Despite playing with ten men for the majority of the game, Maryhill were able to continue their unbeaten start to the season at home to Lugar Boswell Thistle.

Paul O’Donnell was sent off after just 12 minutes, but Chris Love’s header was all that was needed to secure a 1-0 win in the Lochburn sunshine.

There was a sense of confusion early on as the referee stopped the game for a small hole in the pitch to be filled in and from a free-kick soon after, the Hill weren’t switched on and a long ball over the top caught out the defence with O’Donnell adjudged to have been the last man as he hauled back the Lugar forward and was given a straight red card.

The freekick was fired wide but did connect with a fan behind the goal who couldn’t quite keep his feet and stumbled before falling to the ground, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Just moments later though, the Hill did move in front. Matt Meechan launched one of his trademark long throws into the box where Love was left unmarked to guide a header into the far corner of the net.

Meechan was later forced off injured with a head knock, while Luke Martin had also earlier been substituted with an injury, meaning things had to be shuffled around in the line-up.

The second half was far quieter in the opening stages with Maryhill a bit more composed after the action of the first half. It took until 68 minutes for Lugar to have the first real effort of the half, Lewis Kerr seeing his bouncing effort from distance come off the outside of the post.

Craig Patterson came close to making it two when he got onto Craig Stevenson’s flick on but his effort was kept out by Lugar keeper Dylan Rooney, while at the other end, Glen Cameron did well to push Christopher Hunter’s volley over the bar as the Hill held on to take all three points.

Maryhill: Cameron; O’Donnell, Love, Etherson, Meechan (Clark, 32); McEwan (Browne, 77), Stevenson, Kennedy, Martin (Gray, 18); Easdon, Patterson. Unused subs: Long, O’Neill, Black (GK)

Lugar Boswell Thistle: Rooney, Wallace, McLean, Orr, Lowe, Curtis, Mackin, Hunter, Kerr, Rocks, Nohar (T). Subs: Bolland, Dunlop, Gallagher