McBookie Ayrshire District League

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 8

SALTCOATS VICTORIA 0

RAMPANT Whitletts turned on the style as they demolished Saltcoats in an eight- goal romp at Dam Park.

Neil Duffy''s team played some delightful passing football, to which the North Ayrshire side had no answer.

They dominated the match from the kick off and although Saltcoats can point to an injury to their goalie and the fact they were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half but by that time the match was over as a contest.

The home side were first to threaten in four minutes when a deflected Sean Ewart cross came off the face of the bar and Sam McFall drilled the rebound wide. McFall then had a great chance to score in the nine minutes as Tony Balfour broke clear and squared for his striker partner but a horrendous bobble just as McFall was about to strike saw his effort go wide.

But within a minute Whitletts were in front. A Chris Black pass released Balfour who shrugged off the attentions of Roland Fabiani to fire past visiting goalie Sean Sumners.

In t8 minutes, Balfour beat George Bonner and Fabiani but his shot was blocked by a defender. Tommy Sloan’s follow up was blocked by the 'keeper., leaving Ewart free to fire low into the empty net..

Balfour grabbed his second of the afternoon in 25 minutes, running onto a Louis Kerr pass and as Sumners came out of his goal, the Whitletts striker calmly lofted the ball over his head and into the net.

The first chance of the second period fell to the visitors when Ryan McKie’s 20-yards drive flashed inches wide while at the other end, Sumners, who picked up an injury just before the break, made a fine save to deny Tommy Sloan’s netbound header from a Balfour corner. It was to be the last action for the young keeper saw as he was clearly struggling and had to be replaced with full-back Adam Easdon,

After a spell of Whitletts pressure, Louis Kerr’s low ball into the box found Balfour who completed his hat -trick with a cheeky back heel.

Balfour wasn’t for stopping at three and in 5 minutes he notched his fourth and Whitletts' fifth, knocking the ball over the defender's head and capitalising on some hesitation in the keeper to round him and roll the ball home,

Number six came in 70 minutes. Young Kris Kerr broke down the left and his deep cross was played back at the back post by Liam Anderson for Balfour to hammer home from inside the six-yard box. Immediately Saltcoats were reduced to 10 men with striker Joe Young losing his discipline and was shown a straight red card.

A seventh goal came in 82nd minutes and it was the pick of the bunch as James Davidson’s drive from 25 yards flew past Easdon into the top right hand corner of the net.

Niall Kennedy showed Saltcoats still had some pride as his mazy run down the right forced a fine save from Ally McInnes but in 84 minutes the Ayr side made it 8-0. Play around the Saltcoats area was incessant and from out on the right side of the box Ewart lofted the ball over Easdon and into the corner of the net.

Liam Anderson then just failed to connect to a Ewart cross in front of goal but a superb, professional performance from the Vics.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: McInnes; Lee Anderson, Campbell, Hercus (Kris Kerr 56), Buchanan, Sloan (Davidson 64, McFall (Liam Anderson 64), Black, Ewart, Louis Kerr, Balfour. Subs (not used): Longair, McCarrison.