Johnstone Burgh suffered a 3-1 defeat to Pollok in Wednesday evening's Scottish Lowland League West match, played in wet conditions at Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow.

Burgh manager Stevie Farrell made four changes to the starting XI that played in the 2-2 draw with Albion Rovers at Keanie Park eleven days ago. Out went Stuart Faulds, Mark Durnan, Broque Watson and Max Kerr, and in came Mark Barrowman, Lewis King, Kristopher Kerr and Aaron Mason.

The away side had the first chance of the match in the 5th minute when Malky McDonald played a lovely pass through to Kristopher Kerr, who ran into the box towards goal, but his left-foot shot went just over the crossbar from around 10 yards.

Despite the Burgh's promising start to the match, it was Pollok who took the lead in the 9th minute. Bob McHugh made a good run down the left-hand side before firing a brilliant low cross into the box that was met by Olly Cameron, who produced a clinical first-time right-foot finish into the net from eight yards.

Johnstone Burgh responded well to the early setback and created three chances in the space of two minutes. The first came in the 10th minute when Malky McDonald had a right-foot shot from 16 yards deflected wide of the right-hand post. The second came in the 11th minute when Ian McShane's right-foot shot from eight yards was once again deflected wide of the right-hand post. Next, Ian McShane's outswinging corner kick from the right found Scott Forrester, but his powerful downward header from four yards was somehow cleared off the line by Jack Walsh in the 12th minute.

The Burgh scored a deserved equaliser in the 15th minute. Following a mix-up in the Pollok defence, Ian McShane nipped in to take the ball around "The Lok" goalkeeper KP McAllister and slotted the ball into the empty net with his left foot from around eight yards.

The Johnstone side had plenty of momentum and had a chance to take the lead in the 16th minute when Ian McShane created a sight of goal for himself, but his low left-foot shot from 25 yards was well saved by KP McAllister.

The Burgh once again came close to taking the lead in the 18th minute as Kristopher Kerr's pass found Ian McShane at the edge of the box, but his first-time right-foot shot went just wide of the right-hand post.

The home side responded well to the spell of pressure from Johnstone Burgh by almost retaking the lead themselves in the 20th minute. Bob McHugh had what looked like a clear sight of goal from around 12 yards, but Calvin McGrory got back to brilliantly block the Pollok striker's left-foot shot.

In the 21st minute, Pollok scored their second goal of the evening. From a corner kick on the left, Dom McLaughlin leapt highest to head the ball back into the danger area, and it was "The Lok" captain Jamie Bain who was in the right place at the right time to fire a first-time right-foot shot into the top right-hand corner of the net from eight yards.

The Keanie Park side had the chance to equalise in the 24th minute when Ian McShane ran into the left-hand side of the box, but from a tight angle his low right-foot shot from around eight yards was saved by KP McAllister.

The final 20 minutes of the first half were largely uneventful, but in the 39th minute Pollok had a chance to increase their lead when Lewis Watt created an opening for himself 25 yards from goal, but his left-foot shot went just over the crossbar. That was the last major action of the first half, ensuring Pollok would lead 2-1 at half-time.

Half-time: Pollok FC 2-1 Johnstone Burgh FC

The Burgh had the first chance of the second half in the 54th minute when the ball broke to Lewis King just outside the box, but his right-foot shot went well over the crossbar.

The away side were pushing for the equaliser and came close in the 64th minute, but substitute Max Kerr had two shots blocked in the space of a few seconds from 10 yards and then eight yards as the Pollok defence stood firm.

A minute later, Pollok scored the goal that doubled their lead. A fantastic counter-attack was brilliantly finished off by Lee Gallacher, who produced a curling left-foot shot that went high into the net via the left-hand post from 18 yards.

"The Lok" were pushing for goal number four and had a good chance in the 80th minute when Lee Gallacher had a sight of goal, but his low right-foot shot from 16 yards was well saved by Burgh goalkeeper Brett Long.

Johnstone Burgh finally had a chance to pull a goal back in the 88th minute when Gabriel Nosa found some space in the box, but his right-foot shot from eight yards was blocked.

The final chance of the match came for Pollok in the final minute of added time. However, former Johnstone Burgh player Stuart McCann's first-time right-foot shot from 10 yards was blocked.

The referee blew for full-time to confirm a 3-1 win and three points for Pollok, which now sees them top the Scottish Lowland League West table on 13 points from five games. Johnstone Burgh now drop one place in the table to 10th, on five points from their first four games.

Full-time: Pollok FC 3-1 Johnstone Burgh FC

Pollok FC goals: Cameron 9, Bain 21, Gallacher 65

Johnstone Burgh FC goal: McShane 15

Man of the Match: Ian McShane

Pollok FC: McAllister, Walsh (Brown 66), Henry, McLaughlin, Bain (C) (O'Rourke 80), Stirling (Boyle 80), McCracken, Gallacher, Cameron, Watt (McCann 66), McHugh (McGonigle 66). Unused subs: O'Neil (GK), McCreath.

Johnstone Burgh FC: Long, King, Gilday, Barrowman, Forrester (Murphy 69), McGrory, Orr (Nosa 60), McDonald (C) (Watson 69), Mason, McShane, K. Kerr (M. Kerr 60). Unused subs: Scullion (GK), Williamson, Esplin.

Referee: Keiran O'Reilly
Assistant referee 1: Logan Leitch
Assistant referee 2: Cameron Anderson

Attendance: 475

A big thank you to all the Johnstone Burgh supporters who travelled to Newlandsfield Park to back the team.

Next up for Johnstone Burgh is Newton Stewart at Keanie Park in the Scottish Lowland League West on Saturday 22nd August. Kick-off is at 3pm.

#MonTheBurgh

By John Armour