Match Report : Whitletts Vics
DALRY THISTLE 2 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 4
Three goals in a seven minute spell late in the match saw Whitletts come from behind to snatch victory in a thrilling match at Merksworth Park.
Minus a number of key players, Vics’ trailed to a controversial second half penalty but goals from Michael O’Conner, Tony Balfour and Ricky Hanvey saw the Ayr side fight back to take the points.
Dalry started the game strongly, taking the game to their opponents but failing to create any clear cut chances while Whitletts were restricted mainly to counter attacking and it was from one such move that the Dam Park side nearly took the lead when some superb build play involving O’Conner and Hanvey et up Balfour but the strikers shot from 20 yards crashed back off the post.
Dalry has a spell of incessant pressure midway through the half when Vics’ just couldn’t clear their lines and were pressed back into their own area and during this spell referee Chris McTeirnan correctly waved aside home appeals for a penalty when Dylan Stevenson went down under a Stevie Kerr challenge, Keeper Ally McInnes has to claw away a cross under pressure from under his cross an a sliced clearance form Graham Longair saw the ball crash off the post!
Whitletts withstood this period of pressure and began to work their way into the game and Hanvey saw his thumping volley from 35 yards parried by Thistle keeper Brian Hewitt. The visitors were now beginning to look more threatening and O’Conner almost put them ahead when he got on the end of an Alan Love cross but although his effort beat Hewitt it drifted agonisingly wide of the far past.
It was obvious that this game wasn’t going to end goalless and it was Whitletts who took the lead in the 33rd minute. From the corner of the penalty area, Jim Wilson played a perfect diagonal pas to the corner of the six yard box where Balfour stole in to fire low past Hewitt
Two minutes later Dalry should have equalised when Jamie Boyle raced clear only to blaze his shot over the bar when he seemed set to score. However three minutes before half time the side were back on level terms. Referee McTiernan must have been the only person in the round to have deemed Hanvey’s challenge on Stevenson to be a foul but from the resulting the free kick the former Morton player picked out Jason Boyle whose header was parried by McInnes but the big defender followed up to net the rebound.
The home side could have been ahead at the interval but Keiron Friel blazed wide of the target and the sides went in all square at the break.
By the time the players took to the park for the second half, the rain was falling incessantly but that didn’t dampens the efforts of both sides and Balfour was first to test a keeper when Hewitt parried his 20 yard drive.
Mark Laughlin just failed to make full contact on the ball at the back post after a cross ball eluded McInnes while for Whitletts O’Conner couldn’t direct a Balfour cross on target at the back post. But ten minutes after the restart the home side took the lead in controversial circumstances. As Laughlin broke into the penalty area Sean Ewart impeded the midfielder, who despite staying on his feet didn’t prevent referee McTeirnan from pointing to the spot from which Jamie Boyle gave McInnes no chance, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Whitletts responded with an O’Conner header from an Alan Love corner that flashed wide while at the other end Dalry cameclose to entending their advantage but Friels’ header went just past the angle of post and crossbar.
But in the 71st minute, Whitletts were back on level terms. Again from a Lover corner kick, O’Conner found space six yards from goal to head past Hewitt.
The Ayr side were on the ascendancy now and pressed forward and two minutes later Love’s shot was blocked inside the area by the raised arm of Calum Hercus giving referee McTiernan no option but to point to the spot and although Hewitt got a hand to Balfour’s penalty he could stop the little striker netting his second goal of the game.
Dalry’s response was swift and they pressed Vics’ back, winning a series of corner kicks. From one of these corners Ewart kept Vics’ in front when he cleared the ball off the line at the near post. But from another corner, it was Whitletts who countered and sealed victory when Balfour’s cross was flicked on by Hanvey and youngster Sean Robertson headed the ball back into Hanvey’s path for the midfielder to net from close range.
To their credit Dalry continued to press forward but found Vics’ keeper McInnes unbeatable. First diving at the feet of substitute Scott Gray when he seemed set to score and then from a powerful Calum Walsh header that he saved on the line at the second attempt. In injury time the Vics’ No1 made a point blank save from Jamie Boyle as Whitletts held on to secure the points.
DALRY THISTLE
1. Hewitt 2. Jason Boyle 3. Walsh 4. Tennant 5. Hercus 6. Friel 7. Stevenson (Friels 90) 8. Lockhart 9. Jamie Boyle 10. Laughlin 11. L.Hood (Gray 75)
Subs (not used) 12. Z.Hood 14. Halliday 16. Hyslop
WHITLETTS VICTORIA
1. McInnes 2. Reynolds 3. Ewart 4. Holland 5. Longair 6. Hanvey 7. Kerr 8. Love 9. Balfour 10. O’Conner (McCrae 89) 11. Wilson (Robertson 75)
Subs (not used) 15, Vance
Referee: Chris McTiernan
Three goals in a seven minute spell late in the match saw Whitletts come from behind to snatch victory in a thrilling match at Merksworth Park.
