Port suffer crushing defeat

It continued the worrying trend of the Port suffering heavy home beatings at the hands of sides that might be considered their main promotion rivals.

A disturbing 16 goals have now been conceded in just three games at Parklea against Glasgow Perthshire, Johnstone Burgh and this latest loss to an impressive Cambuslang Rangers side.

A very lively opening 10 minutes gave no indication of the one-sided encounter that was to follow, as both sides carved out some early openings.

Port keeper Bryan Tucker was tested by a low shot from Cambuslang’s Troy McKerral, while home centre-forward Scott Nugent had a couple of opportunities at the other end.

There were also loud appeals for a Port penalty as Alan Jamieson went down in the box under a challenge, but referee Ross Hardie waved away the claims.

But, as last week at Rossvale, the Port lost an early goal, when Cambuslang took the lead just 14 minutes in.

An attempted clearance from Scott Paterson ricocheted off the visitors’ right-winger William Easton, who went on to round Tucker and slide the ball home.

A dejected Port suffered another blow just four minutes later, when Easton laid the ball off to Paddy Cullen on the edge of the box, and the heavily bearded centre-forward smashed a half-volley which flew into the net.

The Port were struggling to make much impact on a formidable Cambuslang rearguard, and an already difficult task became impossible when the visitors hit them with a further double strike in the minutes leading up to half-time.

Gus Gault was booked for a foul on the edge of the box eight minutes before the break, and the Port were further penalised when Cullen steered the resultant free-kick over the defensive wall and high into the net.

A disastrous first-half ended when Craig Grierson fired home another spectacular goal from distance.

The Port battled hard to get a foothold in the game as the second half got underway, though at times too literally, as further bookings followed in the space of a few minutes for Ross Kearns, Paul Gordon and Kearn Docherty in an occasionally feisty match which was well handled by referee Hardie.

But their fate was sealed when Cambuslang netted again on 57 minutes to make it 5-0.

The deadly Cullen bagged his hat-trick with another perfectly flighted free-kick over the Port wall, leaving keeper Tucker stranded once more.

Despite their massive lead, Cambuslang were determined to keep a clean-sheet, as Port Glasgow tried hard to bring an iota of respectability to the score-line.

Paul Coyle had a chance from a Graeme McClement cross into the box on 78 minutes, but was disappointed to see his header float over the crossbar.

And it was the Port skipper who had the last attempt of the game, with a shot which drifted wide.

The win sends Cambuslang to the top of the league table, now 10 points ahead of sixth-placed Port Glasgow.

But with more than half of their league programme still to play, the Parklea men can still have a say in the promotion chase, provided they cut out heavy defeats such as this.

Manager Craig Brown said: ‘’We played well enough in the second half, but in that first half we were terrible. Defensively we gave away cheap goals, and you can’t expect to do that at this level and win games.

‘’Our problem is when we lose one goal we tend to lose another soon after. It’s a problem we have identified, and we have got to sort it, and quickly.’’ PORT GLASGOW: Tucker, Gordon, Coyle, Docherty, Paterson (McClement 42), Gault, Kearns, Grana, Nugent (Sharpe 82), Black (Bowie 60), Jamieson. Subs not used: McCormick, McAfee.

l Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and MAC HSL Ltd.