Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup First Round

MUIRKIRK 0

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 7

WHITLETTS prepared for Saturday’s vital league match at Kello Rovers with a comfortable seven-goal romp at Burnside Park.The

They will now face local rivals Maybole away in the second round.

The outcome of this game was rarely in doubt after the visitors opened the scoring in eight minutes when Ali Boyle played the ball into Jordan Boyd who skipped past the challenge of a defender to fire low past ‘Kirk keeper Robbie Wilson.

Muirkirk had their chances as Ally McInnes clawed a Ross Ballantyne effort after a Danny Cunningham clearance was blocked and then former Vics midfielder Mark Ferris missed his kick with the goal at his mercy and they were punished just a minute later as Vics went 2-0 up. Paul Cameron played a delightful pass through to Chris Black and the midfielder fired home from the corner of the six-yard box.

Cameron himself had a shot deflected inches wide before Whitletts struck again on the half hour. The two goalscorers combining as Black broke down the right and from his cross Boyd swept the ball into the net.

Craig Harvey was denied by the feet of the keeper three minutes from the break but two minutes later he got his name on the scoresheet. Cameron again the provider as he played a ball in behind the home defence and Harvey raced clear to fire low past Wilson to give Whitletts a four goal lead at half time.

With an eye on the Kello clash, manager Neil Duffy made all three changes at the interval to give his players some match time with Tony Balfour, Niall Kennedy and Darren Baird all entering the field and in the opening minute of the second half Balfour was denied by the outstretched leg of the keeper at his near post.

Craig Peck fired just over the bar from the edge of the area for the home side but in 57 minutes Vics made it 5-0. A poor kicked clearance from Wilson fell kindly for Louis Kerr who from 25 yards drilled the ball low into the back of the net.

To their credit Muirkirk continued to press forward but Whitletts were in total control and it came as no surprise when they added a sixth in the 76th minute. A neat move down the right saw Kerr head a Kennedy cross back across goal for Cameron to score from six yards.

The scoring was completed in the final minute with the pick of the bunch scored by Cameron with a sublime overhead kick from a Kennedy cross.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: McInnes; Boyle, Ewart, Cunningham, Kirkland, Sloan, Boyd (Balfour 46); Black (Kennedy 46); Cameron, L Kerr, Harvey (Baird 46).