IT WAS double success for Rhu Amateurs on Saturday as the club’s two teams both chalked up valuable wins - but they have little time to rest on their laurels, with both teams back in league action tonight (Wednesday).
Rhu’s Caledonian League squad kicked off their new league campaign with a convincing 5-2 win over league new boys Riverside FC on Saturday afternoon – following in the footsteps of their Rhu Colts counterparts, who had begun the day’s double header with a much-needed 4-1 win over Clydebank Red Star.
A slack first 45 minutes from Gordon Brodie's men saw Riverside take a 2-1 lead into the interval, but some choice words from the Rhu coaching staff saw the hosts come out flying in the second half.
And with several of the club’s sponsors watching on, including the Rosslea Hall Hotel, WCC West Coast Group, Helensburgh & District branch of Enable, and Dr Jim Schultz, that half-time team talk certainly had the desired effect as Jamie Paterson’s double and goals from Iain Cameron, Jordan Wyllie and Robert Caldwell completing a comfortable win on the visitors’ Caledonian League debut.
Rhu Amateurs' Caledonian League squad opened their competitive season with a 5-2 home win over Riverside on Saturday, August 12 (Photo: Tom Watt)
The Colts, meanwhile, went into their third league fixture with some trepidation, having lost their first two matches, including a heavy midweek loss to Lomond FC, while Clydebank had won both their opening fixtures.
But Rhu started impressively and surprised their visitors when Sinclair opened the scoring after only three minutes.
Rocked by this good opening spell, the visitors started to put pressure on the home defence and only some good stops by Steve Lewis kept them from getting on the scoresheet.
Rhu Amateurs' Caledonian League squad opened their competitive season with a 5-2 home win over Riverside on Saturday, August 12 (Photo: Tom Watt)
Somewhat against the run of play Rhu increased their lead when Dylan Caldow drilled a header past the Clydebank keeper to make it 2-0 at half-time.
As expected the visitors upped the pace, and pulled a goal back five minutes after the restart – though only after Lewis had made two terrific stops with the second rebound falling kindly to the Clydebank forward who knocked it into the net.
With centre back Adams having to leave the field due to injury, a quick change of personnel, with Sinclair dropping into the back line and new signing Luke Godwin moving forward to lead the line, was made and almost immediately the big fella found himself with only the defender to hold off as his shot beat the keeper and bounced off the far post and into the net to restore the two goal lead.
Rhu Colts secured their first points of the Glasgow Colleges FA campaign with a fine 4-1 home win over Clydebank Red Star on Saturday, August 12 (Photo: Tom Watt)
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when they went down to ten men after some indiscipline – and to rub salt into the wound, the hosts added a fourth when Ross McKenna finished off a lovely move by side-footing in a cross from substitute Campbell.
The visitors lost another man to an ordering off before full time as their challenge petered out.
Rhu Colts secured their first points of the Glasgow Colleges FA campaign with a fine 4-1 home win over Clydebank Red Star on Saturday, August 12 (Photo: Tom Watt)
Manager Kjorstad said: “I was delighted the boys bounced back to the level shown in their pre-season games.
“We were majorly disappointed in the performance of opening two games but some hard work by the coaches which the lads have taken to heart has paid off.”
Team: Lewis, Smith, McConnell, Caldow, Adams, Moy, Campbell, Aitken, Sinclair, Donaldson, McKenna, Young, Milton, Godwin, Scullion, Brown.
Rhu Colts secured their first points of the Glasgow Colleges FA campaign with a fine 4-1 home win over Clydebank Red Star on Saturday, August 12 (Photo: Tom Watt)
Both Rhu teams are on home turf tonight (Wednesday, August 16) - on the top park (the 'Navy pitch'), the Rhu Colts take on Woodbank, and at Ardenconnel Park, Gordon Brodie's Caledonian League side play host to Westerlands.
Both fixtures kick off at 7pm.
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