30 Apr 2008 - Winton defeat the league leaders

Stagecoach Ayrshire League                             Wednesday 30^th April 2008

Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1 – 0 Hurlford United

Photos at www.flickr.com/photos/wintonrovers/

Winton Rovers dented Hurlford’s promotion charge as the visitors’ ten game run of victories came to a halt at Winton Park.  The pitch was soft on top after a couple of days of heavy rain and it was the visitors who started off brightly attacking the Winton goal from the off.  It took 10 minutes for Hurlford to really threaten and Paul Campbell’s cross came to McKie who hit a good shot that came off Easton’s head and out for a corner. A half chance for Robertson three minutes later saw his effort skewed wide of the post.  Campbell got free on the left on 25 minutes for ‘Ford but again the finishing was poor as the ball went past the far post. 

Winton began to get more into the game after this and began to pass the ball about a better. The first half chance came on the half hour mark when McAvoy set up Adam who shot through a ruck of players safely in to the arms of Smith.  Winton’s increasing confidence saw them take the lead very early in the second half when a corner on the left was floated in Easton rose to head the ball back and it came off the post only for Colin Frye to bundle the ball over the line despite the efforts of Smith to claw the ball out.  Winton were pushed back and a corner on the left on 51 minutes saw Lawless rise but he headed high over the bar.

‘Ford continued to apply the pressure and were awarded some free kicks outside the Winton box but they were generally hit too high or wide of the target to really trouble O’Neill.  Murphy got a good shot on target on 62 minutes but the finish wasn’t there as it went straight to O’Neill.  Winton were on the break as a result of the pressure and on 65 minutes they had a chance to make it two when McAvoy rolled the ball to Patterson who hit an early shot that just curled over the bar. On 72 minutes a ball in from McKie was laid off by Derek Rae for Michael Hart to shoot but his effort was blocked by some resolute Winton defending. 

Winton’s Gary Davidson was unlucky to see a good run in from the left see him fire in a low shot that Smith got down well to save at his near post.  Graham Muir managed to intercept a dangerous low ball across the box with 5 minutes to go when the ‘Ford strikers were ready to pounce but he managed to steer the ball to safety.  The visitors’ frustration was summed up in injury time when Murphy lashed out at Colin Frye and was duly sent off for his trouble. 

 Winton Rovers

O’Neill, Wilson, McCann, Brown, Easton, Gallagher, Patterson, Frye, McAvoy, Adam, Muir Subs Milliken, Shanks, Monan, Davidson, Robertson

Hurlford United

Smith, McKie, Crawford, Russell, McAnenay, Lawless, Nimmo, Murphy, McGregor, Robertson, Campbell

Subs Hart, Rae, Craig, Gilliland, Caldwell

Ref S MacMillan