McBookie Ayrshire District League

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 3

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS 0

WHITLETTS bounced back from the previous Saturday's defeat to Irvine Vics with a comfortable win at the home of fellow promotion hopefuls Ardrossan.

In a match that had many similarities to the previous week, the home side had the lion's share of possession but rarely did they threaten the visitors enough to trouble Stevie Douglas in the Whitletts goal.

Watched by new manager Bryan Slavin, Winton players were keen to impress but it was Whitletts who made the more positive start. Declan Milligan breaking through the middle to release Craig Harvey but the striker#s shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of keeper Bryan Tucker.

Vics were looking sharp going forward and in seven minutes they took the lead. A positive run by Blair Anderson set up Harvey who this time elected to square the ball across the face of goal for Sean Ewart to slide in to score.

Whitletts were having the better of the early exchanges but had Martin Lawrie to thank for preserving their lead on the quarter-hour mark when he blocked a Regan Ross shot on the line. Stevie Douglas then pushed over a rasping Adam Easdon drive as the hosts began to press, forcing Vics to defend deeper but for all their possession the only threat to Douglas’s goal game from a Regan Ross 30-yard shot that flew over the bar.

As Whitletts failed to clear their lines Alan Muir played a neat one-two as he broke into the box but fired over on a rare occasion in which Winton managed to breach the Vics defence. And midway through the second half they paid the penalty following a blunder from home keeper Tucker. There appeared little danger as the keeper raced out of his box to clear a long Vics clearance but instead of the ball the Winton number one kicked fresh air, allowing Harvey all the time in the world to walk the ball into the net.

Winton continued pressing but the only time Douglas was called into action was to make a blocking save after a fine run by Larry McMahon.

But the icing on the cake for Vics came in the final minute. Young Frazer Dempsey who joined in midweek on a delayed transfer from the club’s under-21 side came on for the last minute and made a dream debut with a peach of a goal. Vics moved the ball from back to front with Louis Kerr’s crossfield ball chested down by Alistair Boyle for Anderson to play into Dempsey’s feet at the edge of the box and with all the aplomb of a more experienced campaigner the 17-year-old took a touch before firing the ball past Tucker from the edge of the box.

This was a solid performance from Vics defensively which laid the foundations for this win.

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS: Tucker; M Davidson, Easdon, Irvine, McGregor, Muir (Lennox 67); Ross, Tan (Cairns 89); McKenna, Struthers, McMahon

Subs not used: L Davidson, Orr, Cowie.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Douglas; Anderson, Lawrie, I Kerr, Buchanan, Sloan, Milligan (Munyaradzie 78); Boyd (Boyle 85); Harvey (Dempsey 89); L Kerr, Ewart. Subs (not used): Mullen, McClung.

END

Contact: John Dalton 07759637350

Note to the Editor: Attached is a photograph of Man of the Match Blair Anderson and two of the goalscorers Sean Ewart and Craig Harvey which you are free to use. Please credit Maurice Morwood with the photograph