Balla Impress In Second Half!

Col Glen visited the Jubilee Park on Saturday and took the game to the home team in the opening minutes. Balla were shooting down the hill into a bitterly cold wind.

The Ballachulish men settled and began creating pressure on the experienced Col Glen defence, but were limited to half chances and found the visiting goalkeeper when shots landed on target. Lorne Brown thought he had opened the scoring on 8 minutes, only for Referee Duncan Kerr to rule that another forward had been off side.

Four minutes later Lorne struck again, from a narrow angle near the Bank. The home support cheered, only for it to be chalked off again, this time the ball had found a small gap between the post and the side netting. On 16 minutes John ‘Bullocks’ MacDonald rattled the right post with a powerful low drive from 35 yards. 4 minutes later some open slick passing from the forwards created space behind the defence and put Duncan MacDonald through behind the rushing keeper only for the full back to defend well and put the ball out for a corner.

Still 0-0. Against the run of play, Col Glen worked themselves in front of the Balla Goals, Stuart MacKeller pounced on a loose ball and his shot deceived David McPhee to make it 0-1 to the visitors 35 minutes in. Ballachulish could have been forgiven for being in shock, but they stuck to the task in hand and immediately Scott Henderson let loose a ferocious shot 20 yards out, from the left. It was destined for the roof of the net only for the Goalkeeper to produce an outstanding save to put it over the bar.

The Balla team kept their patience, and were rewarded in the 40th minute when Duncan MacDonald chased down a ball that everyone else had assumed was going out for a bye hit. Duncan gathered the ball a yard off the bye line 20 yards out to the right, he had time to look up pick his spot and drive the ball waist height past the keeper. The teams went back into the dressing rooms at half time with the score at 1-1.
There were no changes at half time, but the forwards re shuffled by Manager Craig Munro. Duncan Macdonald moved from full forward to Center forward, pushing half forwards Scott Henderson and David Grant wider to wing forwards, this gave Lorne Brown a lot more space and time. It had an immediate effect as 2 minutes into the second half Lorne Brown thundered a shot past the goal keeper into the net from the edge of the Penalty area. Four minutes later Scott Henderson found himself in space 30 yards in front of goal after being laid off in a move that drew the Col Glen defence wide. He let loose another powerful shot that the goal keeper done well to get to with his stick but could only divert the ball high into the roof of his net.

The pacey Ballachulish forwards were unselfishly working well together and playing attractive fluent passing shinty supported by a mobile strong centreline of Clark, Bullocks and Elliot Wilson. Lorne Brown drew the defence to the park road corner and sent the ball to the other side of the penalty area to David Grant, who took the ball down and fired it high into the goal on the hour mark. Eight minutes later Lorne Brown scored from close range. Spritely 15 year old Cian McPhee came on at 80 minutes. A high lobbed ball was sent goal wards from midfield and landed at the edge of the ‘D’. Cian’s first touch took the ball round the on rushing goal keeper, his second was to calmly stroke the ball over the line. A goal any seasoned goal scorer would have been proud of.

Three minutes later Cian found himself in the thick of the action again, this time the defender wasn’t taking any chances and fouled him in the ‘D’. Scott Henderson stepped up to take the Penalty, and did not hesitate to rifle a knee high shot into the back of the net for Ballachulish’s seventh.

Balla travel down the A82 to Yoker to play Glasgow Mid Argyll this Saturday. Check out the Facebook page or look out for the posters to get the details of what time the team will be leaving the Jubilee. This would be a good opportunity to car pool for any supporters.