ac milanda afc

JADED Milanda made it four straight league defeats on the trot to continue one of their worst ever starts to a season. The team played reasonably well in the first half-hour and were actually a goal up. But then the exertions of the William Drummond Trophy match against North Kelvin United less than 48 hours earlier seemed to catch up with the players and what followed can only be described as a collapse.

Two games in such a short space of time would tax any team and if you were to choose opponents for the follow-up match it would certainly not be the strong-running Glasgow islay on the massive show park at Renfrew. Still, we can't complain. Islay were the better team and deserved the points.

Losing playmaker Kevin Grehan with a hamstring injury before Islay were back on level terms did not help and there was another blow right at the end when skipper Martin Coyle suffered a bad ankle injury after a heavy challenge. Not one of our better days.

There was no sign of the traumas to come when Milanda took a 12th-minute lead. Paul Malone was brought down just outside the box and dead-ball specialist Craig Fawns hammered the free-kick low into the corner of the net. Islay had a player booked for diving in the box – not a common sight in the GDSML – before they equalised in 38 minutes with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

The covering wasn't too clever at that point and it got worse as Islay carved Milanda open again to score a far too simple second just before the break. Coyle had a shot saved at the start of the second period but it was clear Milanda were toiling and it was no real shock that Islay stuck two more goals away.

MOTM: Not a day when anyone stood out.