Maryhill went down to defeat number three of the season after a 1-0 reverse in a tight game against Glasgow University at the Penny Cars Stadium in Airdrie.
Craig Patterson was suspended after his red card on Wednesday night, with Craig Stevenson, Paul O’Donnell, Ged Dobbs and Jack Gray all missing as well, forcing manager Ross Wilson into a tactical shuffle and change in formation.
It didn’t really seem to have a bearing on the game in the opening stages with a disappearing linesman and a telling off for the Uni’s Scott Granger all to report.
That all changed just beyond the half hour mark however, as the hosts moved in front. Robbie Smith was given too much time on the left to pick out a cross and it was met in the middle by the unmarked Robbie Stirling who was able to guide his header well into the corner of the net.
Half time saw Cammy O’Neill and Jack Easdon replace Cammy Clark and Craig McEwan as the Hill moved to a back four and in the early stages of the half, the performance levels did improve. Jay McInally shot wide from the edge of the area before himself and Easdon tried their best to force the ball home from Luke Martin’s cross, but neither could find the target.
Darren Kennedy headed home a knockdown from Ryan Wallace but saw it denied for offside, before getting on to another header from the winger, but this time his effort was well blocked by Ben Fulton.
McInally connected with Easdon’s volley in stoppage time, but his strike flew straight out of the stadium with Chris Love then seeing his header cleared off the line at the death.
In between those chances, the Uni were reduced to ten men with Granger picking up a second yellow card for booting the ball away, but it didn’t matter much as they held on for three points that sees them leapfrog the Hill.
Glasgow University: Fulton, Adams, C. Granger, Morgan, Smith, S. Granger, Davidson, MacKinnon, Last, Stirling, Dibble. Subs: McMillan, Gourlay, Strang, Wight, Thomson
Maryhill: Cameron; Browne, Love, Etherson, Clark (O’Neill, 46), Martin; McEwan (Easdon, 46), Kennedy, Meechan, Wallace (Long, 71); McInally. Subs: Black, McKay