McBookie Super League First Division
TROON 3
CAMBUSLANG RANGERS 2
By Matt Speirs
THE crowd at Portland Park were treated to a classic junior match, featuring a missed penalty, numerous bookings, an ordering off and five good goals.
This game had truly everything.
Cambuslang went ahead in eighth minutes when the ball was played across by Calum McRobbie to Craig Hastings who netted at the back post.
Five minutes later Cambuslang were awarded a penalty when McRobbie was upended inside the box. The the striker got up and took the spot kick but Jamie McGowan dived
low to his right to save. However the ball broke to team-mate David Green, but he shot wildly wide.
McGowan came to Troon's rescue again a minute later when he denied Hastings a second goal with a fine save.
Troon began to come into the game after this and equalised in 33 minutes, Dale Shirkie sending a low shot across the keeper and into the far corner
of the net.
Four minutes from the interval, a Dean Keenan shot was saved at the post by Ian
Stewart. However the skipper was not to be denied as two minutes later a low corner
by Scott McLean found Keenan at the edge of the penalty area and his low drive flew into the net.
Play flowed from end to end in the early stages of the second half but neither
side could find a goal.
The all-important third goal for Troon arrived in 62 minutes when a headed back pass by Jordan Halsman was fumbled by Ian Stewart and Shirkie
was on hand to bundle the ball into the net.
Sixteen minutes from time substitute James Lamont saw his header rebound from
the bar the ball was cleared upfield to John Gemmell, who had moved into a
striking roll and he pulled his side back into the match with a fine shot from
the edge of the penalty area.
Six minutes from the end David Green received a second booking for dissent and was ordered off, leaving Cambuslang with a mountain to climb to find an
equaliser.
TROON: McGowan, Clark, Dempster, Chisholm, Collins, Keenan, McCreadie, Murphy,
Forsyth, McLea, Shirkie. Subs: Lamont, Curragh, Fulton, Trialist, Trialist
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