Match Report : Johnstone Burgh v Whitletts
JOHNSTONE BURGH 2 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 2
Vics completed an unbeaten pre-season with this hard fought draw at Keanie Park against Central League First Division side Johnstone Burgh.
Steph McMillan’s side were minus absentees Neil McGinn, Cammy Barr and Connor Simpson while new signing Shaun Allan is still recovering from a knee operation but this 90 minutes will have given the Vics boss plenty to ponder as the Ayr side prepare for Monday nights Ardagh Cup tie at Maybole.
Vics started strongly and took the game to their opponents in the opening quarter. In the first minute only the quick thinking of Burgh keeper Fraser Wilson denied the visitors the lead as he raced from his goal to block from James Davidson.
Davidson was at the heart of everything for Vics early on and after Burgh failed to defend a corner kick, it was from Davidson's low driven cross that Raymond Buchanan fired low past Wilson to give Vics a sixth minute lead.
The Ayr side were dominant and almost went further ahead on the quarter hour mark when quick thinking from Michael O’Connor saw the striker beat Wilson to the ball but his overhead kick was cleared off the line by Derek Carson.
Burgh started to work their way into the game but it was Whitletts who still looked the more likely to add to their lead.
Vics were temporarily reduced to 10 men as Marc Cameron required treatment for a nasty head gash and it was during this time that O’Connor then tested Wilson with a 25 yard free kick that the keeper did well to push the ball over the bar. However from the resulting corner kick, Burgh cleared the danger and broke quickly upfield and as striker John Sherry raced clear, he tried to round Fraser Stewart and the Vics keeper pulled him to the ground giving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Stewart was shown a yellow card and then had to pick the ball out of the net as Sherry dusted himself down to give the keeper no chance from 12 yards.
Michael O’Connor was playing a lone striker role and almost gave the visitors the lead in the 38th minute but although his lob beat Wilson it drifted wide of the post.
But it was Burgh who finished the half the stronger. With five minutes of the half remaining, a mistake from Lee Holland allowed Sherry to race clear but this time Stewart was equal to the task with a fine block. Martin McIntyre then should have put the home side in front just before the break but dragged his angled drive wide of the target.
Both sides made a number of changes at the break and it was almost a case of déjà vu as Vics took a grip on the game and regained the lead in the 50th minute. From Bryan Paterson’s corner kick, Buchanan rose to head home at the back post for his second of the game.
On the hour mark Neil Dinnen fired just past the angle from the edge of the box while at the other end, Vics’ Davidson sliced a Paterson corner just wide of the post.
It was an open game although Vics looked to carry the greater goal threat and only a superb save from Wilson denied substitute Tony Balfour as the keeper pushed a thumping angled drive from the Vics striker over the bar.
But with nine minutes remaining it was Burgh who found the route to goal. A poor defensive clearance from a throw in found two Burgh players unmarked 25 yards out and trialist Ross McKenzie, who had only been on the park a couple of minutes, gave the keeper no chance as he struck a perfect volley high past Jordan Callaghan into the top corner.
That gave Burgh the initiative and the last chance of the game fell to the Keanie Park side when a neat passing move down the left carved open the Vics defence but Grant Kelly’s shot from the corner of the box slipped narrowly past.
After the match, Vics manager Steph McMillan said that the game was a good workout for his side but he expects more from his players when the real action gets underway on Monday.
“Today’s match was a good workout against a good side. We had to change the way we would normally have lined up today due to the non-availability of Neil McGinn. He’s going to be a big player for us this season and there’s no doubt we missed him today.”
“As a team there’s still a fair bit of improvement to be made. We brought in eight players this season and they still need time to gel as a team and understand how we want them to play but we have to be prepared to work hard and show the commitment necessary if we are to achieve our ambitions this season but we are moving in the right direction.”
Johnstone Burgh
1. Wilson 2. McKeown 3. Ross (McGarrigle HT) 4. Yule 5. Carson 6. Perrie 7. Kelly 8. McLean ((Dinnen HT) McKenzie 79) 9. Sherry 10. Milarkey (McIntyre 22) 11. Harvey
Whitletts Victoria
1. Stewart (Callaghan HT) 2. Longair (Rodgers 56) 3. Lawrie 4. Holland 5. Buchanan 6. Kerr 7. Duffy (Balfour 53) 8. Cameron (Boyle HT) 9. O’Connor 10. Davidson 11. Paterson
Vics completed an unbeaten pre-season with this hard fought draw at Keanie Park against Central League First Division side Johnstone Burgh.
