McBookie Ayrshire District League

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 2

ARDEER THISTLE 3

VICTORIA's promotion aspirations were dealt a severe blow as they crashed to defeat at home to Ardeer.

It was an inept performance from the Ayr club who never turned up for the first hour against a Thistle side whose desire and battling qualities saw them lead 3-0 before Vics turned up but by that time the home side had too much to claw back

In the opening minute a Jordan Bruce snapshot flashed past the angle but there were few chances at either end in the opening quarter when Bruce fired a free-kick inches wide.

Ardeer were having the better of the play with the forward line of Lee Munro, David Henry and Ryan Morrow causing the home defence all sorts of problems.

For whatever reason, Vics were clearly not at the races and it came as no surprise when Ardeer took a deserved lead in 36 minutes. Morrow skipped past a weak challenge from Sean Ewart and from his byeline cross, James Maxwell swept the ball home from six yards.

Vics fell further behind four minutes later. A neat one-two down the left wing left Blair Anderson trailing and Morrow finished superbly by firing high past Ally McInnes.

Whitletts tried to respond and a Chris Black shot was blocked by keeper Paul McCann, the ball rebounded off Craig Harvey and looked goalbound before being scrambled to safety by a Thistle defender

Lethargic Vics were struggling to get into the game and it came as no surprise when Ardeer went 3-0 up in 57 minutes with a superb goal - from fully 30 yards, full-back Donnie Campbell gave McInnes no chance with a thunderous drive to score his first goal for his hometown club.

Suddenly Whitletts woke from their slumber and within two minutes the deficit was back to two. Harvey's persistence at the edge of the box set up Black, whose angled drive gave Mark McCann no chance.

Paul Cameron was driving the home side from midfield and from his throw-in, flicked on by Raymond Buchanan substitute Tony Balfour fired over the bar from six yards.

Midway through the half Ardeer had a fortunate escape when from a Tony Balfour free-kick Robert Kirkland ghosted in at the back post only for his netbound header to strike McCann on the shoulder.

In the 73 minutes Cameron broke down the left and his low cross picked out Balfour unmarked at the back post only a couple of yards from goal but the ball took an unfortunate bobble and the chance was lost.

That miss seemed to sum up Vics afternoon but two minutes later it was 3-2. Sean Ewart bundling home a Black cross at the back post and Vics looked capable of salvaging a point. Within seconds Balfour sought to get on the end of a Black cross, McCann failed to collect the ball in front of goal and it was scrambled to safety.

From another Cameron throw-in, Black fired over and then as the midfielder worked his way past four Ardeer defenders, the ball broke for Balfour but McCann dived to block his effort.

Thistle had a great chance to seal the points with two minutes remaining when a shocking pass back from Anderson let Munro in on goal by McInnes made a superb tackle on the little striker.

As the game entered time added on Whitletts had one last chance when Balfour spun in the box only for his effort to be saved by McCann.

As for Vics, despite results elsewhere not going their way, they have the prospect of promotion in their own hands. But they must be at the top of their game in their remaining seven fixtures, including matches against promotion hopefuls Ardrossan and Kello.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: McInnes; Anderson, Ewart. Kirkland, Buchanan, Sloan, Cameron, Black, Harvey, Kerr (Kennedy 75; Baird (Balfour 46). Subs (not used): Boyd, Cunningham, Dorigo.