McBookie Championship

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 0

GIRVAN 0

BOTH sides had to settle for a share of the spoils in this South Ayrshire derby in a thrilling match at Dam Par

Vics were first to threaten when Raymond Buchanan picked out Isaac Kerr with a free kick at the back post but the big central defender was denied by former Whitletts goalie Ally McInnes.

The two teams were pressing forward but it was Girvan who made the breakthrough in 17 minutes. There appeared no danger as Greg Ferry ran onto the ball a good 35 yards from goal but his thunderbolt flew high past the diving figure of Marty Fraser, who had no chance.

Bobby Colligan went close for Vics with an angled left foot volley but in the 28th minute Vics were back on level terms. Callum Ogston took on the Girvan defence and from his low cross Adam Forsyth was on hand to sweep the ball into the net.

Girvan forced a series of corners but posed little threat but at the other end McInnes did well to save a Jordan Boyd shot through a crowded box and only a desperate challenge from Michael Mossie prevented Forsyth knocking home the rebound.

The visitors had a great chance just before the break when Rory Tait waltzed past four Vics defenders in the area to set up Stuart Milligan who fired over the bar.

Whitletts started strongly in the second period and six minutes after the restart Buchanan headed a Colligan corner goalward and Forsyth was unfortunate to see his head flick come back off the underside of the crossbar.

From another corner Buchanan had a header cleared off the line while a Ross George’s cross was headed against his own crossbar by Ferry’s attempted headed clearance.

The Dam Park side were carrying the greater goal threat and from another corner-kick, Paul Millar’s volley was saved by McInnes. Then in a 50-50 challenge with the keeper, the ball broke goalward but a Girvan defender reacted to clear the danger before Colligan could capitalise.

A left foot drive by Buchanan then flew just over the bar as Whitletts searched for the elusive winner but as the game entered added time it was Girvan who nearly sealed the points with an angled drive from Ferry that crashed back off the inside of the post and somehow came back out into play where the danger was cleared

That wasn’t to be the end of the action as at the other end Thomas Donovan was sent through on the keeper in a one on one but Girvan defender Ross Copeland pulled the little striker to the ground for which he was shown a straight red card. Little consolation to Vics who had to settle for a free kick just outside the box which Buchan fired narrowly over the bar.

In the end both sides had to settle for a point with which Girvan’s Ian Patterson will undoubtedly be the happier of the two injuries with a serious looking knee injury to Jordan Mullen adding to George Grierson’s ever growing injury list

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Ogston, Brown, Mullen (George 53) I Kerr, Buchanan, Boyd, Millar, Forsyth, Colligan, Donovan. Subs (not used) Condon, A Kerr, Ewart.

GIRVAN: McInnes; Caldwell, Ferry, Mossie (Copeland 53) Mitchell, Cameron, McDade, Jardine, Harvey, Milligan (Lamont 77) Tait (Wilson 65) Sub (not used) Barrett

Referee: Chris Hughes