Steph McMillan’s side were minus absentees Neil McGinn, Cammy Barr and Connor Simpson while new signing Shaun Allan is still recovering from a knee operation but this 90 minutes will have given the Vics boss plenty to ponder as the Ayr side prepare for Monday nights Ardagh Cup tie at Maybole.
Vics started strongly and took the game to their opponents in the opening quarter. In the first minute only the quick thinking of Burgh keeper Fraser Wilson denied the visitors the lead as he raced from his goal to block from James Davidson.
Davidson was at the heart of everything for Vics early on and after Burgh failed to defend a corner kick, it was from Davidson's low driven cross that Raymond Buchanan fired low past Wilson to give Vics a sixth minute lead.
The Ayr side were dominant and almost went further ahead on the quarter hour mark when quick thinking from Michael O’Connor saw the striker beat Wilson to the ball but his overhead kick was cleared off the line by Derek Carson.
Burgh started to work their way into the game but it was Whitletts who still looked the more likely to add to their lead.
Vics were temporarily reduced to 10 men as Marc Cameron required treatment for a nasty head gash and it was during this time that O’Connor then tested Wilson with a 25 yard free kick that the keeper did well to push the ball over the bar. However from the resulting corner kick, Burgh cleared the danger and broke quickly upfield and as striker John Sherry raced clear, he tried to round Fraser Stewart and the Vics keeper pulled him to the ground giving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Stewart was shown a yellow card and then had to pick the ball out of the net as Sherry dusted himself down to give the keeper no chance from 12 yards.
Michael O’Connor was playing a lone striker role and almost gave the visitors the lead in the 38th minute but although his lob beat Wilson it drifted wide of the post.
But it was Burgh who finished the half the stronger. With five minutes of the half remaining, a mistake from Lee Holland allowed Sherry to race clear but this time Stewart was equal to the task with a fine block. Martin McIntyre then should have put the home side in front just before the break but dragged his angled drive wide of the target.
Both sides made a number of changes at the break and it was almost a case of déjà vu as Vics took a grip on the game and regained the lead in the 50th minute. From Bryan Paterson’s corner kick, Buchanan rose to head home at the back post for his second of the game.
On the hour mark Neil Dinnen fired just past the angle from the edge of the box while at the other end, Vics’ Davidson sliced a Paterson corner just wide of the post.
It was an open game although Vics looked to carry the greater goal threat and only a superb save from Wilson denied substitute Tony Balfour as the keeper pushed a thumping angled drive from the Vics striker over the bar.
But with nine minutes remaining it was Burgh who found the route to goal. A poor defensive clearance from a throw in found two Burgh players unmarked 25 yards out and trialist Ross McKenzie, who had only been on the park a couple of minutes, gave the keeper no chance as he struck a perfect volley high past Jordan Callaghan into the top corner.
That gave Burgh the initiative and the last chance of the game fell to the Keanie Park side when a neat passing move down the left carved open the Vics defence but Grant Kelly’s shot from the corner of the box slipped narrowly past.
After the match, Vics manager Steph McMillan said that the game was a good workout for his side but he expects more from his players when the real action gets underway on Monday.
“Today’s match was a good workout against a good side. We had to change the way we would normally have lined up today due to the non-availability of Neil McGinn. He’s going to be a big player for us this season and there’s no doubt we missed him today.”
“As a team there’s still a fair bit of improvement to be made. We brought in eight players this season and they still need time to gel as a team and understand how we want them to play but we have to be prepared to work hard and show the commitment necessary if we are to achieve our ambitions this season but we are moving in the right direction.”
Johnstone Burgh
1. Wilson 2. McKeown 3. Ross (McGarrigle HT) 4. Yule 5. Carson 6. Perrie 7. Kelly 8. McLean ((Dinnen HT) McKenzie 79) 9. Sherry 10. Milarkey (McIntyre 22) 11. Harvey
Whitletts Victoria
1. Stewart (Callaghan HT) 2. Longair (Rodgers 56) 3. Lawrie 4. Holland 5. Buchanan 6. Kerr 7. Duffy (Balfour 53) 8. Cameron (Boyle HT) 9. O’Connor 10. Davidson 11. Paterson