YOKER ATHLETIC recorded their first league win of the season with an emphatic 6-1 victory over a Forth Wanderers at Holm Park on Saturday.

There were three changes to the side which lost narrowly away at Neilston last week, out went Rab O’Neill, Stewart Sharkey and Shaun Wallace while Andy Rankin, Andy Campbell and debutant Hashim Cole all came in.

The home side started the game brightly with Greig Maitland troubling Cherrie in the visitors goal early on, but they were dealt a blow early on when skipper Gary Bissland limped off injured, he was replaced by Wallace.

Maitland was involved in the game’s opening goal when he was sent free wide on the left by Greg Cree, the winger squared the ball back across the goal for Ryan Hynes to tap home from close range after 10 mins.

Forth got back level almost immediately when ex-Airdrie winger Willie McLaren finished superbly past Liam Campbell.

Cree restored the hosts lead with a powerful finish after a driving run forward from wide on the Whe-Ho’s right.

Maitland threatened again but his curling effort went narrowly wide before Scott Smith failed to connect with a header from a corner-kick.

Hynes got his second shortly before the break after he sprung the offside trap to latch on to Cole’s raking pass, the striker rounded Cherrie before slotting home.

The second half began in a similar fashion to the opening period with the home side well on top although Liam Campbell had to be smart off his line to deny Keigan Parker; they made it 4-1 just six minutes after the restart as Maitland curled home a superb free-kick from 30 yards past Cherrie.

Kerr Allan then had a header well saved before visiting goalkeeper Cherrie saw red on 68 mins for a last man challenge which was also deemed violent conduct by the referee. Maitland smashed home his second free-kick to make it 5-1.

With 15 minutes remaining Forth goalscorer McLaren picked up a soft second yellow card to further reduce the visitors numbers and the game was largely played out as a possession exercise for the Whe-Ho although Smith again came close with a header from Stevie Howie’s cross.

The final goal of the game came from Yoker’s third free-kick goal of the day; this time Greg Cree whipped the ball home in off the post from 20 yards to complete a good day;s work for the Whe-Ho.

Yoker next play Ardeer Thistle in the Scottish Cup on Saturday, September 23.

YOKER ATHLETIC: L.Campbell, Rankin, Smith, Allan, Cole, A.Campbell (Howie), Cree, Bissland (Wallace), Hynes (Karenzi), Henry, Maitland. Not Used: Wilson (GK), Ross.

PRIMEXT LTD Man of the Match: Greg Cree