Saturday 23rd August 2008 Stagecoach Ayrshire League
Ardrossan Winton Rovers 7 – 2 Saltcoats Victoria
Winton opened their league campaign in impressive style
putting hapless Saltcoats to the sword with a devastating display. Assistant Manager, Derek Cook kept faith with
the team that beat Kilbirnie and his selection was justified as the Rovers got
off to a great start. Former Winton man
Bryan Taggart turned and shot from distance on 10 minutes but his effort was
high and wide. Winton’s response was
good move on the right saw Graham Muir get a side footed effort in on goal but
this was blocked and Markey saved Gallagher’s follow up. Winton went 1 nil up on 14 minutes when a
corner was partially cleared and Billy Gilmour had the presence of mind to
thread the ball to McAvoy who dispatched a shot high past Markey. The Vics retaliated with a Taggart header
from a corner on 16 minutes but John Gallagher was on the post to clear.
Brisbane
tried to force the play and cut in from the right and curled a decent effort
but it went wide. Saltcoats’ most
dangerous moment came on the half hour when he put in a cross cum shot that
just went wide. Winton took notice of
this and on 31 minutes Graeme Hamilton latched onto a short pass back and
nipped in to chip the ball past Markey to give him his first goal for the
Rovers and make it 2 – 0. The Vics ran
the changes at half time but Winton were no mood to let up and the opening
period of the second half saw an avalanche of goals. On 48 minutes a ball in from the left came to
Hamilton whose initial left footed effort was blocked he kept calm and fired a
right foot drive past Markey for Winton’s third. The Vics with nothing to lose tried to force
their way back into the game but on 53 minutes a ball over the top saw McAvoy
get clear on the right and his cut back fell kindly to Billy Gilmour and he
dispatched an unstoppable shot past the Vics keeper for the fourth. Bryan Taggart got a goal back for Saltcoats a
minute later when he out muscled Milliken to power home a shot past
O’Neill. Winton made it 5 – 1 when Davie
Wilson got on the end of a corner to smash the ball home on 57 minutes. Winton made it 6 – 1 through Colin Frye when
he latched onto a good pass and his initial effort was blocked he fired the
ball low past Markey. On 80 minutes the
Vics made it 6 – 2 when Gorman got free and one on one with O’Neill chipped the
ball over the Winton keeper and into the net. Winton weren’t finished an
completed the scoring on 88 minutes when Scott Adam sent John Gallagher free
and he rounded Markey to tap home.
Winton
O’Neill, Paton, Houston, Milliken, Wilson, Gallagher,Gilmour,
Frye, Hamilton, McAvoy, Muir.
Subs Adam, Patterson ,Cook
Saltcoats
Victoria
Markey, Latta T, Timmons, Minor, Friels, Affleck, Brisbane,
Gorman, Taggart, Cooney, Philips.
Subs Donovan, McCormick, Warden, Gillon, Latta S.
Ref M.McLean