Rossvale 3 Kilsyth 2: Rossvale see off Rangers challenge

Vale made it hard for themselves in the first half in which Kilsyth were the better team but the home side still came off 1-0 ahead.

Kilsyth started strongly and Danny Smith was through on goals in the first few minutes but when it came to having a shot he stumbled and the ball was cleared.

At the other end Vale won a free-kick which Kirk Forbes played to Chris Zok and he in turn laid it onto Gary McMenamin whose drive just scraped the post.

Kilsyth were playing some good football with neat passing but just couldn’t test Donnelly in the Vale goal.

And it cost them when in the 34th minute when Jamie Hunter ran onto a through ball and buried it into the back of the net from the edge of the box to put Vale ahead.

Kilsyth went straight up the park from the kick off and Salim Kouider-Aissa laid on an excellent pass to Jordan Pirrie, but Jamie Donnelly easily dealt with his effort.

The second half had just started when Anton McDowell's throw-in found McGladrigan inside the box and he turned the defender and buried the ball in at the near post, leaving David Tait in the Kilsyth goal helpless.

With Vale two up they settled and played some nice football.

But Kilsyth pulled one back when Smith was tripped as he ran into the box and although it looked a soft foul the referee pointed to the spot.

Donnelly saved Kouider-Aissa's spot kick but Smith was quickest to follow up and buried the ball in back of net to bring Kilsyth back into the game.

However Rossvale started moving the ball about well and Peter Bradley fired in an inch-perfect corner which McMenamin met it full on but could only watch as it shot narrowly past.

Kouider-Aissa had a chance in the 64th minute to level when clean through with only Donnelly to beat, but the keeper spread himself and made another excellent save.

At the other end McGladrigan rolled the defender in the middle of the park and burst through the middle but his shot was saved by Tait to keep Kilsyth in the game.

However Rossvale did get a third when Josh O'Hare fired in a cross from the bye-line which Chris Reid stopped with his hand to concede a penalty which Zok stuck away.

In the closing stages Craig Buchanan missed a long ball out of Kilsyth's defence and when Smith picked it up he found Kouider-Aissa running through on goal to pick his spot.

But the goal wasn't enough to prevent Gordon Moffat's side taking all three points.