 win at Parklea. (Image: ALEX CRAIG) Port’s intense pressing in the first 10 minutes left Cambuslang struggling to get a foothold in the match, with a 25-yard free kick by McGinty, which was blocked and cleared by the hosts’ defence, the visitors’ first effort.

And the Port opened the scoring only a minute later when great link-up play by Kenny Mearns and Jack Purdue saw a fine ball sent through on the blind side of Cambuslang defender Preston for Shaun Rodgers to slot coolly past Walker.

The loss of the opening goal seemed to be a wake-up call for Cambuslang, and Fadian beat two players and struck a shot from distance which slipped past keeper Sam Murdoch’s left-hand post; the same player, perhaps feeling in more confident mood, then tried his luck again from range, but saw Murdoch easily save his effort.

The Port were unlucky not to grab a second after a beautiful passage of play in the form of a seven-pass move which started and finished with McWaters, who got his head on the end of a Mearns cross only to see McKirdy block it on the line.

The Port's players celebrate Shaun Rodgers' opening goal. (Image: ALEX CRAIG) Only a goal-line clearance by John Mitchell on the stroke of half-time prevented the Port adding to their lead, and the second 45 started with the Port right back on top, with Rodgers putting Dylan McLaughlin through on goal for an effort which went only inches wide.

That let-off seemed to fire up Cambuslang, but Murdoch in goal was equal to a flurry of chances from the visitors, and Rodgers might have grabbed a second on 56 minutes, only for Walker to save his shot and Preston blocking Purdue’s effort on the rebound.

And a major twist in the tale of the tie came just two minutes later when Pettigrew reacted angrily to a decision to award Cambuslang a free kick following a foul on Port sub Mitchell Duffy on the halfway line; the ref brandished an instant red card, leaving the home side facing a major uphill battle to hold on to their lead.

But if anything it was the Port, not their visitors, who were fired up by going a man down, and just two minutes after Pettigrew was sent off, the Undertakers doubled their lead when Rodgers played in Purdue on the edge of the box, and his nice ball out wide saw McLaughlin return the favour by unselfishly teeing up Purdue to slip the hosts’ second past Walker.

The Undertakers proved too hot for their South Lanarkshire opponents to handle. (Image: ALEX CRAIG) Straight from kick-off, Nechi headed a Lyon cross into the net for Cambuslang, only for the referee to disallow the goal for offside; Nechi, though, wasn’t to be denied for too long, and on 72 minutes he reduced the deficit on the rebound after his initial rocket was brilliantly saved by Murdoch, with the home defence slow to react to the loose ball.

McNeil came close to an equaliser for the visitors when he met a Mitchell clearance on the volley with an effort which flew inches past the post – and Cambuslang were soon made to pay for that miss when Mearns played through Rodgers for his second of the afternoon, and the Port’s third, on 76 minutes.

Mearns was taken off straight after the goal, to be replaced by the Port’s latest new signing, Aidan Duffy – and the debutant put the tie beyond all doubt with the goal of the game on 82 minutes, Ross Kearns dispossessing Seenan at the corner flag and firing the ball into the box for Duffy to send an inch-perfect glancing header past Walker, to the delight of the home support.

An unmarked McGinty reduced the leeway with Cambuslang’s second on 86 minutes, and a wonder save by the impressive Sam Murdoch two minutes later prevented the visitors setting up a grandstand finish and ensured the Port would see out the remaining minutes in relative comfort after an impressive performance which saw their high pressing and their willingness to attack the Cambuslang defence, even after going a man down, pay off in style.

Tam Jamieson was understandably thrilled at his team's performance. (Image: ALEX CRAIG) Jamieson said: “This was a first class performance from all the players. We stuck to our game plan, even when we went down to ten men; we still played attacking football, and got our reward with an outstanding goal from our new signing Aidan to finish the match and send our loyal fans home delighted.”

Team: Sam Murdoch, Euan Campbell, Gary Pettigrew, Ben McDowall, John Mitchell, Jack Purdue, Ross Kearns, Alex McWaters, Kenny Mearns, Shaun Rodgers, Dylan McLaughlin.

Substitutes: Shaun Wigzell, Mitchell Duffy, Curtis Woods, Chris Millar, Ciaran Boyd, Aidan Duffy, Chris Black.

Next up for the Port it’s back to the bread-and-butter pursuit of points in the Fourth Division and a first-ever game against Campbeltown Pupils, who visit Parklea on Saturday, November 10. Kick-off is at 2pm.

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