JAMIE KJORSTAD admitted he was disappointed at his team’s ‘flat’ start to their first league game of the season as Rhu’s Saturday morning squad began their Glasgow Colleges FA campaign with a goalless draw at the weekend.

Having had their match the previous week cancelled, Kjorstad’s men kicked off at home to league new boys Dreams United on Saturday, but in the first half it was the opponents who were the dominant side – and in fact Dreams were denied an early opener, with the referee disallowing a ‘goal’ for offside after just five minutes.

The early warning didn’t seem to shake the home side into action, and further close calls came the way of the visitors, who struck both the crossbar and post as the Rhu goal led a charmed life for spells in the first half.

Opportunities for the home side were few and far between, though they did have a loud claim for a penalty turned down five minutes before half time when Jeffrey was crudely bundled to the ground, with the match official deeming it nothing more than a ‘coming together’.

After some strong words at the interval, Rhu’s second half performance was much better than the first, with the home side soon becoming the dominant team, though clear chances for Rhu were at a premium as they found it difficult to break down the well-organised Dreams defence.

The best goalscoring opportunity of the half fell to the home side with 10 minutes left when a corner, swung in by Young, was headed towards goal, only for the Dreams keeper to make a very good stop - and as the ball rebounded from him, the follow-up shot was once again blocked by the keeper on the line and the ball was cleared upfield.

Kjorstad said: “We had a good pre season so it was difficult to understand why we started the game so flat, which gave our opponents the upper hand for the majority of the first half.

“However we managed to get the message across at the interval and the response from the boys was positive.

“With some better composure in from of goal we should have got a couple of second half goals but overall the draw was a fair result.”

Squad: Lewis, Henry, Scullion, Black, Moy, McKenna, Burch, Young, Milton, Molloy, Jeffrey, Brown, Wilson, Lang, Shields, Thomson, Kjorstad 

Next up for Rhu’s Saturday morning team is a home game against Glasgow Ansar this Saturday, August 24, with a 10am kick-off at Ardenconnel.

Meanwhile, after their opening day win in Callander last weekend, it’s been back down to earth with a bump for Rhu’s Caledonian League side, with back-to-back defeats at home to two of the First Division’s big guns.

Local rivals St Patrick's FP, newly arrived from the Scottish Premier AFA, headed back home to Dumbarton with a 4-1 win in their pockets after an early season local derby last Wednesday night, a result followed up on Saturday by a 3-1 defeat at Ardenconnel at the hands of a Milton side who were relegated from the ‘Caley’ top flight at the end of last season.

Gordon Brodie’s men are in action again tonight (Wednesday, August 21) away to another of the league’s new arrivals from the SPAFA, Campsie Minerva.

Kick-off at Lennoxtown High Park is at 8pm.

Then, on Saturday, August 24, it’s back to home soil for the ‘Caley’ squad as they host Stenhousemujr Community FC at Ardenconnel with a 2pm kick-off.

Elsewhere, Rhu’s under-19 squad secured their place in the next stage of the SPAFA U19 League Cup thanks to a fine 4-0 win over Kilsyth at Hermitage Academy on Friday night.

After a slow first 45 minutes, Rhu took a slightly fortunate 1-0 lead into the interval when Corey Livingston got on the end of a cross from his brother Charles.

Rhu’s second half showing, though, was much more intense and Ross Nikolic converted after a driving run from Charlie Cook to make it 2-0.

Marley Walsh curled a beauty into the top corner from 25 yards for number three, before Nikolic, who went on to take the players’ man of the match award, added his second after capitalising on a defensive mix-up between the Kilsyth keeper and centre half.

Football fans looking for their Friday night fix this weekend can head along to Hermitage Academy to watch Rhu’s over-35s in action at home to Milngavie; kick-off is at 8pm.