McBookie Championship

DALRY THISTLE 1

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 5

VICS turned in a five star performance to collect three vital league points against last season’s Ayrshire District League champions.

What would please manager George Grierson even more than the result was that his side found their goalscoring touch again with five different scorers.

The match itself was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests but as the game wore on, the frustration of the home side became evident and Vics took full advantage to enhance the scoreline with two late goals.

From the kick off it was end-to-end and in 10 minutes, Dalry had claims for a penalty waved aside by referee Jordan Cousland when Raymond Buchanan appeared to barge Lewis Gardiner inside the box. And the home sides fury at that decision was still surrounding Merksworth Park when Vics broke upfield and Thomas Donovan was played through the middle to fire low past Marc Fisher in the Dalry goal to end the little striker's drought in front of goal

Whitletts were having the better of the play and when Sean Ewart’s cross broke for Donovan, his shot was parried by the keeper and in the scramble that followed an attempted defensive clearance cannoned off the strikers head and flew just over.

Vics were dealt a blow on the half hour when keeper Marty Fraser picked up a leg injury whilst clearing the ball. After treatment he continued to play on but was clearly hindered for the remainder of the match.

Thistle had been pressing without troubling the visitors defence but in 34 minutes they levelled. Hesitation in the Vics defence in dealing with a cross ball allowed Kieran Oliver the simplest of opportunities to nip in front of Morgan Brown to head home.

Adam Forsyth had a chance to regain the lead for the visitors almost instantly but fired over from 10 yards but three minutes from the interval he did find the net. Baird outpaced the full back down the right and as he entered the area he was pulled down by Lee McCrae and this time referee Cousland pointed to the spot. Up stepped Forsyth to calmly net.

Two minutes after the restart Whitletts increased their lead. A Bobby Colligan free kick was headed on by Forsyth and although Fisher saved Buchanan’s back post header, the Vics captain had all the time in the world to finish off the rebound.

In 52 minutes, Dalry had a great chance to get themselves back in the game when Oliver was released by Archdeacon but the striker's angled drive across goal flew wide

For all their play, Dalry couldn’t muster a serious threat on the Vics goal and their frustrations were beginning to show and in 65 minutes, they were reduced to ten men when Jordan Stuart was shown a straight red card for a shocking challenge on Baird.

With nine minutes left the home side were reduced to nine men after Baird hustled keeper Fisher in a 50-50 outside the box and as Baird looked set to score a debut goal he was taken out the play just outside the area but a desperate challenge from the keeper for which he received a straight red card.

Jamie Anderson took over between the sticks.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Colligan, Ewart

The fourth goal came in 88 minutes when Paul Millar swept home from the edge of the area before Dalry were reduced to EIGHT men when Lochhead was shown a straight red for swearing at the referee, Right on 90 minutes another Colligan free-kick swept to the back post picking out the diving figure of Callum Ogston whose header beat the keeper at the far post.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Fraser; Collligan, Ewart (Ogston 35) Brown, I Kerr, Buchanan, Boyd, Millar, Forsyth, Baird (A Kerr 81) Donovan. Subs (not used) Georgem Dorigo