10 Jun 2008 - Winton Retain the North Ayrshire Cup

North Ayrshire Cup Final                                  Monday 9^th June 2008

Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1 - 1 Irvine Victoria

Winton Rovers win 6 - 5 on penalties

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

Winton retained the North Ayrshire Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout.  The Vics' will be disappointed at this loss as for large periods of the game they were the better side. 

Winton got off to a flyer after two minutes when Colin Frye put in a tempting cross that allowed Scott Adam to attack the ball and his flying header flew past Gilmour to give Winton the lead.  Winton had a couple of chances to extend their lead when Easton and Patterson passed up chances but the best one of all came midway through the half when Adam was fouled in the box for a penalty. Graeme Patterson took the kick but Scott Gilmour saved well low to his left to deny Winton.  The Vics' were buoyed by this and put the pressure on the hosts. Several chances were created but the equaliser came from a set piece when Brian Smith rose to head a free kick in off the post.  The Vics' were dominant and could have gone into the interval ahead but O'Neill pulled off a magnificent one handed stop low to his left.  Winton tried to regroup in the second half and made more of a fist of it creating chances for McAvoy and Milliken in particular but the Vics' kept pressing and forced more of the pressure onto the Winton defence. The Rovers held out and the game ended all square meaning the dreaded penalty kicks. 

Winton went first and McAvoy scored with his with Boyd equalising for the Irvine side. Both teams hit good penalties with Frye, Adam and Davidson scoring for Winton and McGrath, Robertson and Blair Gilmour for the Vics, and with the score at 4 each, the drama began.  O'Neill took Winton's fifth and despite hitting a good effort low to Gilmour's left,  the keeper got down to make the first stop of the shoot out.  Vics' top goal scorer Gary Madden was handed the task of winning the cup but O'Neill redeemed himself immediately by saving this time low to his right.  Paton hit the first in sudden death scoring easily enough as did Taylor for Vics to make it 5 apiece.  Paul Monan put Winton 6 - 5 ahead before heartbreak for Timoney as he saw his effort blocked by O'Neill and the party for the Winton began. 

Ardrossan Winton Rovers

Stevie O'Neill, DavieWilson, Keir Milliken, Paul Brown, Billy Easton, Graham Muir, Graeme Patterson, Colin Frye, Stephen McAvoy, Scott Adam, John Gallagher

Subs Jamie Paton, Paul Monan, Alan Shanks, Gary Davidson

Irvine Vics

Scott Gilmour, Barry Taylor, Scott Hayes, Brian Smith, Brian McIntosh, Blair Gilmour, Gareth Timoney, Ewan Robertson, Gary McGrath, Daryl Boyd, Gary Madden. 

Subs

Stuart Little, Brian Love, Jordan White, Robbie McNamara, Robert Madden

Ref Colin Steven

Assistants: Don Robertson (standside), Paul Robertson