Makeshift Lesmahagow suffer

May 29 2008

A SHADOW side wore Lesmahagow shirts as Girvan knocked them out of the Whyte and Mackay West of Scotland Cup in Friday night’s fourth-round tie.

The difficulty in overcoming injuries and unavailability of players was bizarrely mirrored in the team selection and substitutes bench.

Manager Sandy Robertson, who plied his trade as a sweeper in his Senior Second Division days, cast himself as a makeshift striker — and emerged as one of the game’s top performers.

Then when striker John McGoldrick was injured, assistant boss Robert Irving stepped back on to Craighead Park for the second half.

Irving said later: “We just managed to scrimp and scrape together a team.

“Not much to say about the game other than Girvan scored on either side of the interval.”

Selection shortcomings continued into Monday’s meaningless West of Scotland First Division League game away to East Kilbride Thistle, but at least here they could field trialists.

Teenager John Logan put ‘Gow in front. Thistle scored twice with Stewart Thomson saving two penalties before Matthew Aymard equalised. Thistle hit a late winner.

Irving said: “This was the first time in five years I’ve seen Stewart Thomson save a penalty in a game.

“And tonight he saved two.

“We had five trialists out and every one of them did exceptionally well.

“An encouraging sign for next season.”

Lesmahagow have one more league game to play, at home to Maybole, which has been provisionally set for Tuesday.