Daly at the double for Thorniewood

Oct 23 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

MARK Daly’s first-half double on Saturday boosted Thorniewood’s promotion bid, but added to Lesmahagow’s relegation anxiety.

His first goal in the 3-1 Craighead Park win came from a back-post header that took a mild deflection, and he pounced for the second after Joe Tobin’s shot had been blocked.

Goalkeeper Simon Hunter’s kick-out was headed on by James Strain, and Steph Mullen ran on to drill home.

Jim Moore, back at Craighead Park after a spell at Stonehouse, pulled one back for ’Gow when he chipped Hunter.

United were further boosted by the return of defender Stewart McCormack, who had five stitches inserted in a chin wound, while club captain John Fallon played the final quarter after seven weeks out with an ankle injury.

Lesmahagow’s management team of Sandy Robertson and Robert Irving were left scratching their heads after the defeat.

Assistant Irving said: “We don’t know what it is, but we just don’t start games, then seem to come into it with 25 minutes to go.

“We told the boys at half-time to get a goal and we’re back in it, but we lost another to go 3-0 down and we were finished.

“Our outfield play right now doesn’t merit a win. We’ve got some decent players but it’s just not happening for us on a Saturday.

“However, we’ll keep working at it.”

He added: “Phil Creaney, who was out with a hamstring injury, and Steve Cunningham, who had suffered from flu, came on for the final 20 minutes and we probably looked a better team then.

“The one positive is that we’ve got Colin Sharp and John Logan back.”

Forth Wanderers slid one place down the Central League Second Division into third following their 1-1 draw at Carluke, and manager Paul Anderson said: “It was a disappointing day. We underachieved again and certainly missed the influence of Eddie McGuinness, who was suspended, and Paul McAninch, who was on holiday.

“But there was one bright spot from the game – the return of John Curry after injury.

“It’s a massive boost to have him back; he came on for the last half-hour and scored our equaliser.

“Mark Napier did well in midfield, passed the ball wide to Steve Ferguson, and his cut-back was tapped in by John. Napier, Ferguson and Curry were excellent – the rest were very poor, and that’s not a good ratio at all.”

Eddie Halford missed out with flu, but expects to be back for the home game against Royal Albert.

Carluke took the lead when Stewart Arnott pounced on a real poacher’s goal, and Rovers had a couple of chances to finish it off at 1-1.

Assistant Scott Duncan said: “I was pleased with the overall performance and workrate.”

Wishaw emerged 6-0 winners from their derby clash with Newmains, with manager Alex Young trying unsuccessfully to hide that ‘I told you so’ look.

He said: “I felt that because we had been playing so well, and not getting the breaks, that some team was going to take a hammering, and everything just fell into place on Saturday.

“Now we’re looking to go on a wee run now that we’ve got competition for places across the team.”

James Coffey was first on target, tapping in a cross from Robbie Burns, who also cashed in on a Ryan McAloon cross to double Wishaw’s lead.

Gary Murdoch rifled in a 20-yard drive and Paul Noble made it 4-0 at the interval.

Goalkeeper Scott Brunton set up the fifth with a long clearance that was headed on by Noble for Coffey to score.

Noble then rounded off good work by Graham Stewart to curl in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Young has released Lee McIlduff and Paul McCann.