ARTHURLIE started their sectional league cup campaign with a 2-0 win over St Anthony’s on Saturday in what, truth be told, could have been a far bigger margin but for the heroics of Ant’s ‘keeper Jon Connolly who pulled off a string of outstanding saves during the 90 minutes.

It was actually the visitors who thought they had taken the lead but the ‘goal’ they scored after only three minutes was ruled out for an infringement that seemed maybe a little harsh.

A dozen minutes were on the clock when the home side went ahead. Gary Carrol did superbly well on the left before whipping over a cross that Gary Smith hit home, his 50th competitive goal for the Barrhead side.

Connolly had two decent saves in quick succession, keeping his team in the game for the time being, and just after the quarter hour mark made a fantastic block to deny Carroll.

St Anthony’s threatened on a couple of occasions and after 26 minutes Grant Hay did well to punch clear and as the ball was send upfield Carroll seemed to injure himself challenging for the ball and he had to be replaced by Martin Curren a little over ten minutes later.

Curren was next to test Connolly with five first half minutes remaining but the veteran shot stopped saved well again to deny local boy Curren on his competitive debut.

Into the second half and the same theme continued as it was Arthurlie v Connolly and just before the half hour it was Connolly again this time denying Graham Girvan with another top save.

Arthurlie weren’t to be denied though and minutes later went two ahead; a cross into Ant’s penalty area found the head of Smith but although that man Connolly blocked again, Curren managed to get through a seas of bodies on the goal line and stab the ball home, getting his first for the club.

Chris Mackie and Daryl Convery were introduced for Darren Gribben and Jorden Lyden soon after and Mackie was next to try his luck but shot narrowly passed from a tight angle.

Fittingly the last two talking points of the game once again involved Connolly; four minutes from time he made a great block from a shot from just inside the area, then a minute later pulled of a quite outrageous save as he somehow managed to tip a Ryan Deas effort onto the post before clearing and the game ended two goals to nil in favour of the home side.

Arthurlie: Hay, Girvan, Blakey, Morrison, Rushford, Lyden, Gribben, McGregor, Smith, Deas, Carroll.

Subs: Curren, Mackie, Convery, Turner, and Macklin.