Pollok posted an emphatic looking 3-0 pre-season friendly victory over arch foes Arthurlie on Saturday thanks to goals from Jordan Shelvey, Josh Weir and Callum Graham.

Murdie McKinnon’s men unquestionably had the more purposeful and threatening momentum in an attacking sense throughout and on reflection deserved to come out on top.

However, even the most diehard among the Lok’s 250 spectators scattered around Newlandsfield would admit their side received a generous helping hand from whistler Ross Hardie.

He was perfectly placed on 42 minutes when, with Pollok 1-0 to the good, visiting striker Tom McGaughey latched onto a perfectly delivered through pass.

He cleverly lifted the ball over well advanced goalkeeper Jordan Longmuir only for the Pollok No 1 to stretch up and palm the ball away despite clearly being a yard or more outside his penalty box.

Former Darvel front man McGaughey’s ire and that of his team mates was understandable given he had been poised for an almost certain equaliser.

However, they were to be near incandescent with rage as referee Hardie  adjudged Longmuir’s offence worthy of no more than  an impossible to comprehend yellow card.

The 33-year-old should have been given his marching orders and the sheer injustice of it all did not prevent Hardie from dishing out another yellow at Barrhead assistant Craig Palmer as well as a red to fellow coach Robert Kerr for their vehement trackside protestations.

Finding themselves so unbelievably wronged appeared to take the wind out of Arthurlie’s sails and they fell 2-0 behind only four minutes into the second half as Lok interval substitute Weir’s shot from just inside the box squirmed out of keeper James Scott’s grasp and over the line.

The strong-running Graham’s introduction for Shelvey proved inspired just after the hour mark when the ex-Ashfield marksman blasted home an unstoppable drive from near the penalty spot for what was his first goal since moving to the Southside giants.

He was suitably buoyed but any hopes of adding to his goals tally disappeared when he pulled up sharply, clutching his hamstring after making a challenge, and had to be assisted in coming off the pitch.

Lok boss McKinnon admitted: “Callum took his goal well and was looking in the mood so it’s unfortunate for him to then pick up an injury that might keep him sidelined for the start of the season in a couple of weeks.

“Thankfully we are not short of options up front and the key now is for players to step up to the plate and show they deserve the jerseys.”

The gaffer added: “We didn’t start  the game well and I put that down to Arthurlie treating the game as a Cup Final while our guys had more of a friendly match mentality which is not the right approach going into a derby match.

“In fairness, Arthurlie passed the ball well but without ever looking like opening up our defence and we had come close to a goal from a couple of set plays along with their keeper making a few decent saves prior to Jordan cleverly running through to score approaching half time.

“To be 1-0 up at the halfway stage was probably deserved overall but I wasn’t satisfied as our performance and energy levels had definitely taken a drop from our midweek meeting with Linlithgow Rose.

“Tiredness might have been the reason but asking the players to give us more received the right response and scoring another twice allowed us to see the game out comfortably.”

The Barrhead outfit, minus team boss Andy McFadyen due to work commitments, had shown a desire to get on the ball and make passes from the first whistle and they had dominated the opening skirmishes with their ability to retain possession.

But an early McGaughey drive thwarted by a Longmuir save was their only scoring effort of note and their lack of punch in the final third had assistant manager George Fotheringham bemoaning the absence of experienced forward line pair Gary Smith and Gary Carroll when summing up his thoughts afterwards.

He said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the players today given we had so many bodies posted missing and I feel a 3-0 beating is harsh on them because our fitness and willingness to pass the ball under pressure was exemplary.

“Hats off to Tam McGaughey who is more of a winger type yet did us a turn up front but there’s no denying we missed the physicality and ability to make the ball stick that Smith and Carroll give us.

“A lot of promising moves broke down in the final third and that won’t happen when the two Garys are back available so I’ve no doubts we will improve on today’s showing.”

Asked for his viewpoint on the Longmuir handball incident, he reflected: “The referee’s shout is totally frustrating not least because we were well on top at that point and a goal just before half time would have given us a huge lift.

“To not award a red card goes against the rules of the game and it says everything when even the Pollok dugout were embarrassed.”

Elsewhere on the pre-season  friendly scene, Glasgow United hitman  Steff Graham’s late counter earned a 1-1 draw against East Kilbride Thistle for  whom Keiran Brennan was on target.

Ronan Sweeney and Roddy Patterson did the scoring damage in Petershill’s 2-0 win away to Glasgow University and Robert Ewart (2) and a Warim Omar penalty kick conversion enabled St Anthonys to come from 2-0 down to beat Harmoy Row 3-2.

Craig Smith netted twice along with goals from Paul Butler and Ryan Gemmell as Glasgow Perthshire got the better of Johnstone Burgh by a 4-2 scoreline.

Ten-man Ashfield, Jack Crum was red carded, overcame Drumchapel United  3-2 while Cambuslang Rangers trounced St  Rochs 7-0 in a brutally one-sided affair at Petershill Park in which Scott Williamson bagged a first half hat trick.

There were heavy defeats also for Port Glasgow and Renfrew, both on the wrong end of 5-1 hammerings, away to Ayrshire duo Craigmark and Bonnyton Thistle respectively.

WoSFL sides fared particularly well  in contests against Lowland League opponents, Beith with Larry McMahon, Kevin Watt and skipper Paul Frize on the mark in a 3-2 triumph at home to East Kilbride whose goals came from  Joao Vitoria and  Neil McLaughlin.

Clydebank beat Cumbernauld Colts 2-0 at Holm Park thanks to Joe Slattery and Archie McPherson scoring while Kilwinning Rangers arguably took the biggest scalp of all thanks to a first  half penalty kick by Carlo Monti proving to be the only goal of the game away to Bonnyrigg  Rose. 

In other match-ups, former Buffs striker Bryan Boylan’s goal saw Auchinleck beat Neilston 1-0, Darvel had Darryl Meggatt and Ian McShane to thank for a 2-0 success through at Newtongrange Star and Rutherglen Glencairn's Tommy Lone and Keirin Coleman earned the plaudits for their side’s 2-0 victory over  Premier Division  rivals Rob Roy.

RESULTS: Ashfield 3 Drumchapel Utd 2, Vale of Leven 5 Maryhill 4, Beith 3 East Kilbride F.C 2.,Harmony Row 2 St Anthonys 3,  Benburb 1 Stenhousemuir 2, Glenafton 2 Largs Thistle 4, St Rochs 0 Cambuslang Rangers 7, Bellshill Athletic 3 Royal Albert 0, Neilston 0 Auchinleck Talbot 1,Rutherglen Glencairn 2 Rob Roy 0, Craigmark 5 Port Glasgow 1, Bonnyrigg Rose 0 Kilwinning Rangers 1, Glasgow Perthshire 4 Johnstone Burgh 2, Bonnyton Thistle 5 Renfrew 1, Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3  Dalry Thistle2, Glasgow Utd 1 East Kilbride Thistle 1, Pollok 3 Arthurlie 0, Clydebank 2 Cumbernauld Colts 0,Kello Rovers 0 Troon 5,  Newtongrange Star 0 Darvel 2, Threave Rovers 0 Cumnock 0, Glasgow University 0 Petershill 2, Greenock 3 Blantyre Vics 1.