Minus a number of key players, Vics’ trailed to a controversial second half penalty but goals from Michael O’Conner, Tony Balfour and Ricky Hanvey saw the Ayr side fight back to take the points.
Dalry started the game strongly, taking the game to their opponents but failing to create any clear cut chances while Whitletts were restricted mainly to counter attacking and it was from one such move that the Dam Park side nearly took the lead when some superb build play involving O’Conner and Hanvey et up Balfour but the strikers shot from 20 yards crashed back off the post.
Dalry has a spell of incessant pressure midway through the half when Vics’ just couldn’t clear their lines and were pressed back into their own area and during this spell referee Chris McTeirnan correctly waved aside home appeals for a penalty when Dylan Stevenson went down under a Stevie Kerr challenge, Keeper Ally McInnes has to claw away a cross under pressure from under his cross an a sliced clearance form Graham Longair saw the ball crash off the post!
Whitletts withstood this period of pressure and began to work their way into the game and Hanvey saw his thumping volley from 35 yards parried by Thistle keeper Brian Hewitt. The visitors were now beginning to look more threatening and O’Conner almost put them ahead when he got on the end of an Alan Love cross but although his effort beat Hewitt it drifted agonisingly wide of the far past.
It was obvious that this game wasn’t going to end goalless and it was Whitletts who took the lead in the 33rd minute. From the corner of the penalty area, Jim Wilson played a perfect diagonal pas to the corner of the six yard box where Balfour stole in to fire low past Hewitt
Two minutes later Dalry should have equalised when Jamie Boyle raced clear only to blaze his shot over the bar when he seemed set to score. However three minutes before half time the side were back on level terms. Referee McTiernan must have been the only person in the round to have deemed Hanvey’s challenge on Stevenson to be a foul but from the resulting the free kick the former Morton player picked out Jason Boyle whose header was parried by McInnes but the big defender followed up to net the rebound.
The home side could have been ahead at the interval but Keiron Friel blazed wide of the target and the sides went in all square at the break.
By the time the players took to the park for the second half, the rain was falling incessantly but that didn’t dampens the efforts of both sides and Balfour was first to test a keeper when Hewitt parried his 20 yard drive.
Mark Laughlin just failed to make full contact on the ball at the back post after a cross ball eluded McInnes while for Whitletts O’Conner couldn’t direct a Balfour cross on target at the back post. But ten minutes after the restart the home side took the lead in controversial circumstances. As Laughlin broke into the penalty area Sean Ewart impeded the midfielder, who despite staying on his feet didn’t prevent referee McTeirnan from pointing to the spot from which Jamie Boyle gave McInnes no chance, sending the keeper the wrong way.
Whitletts responded with an O’Conner header from an Alan Love corner that flashed wide while at the other end Dalry cameclose to entending their advantage but Friels’ header went just past the angle of post and crossbar.
But in the 71st minute, Whitletts were back on level terms. Again from a Lover corner kick, O’Conner found space six yards from goal to head past Hewitt.
The Ayr side were on the ascendancy now and pressed forward and two minutes later Love’s shot was blocked inside the area by the raised arm of Calum Hercus giving referee McTiernan no option but to point to the spot and although Hewitt got a hand to Balfour’s penalty he could stop the little striker netting his second goal of the game.
Dalry’s response was swift and they pressed Vics’ back, winning a series of corner kicks. From one of these corners Ewart kept Vics’ in front when he cleared the ball off the line at the near post. But from another corner, it was Whitletts who countered and sealed victory when Balfour’s cross was flicked on by Hanvey and youngster Sean Robertson headed the ball back into Hanvey’s path for the midfielder to net from close range.
To their credit Dalry continued to press forward but found Vics’ keeper McInnes unbeatable. First diving at the feet of substitute Scott Gray when he seemed set to score and then from a powerful Calum Walsh header that he saved on the line at the second attempt. In injury time the Vics’ No1 made a point blank save from Jamie Boyle as Whitletts held on to secure the points.
DALRY THISTLE
1. Hewitt 2. Jason Boyle 3. Walsh 4. Tennant 5. Hercus 6. Friel 7. Stevenson (Friels 90) 8. Lockhart 9. Jamie Boyle 10. Laughlin 11. L.Hood (Gray 75)
Subs (not used) 12. Z.Hood 14. Halliday 16. Hyslop
WHITLETTS VICTORIA
1. McInnes 2. Reynolds 3. Ewart 4. Holland 5. Longair 6. Hanvey 7. Kerr 8. Love 9. Balfour 10. O’Conner (McCrae 89) 11. Wilson (Robertson 75)
Subs (not used) 15, Vance
Referee: Chris McTiernan