McBookie Ayrshire District League

MUIRKIRK 1

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 1

ANGRY Vics manager Neil Duffy kept his side locked inside the dressing room for half an hour after the match ended after watching Whitletts promotion ambitions being dealt a severe blow as a late goal denied them two vital league points at Burnside Park.

Vics went into the game with six players missing with Graeme Barbour and Martin Lawrie suspended and Craig Harvey, Sean Ewart, Darren Baird and Mbanje Munyaradzi all injured, forcing manager Neil Duffy to re-jig his side.

But that can be no excuse for a woeful second half display which led to Muirkirk's late equaliser and probably left them some aggrieved that they hadn't taken all three points.

The match started brightly with an audacious attempt from 'Kirk's Daryl Macdonald drifting just wide.

Whitletts had by far the greater possession and play in the first period by on a very heavy pitch, rarely looked like breaking through a resolute 'Kirk defence to trouble the keeper.

Louis Kerr was through on a one on one with the keeper but was denied as the keeper dived at his feet to save while for the hosts, Niall Carslaw went close with a near post effort.

But with five minutes of the first half remaining Vics finally made the breakthrough via the penalty spot. Blair Anderson was tripped in the box by Jay Burns and Isaac Kerr stepped forward to drive his penalty kick low past the keeper.

It was no more than Vics deserved and they should have doubled their advantage before half-time when Declan Milligan released Boyd but the outstretched leg of Bogle denied the makeshift striker.

Early in the second half, Bogle tipped over an Anderson shot but at the other end Stephen Campbell just couldn't get enough on a deep cross to the back post to direct it goalwards and moments later as Vics failed to clear a cross into the area, Carslaw's drive crashed back off the face of the crossbar.

Midway through the half Fraser pushed away a piledriver free-kick as Muirkirk threatened every time they went up the park while at the other end, Louis Kerr again through on a one-on-one, only again to be denied by a fine save from the home keeper.

Macdonald fired just wide for the home side while Milligan's drive from inside the area flew over the crossbar but the game was turned on its' head in a matters of second in the 84 minutes. Milligan was released through on the keeper but again Bogle dived at the striker's feet to save and Muirkirk immediately broke up the park and from a long ball that Jordan Mullen failed to cut out, Macdonald turned Raymond Buchanan before firing high into the net.

It was no more than the home side deserved.

As for Vics, after only taking one point from successive visits to the league bottom two clubs, their promotion hopes to the Championship are now left hanging by a thread. With 12 league matches left, Vics lie in sixth place and if they are to achieve the club's ambitions of promotion, there can be no more dropped points.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Fisher, McClymont, Mullen, Buchanan, Sloan, Anderson, I Kerr, Milligan (Dempsey 87); L Kerr (Ogston 87); Boyd. Subs (not used): Ewart, Harvey, McClung.