Lanark United v Girvan

2pm 5 August 2023

West of Scotland League, Division Three
Lanark United 1 Girvan 1 (att 90)

Such was the rain that fell during the second half of my earlier match, just up the road from Lanark United's Moor Park ground, that I feared this game might be in doubt. I needn't have worried, the pitch was in perfect condition when I arrived.

It was just as well as, despite a brief respite earlier while I had a walk around Lanark's town centre, the heavy rain continued during the first half of this game.

Moor Park has a good-sized covered enclosure to protect spectators from the weather, a recent addition after two older stands had to be demolished after suffering storm damage. 

It's also possible to park inside the ground, another option for those seeking shelter from a British summer. The ground is an oval, surrounded by a few steps of terracing and steep grass banking.

The game was a slow burner. There was plenty of positive football from both sides, but little goal threat until the home side scored a rather scrappy opener shortly before half time.

Girvan thought they'd equalised in the second half, but were livid when the referee ruled the scorer was offside. Five minutes later another crucial call went in their favour, a penalty that was converted to make it 1-1.

The visitors had most of the chances that followed, but were unable to score and so both teams settled for a point.