Stagecoach Ayrshire
League
Saturday 3rd May 2008
Dalry Thistle 1 – 0 Ardrossan Winton Rovers
Photos at www.flickr.com/photos/wintonrovers/
Dalry picked up three valuable points in their promotion
chase but Winton left Merksworth park wondering why they didn’t pick up all
three points in a game that they dominated. Winton’s first chance came in 7 minutes when a
Wilson cross from the right was met by the
head of Scott Adam but he never managed to get enough power on it to trouble Rankin
in the Dalry goal. The game settled down
without either side managing to get many efforts on target but the home side
went ahead on 23 minutes when a corner on the right wasn’t properly cleared and
after some head tennis in the box a static Winton defence allowed McNally to
fire in a shot high into the net to give Dalry the lead. Winton almost latched onto a mistake in
defence in 28 minutes when a route one ball from O’Neill saw Adam get a touch
but the ball broke off Tait and the ball ran past the advancing keeper Rankin
for a corner. Dalry got a half a chance
to score when McMeeking’s free kick over the top of the Rovers’ defence saw
Hutson nip in but he couldn’t get any power on his header. The second half began with a chance for Dalry
when Hutson got free on the right he managed to send in a dangerous cross but
McNally only managed to sky the ball over the bar. Winton probed and pushed the Dalry defence
back and on 59 minutes a chance was wasted when Scott Adam sent
Wilson free on the right
and from his cut back McAvoy stooped to head over the bar. Winton were awarded a penalty in 63 minutes
after Muir saw his effort blocked and
Wilson
was fouled trying to get the ball back on goal. Alas Muir’s effort from the
spot was hit low to Rankin’s left and he got down to tip the ball past the post
to keep the home side ahead. The Rovers
didn’t give up and on 68 minutes a good one – two by McAvoy and Muir saw his effort
blocked by Prow. The corner from this effort
saw John Gallagher nip in at the near post and he flashed a header that went
just wide of the far post. On 70 minutes
Scott Adam was put through one on one on keeper Rankin but he got down to block
the shot. Dalry were attacking on the
break and McNally got free on the right on 75 minutes beating Milliken but he
could only shoot into the side netting. Winton
kept pressing and with a couple of minutes to go, Muir got free on the left but
with only the keeper to beat his effort was weak and Rankin saved. Winton kept trying and in injury time a
corner from the right was flicked on and Paul Brown saw his header drift
agonisingly over the bar but that was enough to give the home side the three
points.
Dalry Thistle
Rankin, O’Malley,
Murray,
Tait, McMeeking, Prow, McCann, Rae, Jamieson, McNally, Hutson.
Subs Rodgers, Graham, Crawford, Hamilton
Winton Rovers
O’Neill,
Wilson, McCann,
Brown,
Easton,
Muir, Patterson, Frye, McAvoy, Adam, Gallagher.
Subs Davidson, Shanks, Milliken, Monan, Paton