MARTIN Hardie’s late free-kick earned a point for Yoker Athletic away to Rutherglen Glencairn on Saturday.

The veteran struck home from 25 yards with his first touch of the ball.

Skipper Gary Bissland and Mark Maxwell were both missing from the side which defeated Kilwinning Rangers the previous week.

Yoker keeper Liam Campbell was the first to be called into action after 15 minutes when he saved Mark Tait’s header as the Whe-Ho struggled to deal with Brown’s long throw.

Moments later, John Harvey was allowed to stride forward from defence and clip a pass through to David Crerand who saw two efforts saved by Glens keeper Hutchison. Alan Cairns then blazed wastefully over the bar for the visitors.

Stand-in Whe-Ho skipper Mark McManus passed up another chance when he miscued an effort straight at Hutchison after Crerand’s excellent work down the right.

Glencairn went in front after 37 minutes when Tait pounced on some poor control by Cairns to steal possession wide on the right before going by Harvey and cutting the ball back for strike partner Denis McLaughlin who drilled the ball past Campbell.

Glencairn had their tails up now, some tenacious play and a reverse pass by Brown shortly after the re-start set up Tait for an angled shot which Campbell parried and then smothered.

The pressure continued and, a further minute later, McLaughlin skipped past four tackles before firing over the crossbar from 20 yards. Whe-Ho striker Gary Arbuckle then went close with Hutchison beaten all ends up.

McLaughlin almost doubled his tally in spectacular fashion in the 54th minute as he drilled in an angled shot from 25 yards which Campbell did well to tip round the post at full stretch.

Yoker’s next chance again came Arbuckle’s way 10 minutes into the second half. Glencairn full back Boal gave away possession cheaply and Crerand’s excellent pass released Arbuckle through the middle. But Hutchison stood up to beat away the shot.

A minute later Crerand got in the way of a golden chance to score for team mate Jamie Carson after Arbuckle had got the better of Paul Doyle on the left edge of the penalty area.

Hutchison had to be switched on in the 70th minute as an attempted headed clearance by Dean Muir skimmed towards his own goal, but the home keeper saved on the dive down low to his right.

Crerand should have done better in the 72nd minute as Carson’s cross found him free in the box in front of goal, but the glanced effort was well wide of goal.

A spell of three corners in a row for Yoker saw Glencairn’s defence standing strong, with Doyle making an important block to deny Michael Bailey in the 74th minute.

Just as it looked like it may not be Yoker’s day the referee blew for a foul by Doyle 25 yards from goal on Bailey. Martin Hardie stepped up to fire a dipping and swerving shot over the wall and into the top left corner of the net with his first touch of the ball having replaced Rankine after the foul was given.

Yoker now looked most likely to win the game and player-manager Steven Reilly went close as he met a corner with a header, but Andy Neil cleared off the goal line.

Neil made another excellent block in the 89th minute to snuff out the danger from Crerand after Yoker had hit on the counter, however there was to be no more goals.

Yoker will look to raise their game again this Saturday when they travel to face Blantyre Vics at Castle Park.