ROTHESAY Brandane AFC left Lennoxtown feeling a sense of what if after a dominant performance ended in a 1-1 draw against Campsie Minerva.
Despite creating a number of clear-cut opportunities and controlling the tempo for large periods, the Danes were unable to find the decisive goal to secure all three points.
The Danes showed their intent early, with captain Sean Lawrence testing the waters from distance in the second minute. However, it was the hosts that broke the deadlock. In the ninth minute, against the run of play, a long ball over the top caught the Danes backline flat-footed, allowing the Campsie number ten to stay composed and slot past Jamie Robertson.
But the Danes refused to be rattled and Jack McKirdy began to exert his influence in midfield, with his persistence paying off in the 29th minute. After McKirdy fed Bailey Gilmour, the ball broke to Robert Fisher; the number nine showed great composure, turning his marker before finding the bottom corner with a left-footed effort to level the scoring.
The remainder of the half was a siege on the Campsie goal. McKirdy fired over after a deft flick from Gilmour, before Jim McAlister forced a save from the keeper after a driving run by McKirdy. Lawrence saw his 20-yard effort miss the top corner by inches, and on the stroke of half-time the Campsie keeper produced a vital save to deny McKirdy one-on-one.
The Danes started the second period with the same intensity and in the 57th minute another Lawrence through ball carved open the defence, putting Gilmour one-on-one with the keeper again, but he pulled his effort wide of the post. Moments later, McAlister saw a deflected shot loop inches over the bar.
As the game transitioned into a scrappy final phase, the Danes defence remained resolute. Jamie Robertson and his wall stood firm in the 84th minute to block a dangerous Campsie free-kick, ensuring that while the win proved elusive, the point was protected before the ref called time on a tumultuous fixture.
Looking ahead, the Danes face a gruelling schedule as they aim to clear a backlog of fixtures caused by recent weather postponements. A massive 48 hours for the club awaits this weekend as they face Alva at Alva Academy on the Saturday before facing Greenock High School Former Pupils (HSFP) only 24 hours later at Battery Park.
Before then, the club wished to give a big thanks to their match sponsor, GRG Wire Hard Landscaping.
