McBookie Ayrshire District League

MAYBOLE 1

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 2

A NEW era got underway for Vics as a double from debutant striker Adam Forsyth got George Grierson’s managerial reign off to a winning start at Ladywell Stadium in a vital South Ayrshire derby.

With both sides harbouring promotion ambitions this season, Maybole went into the game in a confident fashion off the back of last weeks’ fantastic win at Ardrossan but it was Whitletts who took the points in a keenly contested contest.

Both sides made positive a start to the match with both keepers called into action early on, Marty Fraser denying Lewis Gardiner, while Martin McAulay kept out an Isaac Kerr effort. The home side also had claims for a penalty waved aside when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Blair Anderson inside the area but referee Alan Grainger waved play on, probably adjudging that the Vics defender was too close to his opponent to get out of the way.

Midway through the half Gardiner brought the best out of Fraser with a drive from the corner of the box that the Vics keeper did well to turn behind at full stretch and it's importance was underlined just sixty seconds later as Whitletts took the lead. Fraser’s goa kick was flicked on by Mbanje Munyaradzi into the path of Forsyth and the former Troon striker held off the challenge of a defender before firing high past McAulay.

In 27 minutes, the Vics striker was denied a second only by a goal line clearance from Nathan Baird when his shot squirmed beneath the ‘Bole keeper after good set up play by Graeme Barbour.

On the half hour, Fraser made another fine save to get enough on a Lucas Elliot 25 yard drive to push it wide and from the resultant corner kick this time the Vics keeper got down low to his right to turn a Gardiner drive round the post.

Having been denied a second minutes earlier, Forsyth then snatched his second in 33 minutes, Louis Kerr this time setting up the former Troon striker, who shrugged off the challenge of a defender before calmly taking the ball round McAulay and rolling it home.

Barbour and Forsyth were showing signs of what Vics hope could develop into a very useful striking partnership and the two combined again just before the break but on this occasion McAulay held Forsyth’s shot.

Whitletts were looking a well-organised side and although Maybole had plenty of possession, the majority of their attempts on goal were from distance. Chris Campbell did have the ball in the net but was in an offside position.

In 73 minutes Louis Kerr saw his shot saved by McAulay and two minutes later the home keeper denied Forsyth in similar fashion.

Ten minutes from time Barbour was denied that third goal when a desperate clearance from Nicholas Warren cleared the danger from a Forsyth cut back.

Maybole kept trying to find a way back into the game and in the final minute Sam Nimmo’s diving header flashed wide before two minutes into injury-time the home side did reduce the leeway. Warren rising unchallenged in the penalty area to head across goal in at the post but that proved to be no more than a consolation for the Ladywell side.

Now Vics will look to take heart from this performance and build on that when they travel to Station Park on Saturday to play high flying Craigmark

MAYBOLE: McAulay; Baird, Connor, Lowe (Warren 45); Peacock, Bell. L Elliot (M Ewing 56); Gardiner, Mitchell (Bloy 77); Nimmo, Campbell. Subs (not used): MacLeod, McMillan

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Anderson, Ewart (Boyd 35 (Ogston 77; Mullen, I Kerr, Buchanan, Fisher, L Kerr, Forsyth, Barbour, Munyaradzi (Sloan 58)

Subs not used: Milligan, Dempsey

Referee: Alan Grainger.