GORDON BRODIE voiced his pride in his Rhu Amateurs players after a below-strength squad pushed reigning Premier Division champions and East of Scotland Cup holders Doune Castle all the way in the William Turner Challenge Cup on Saturday.

A first-half penalty from Tam Nelson gave the Stirlingshire side victory and a second round tie against Stirling University – but Rhu pushed their hosts all the way and could consider themselves very unfortunate not to at least take the tie to a penalty shoot-out.

Rhu reached the semi-finals of the same competition last year, but with eight players missing from their first-choice squad for the away day against Caledonian League top flight opposition, Brodie and his players could have been forgiven for thinking a long afternoon was in prospect.

Instead, they rose to the challenge, and even if they ended up taking the ‘revolving door’ method of competition in this year’s tournament, they were at least able to return home with their heads held high.

A change of shape was needed for the game, and for most of the 90 minutes it was executed perfectly by Brodie’s squad, who limited the home team to very few chances and created numerous opportunities of their own at the other end.

Indeed things might have been very different if the visitors had had slightly more luck from a free kick on 13 minutes that sparked a melee in the box before striking the outside of the near post, though at the other end Rhu had to rely on a fine save from Drew McCann – with the midfielder pressed into emergency services between the sticks, so severe was the shortage of Rhu players – to keep a header out of the net.

But it was Doune who took the lead on 35 minutes when Nelson converted from the spot after a decision the Rhu players and coaching staff felt was very harsh – though the home supporters, perhaps naturally, saw it differently and were convinced it was a clear penalty.

The pattern of the first half was repeated after the interval, with Rhu’s strict discipline and fierce tackling meaning Doune struggled to create clear chances in a game that lacked fluency.

And the visitors’ chances suffered a major blow when McCann was shown a red card 13 minutes from time after a verbal outburst at the referee following what he felt was another dubious decision.

Rhu were still able to create two more gilt-edged chances in the final stages as they went in search of the leveller, but sadly for the visitors they were unable to convert and must now turn their attention back to the First Division for the remaining weeks of the campaign.

Boss Brodie said afterwards: “Despite the massive amount of players missing the boys did themselves proud with a battling performance and can count themselves very unlucky not to at least take the game to penalties. 

“This was a brave, disciplined and mature performance against arguably the most successful Caledonian team of the past few years. The boys can hold their heads high under the circumstances we found ourselves in.” 

Runaway First Division leaders Dunipace are next up for Rhu, at Ardenconnel Park this Saturday, March 23 – though the Doune display did at least show what the right tactics and strict discipline can achieve against in-form opposition.

Kick-off on Saturday is at 2pm.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Rhu’s Saturday morning team bounced back from the disappointment of their defeat at Cambuslang at the beginning of the month by defeating Woodbank 3-2 at a very heavy Ardenconnel Park.

After a week off, manager Jamie Kjorstad made four changes from the team that lost to Cambuslang on March 2 – and the changes had the desired effect, with Rhu settling the quicker of the two teams and threatening the visitors’ goal with some dangerous crosses from either wing, though they were confidently dealt with by the Woodbank defence.

Rhu continued to probe, though, and in 17 minutes the hosts’ positive early approach paid off when Black’s pass out to the right wing found Sinclair, who broke through the defence and, despite being forced out wide, found space for a cross into the box which big midfielder Euan Brown side-footed past the keeper.

For the remainder of the half the game ebbed and flowed towards each goal, but the two defences were very much in control – and it was a pattern that continued at the start of the second half, with both teams beginning to toil on the heavy park.

Rhu remained the more dominant of the two teams, but the elusive second goal stayed out of their reach until the 70th minute, when George McConnell’s effort through a ruck of bodies beat the Woodbank keeper at his post.

To give credit to the Woodbank lads, they kept pushing forward and managed to get a foothold in the game with 10 minutes remaining when a couple of failed Rhu attempts to clear resulted in the visiting striker knocking the ball past home keeper Steve Lewis.

But any hopes the visitors might have had of forcing an equaliser and salvaging a point were dismissed five minutes later when Ryan Jones, making his return from injury, got on the end of a long McConnell pass and slipped the ball past the keeper to make the points secure.

Right on the final whistle the visitors did manage to force a second after another failed attempt by the Rhu defence to clear, but it came too late to have a material impact on the outcome of the game.

Unsurprisingly Kjorstad was a happy man after the game, stating: “It was good to bounce back with a win after the poor performance in the last game and despite the changes we had to make it shows the strength in depth of the squad.

“The heavy park made it a difficult game for both teams but credit to all players for giving their all.”

Woodbank will be looking for a quick response when they host Rhu in the return fixture this Saturday, March 23. Kick-off at the Nethercraigs complex in Pollok is at 10am.