A point for Pupils after six-goal thriller

BSC Glasgow 3

 

Campbeltown Pupils 3 

 

WoSFL – Division Four

 

Campbeltown Pupils were left to rue another lead let go as they returned with a draw from their West of Scotland Football League visit to BSC Glasgow.

 

Playing at Springburn Park in the north of Glasgow, the Pupils started in sluggish fashion and found themselves a goal down with not even 10 minutes played after a shot from outside the box evaded keeper Alasdair Ferguson.

 

However, the McFadyens-sponsored Pupils found their composure as the first half progressed and young striker Calum Ellis, a regular for the Pupils’ under-17s side this season, made the first of a number of excellent contributions.

 

He latched onto Donald McCallum’s ball ‘round the corner’ and his dangerous cross from the right side of the box prompted a desperate intervention by a BSC centre-half, who could only turn the ball into his own net.

 

Soon after, the Pupils took the lead, when Ellis Robertson’s quick throw-in found John McCallum on the goal-line right of the goal.

 

His guided header across goal was met by the onrushing Fraser Wylie, who beat the goalkeeper to the ball and touched it round him to leave Wylie the easiest of tasks to prod the ball home from point-blank range and make it 2-1 to the Kintyre side.

 

Disappointment followed before half-time as BSC Glasgow’s own goal culprit redeemed himself with an unchallenged downwards header across goal into Ferguson’s left-hand corner.

 

After half-time, the Feathers Inn-sponsored Pupils pushed hard for a winner and looked to have got their reward when an excellent move saw Lewis McNaughton send a through ball into the path of Ellis.

 

The youngster capped a standout performance by holding off a defender and squeezing a ball across goal from the right side of the box to allow Donald McCallum, playing in the ‘number 10’ position behind the striker, the opportunity to slot the ball home from inside the six-yard box, an opportunity he didn’t pass up, making it 3-2 to the Pupils.

 

However, there was near-instant frustration for the Pupils when BSC ran in behind the Pupils ranks and a shot was despatched into the Pupils' net on the rebound.

 

The Pupils kept pressing for a winner in a pulsating and honestly-contested league game, which would have moved the Kintyre side off the bottom of the league.

 

Late on, Donald McCallum saw a left-foot shot turned round the post at the last moment by the BSC keeper – probably the home team’s man of the match – but the match ended in a draw, leaving the Pupils with three home league games to complete their inaugural WoSFL season.

 

While frustrated at not taking all three points, the Pupils can take heart from an energetic and creative team performance, with the introduction of some emerging talents and also returning players to the side who made big contributions and helped the Pupils take at least some reward from their final away trip of the season.

 

The first of those, scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) against West Lothian side Harthill Royal, one place above the Pupils, has been postponed.

 

Next weekend’s fixture sees the Pupils welcome Harmony Row, from Govan, to Kintyre Park.

 

Pupils’ squad v BSC Glasgow: Alasdair Ferguson, Keith Mitchell (captain), Ross Souden, Ellis Robertson, Conner Brown, Fraser Wylie, Stuart Crossan, Lewis McNaughton, Donald McCallum, John McCallum, Calum Ellis. Subs: Fraser MacBrayne, Andrew Renton, Matthew Lang, Michael McKinlay.