McBookie Super League Premier Division

TROON 0

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN 4

TROON's hopes of automatic promotion were dealt a major blow as they crashed to defeat against a Glencairn side who are still in contention for the play-offs.

The Glens took the game to their hosts in the early stages, without any creating any clear cut openings, until a corner was forced in seven minutes.

Tony Fraser curled the ball in from the right, and the ball broke out on the edge of the penalty area to Jamie Hamilton who fired in a shot which took a deflection on its way into the net.

Glencairn's brave policy of the last couple of seasons of keeping three players upfield when defending corner kicks paid off, not for the first time, as the lead was doubled in 12 minutes. A defensive clearance released McGuire in the centre of the park, and he produced a perfectly-timed pass to spring the offside trap, releasing Gary Smith on the left. The big striker didn't hesitate as he raced through to produce a decisive angled finish into the top right hand corner.

Troon didn't know what had hit them, and Glencairn went close again a couple of minutes later as Sean McCall drilled a shot a couple of yards over the crossbar from 20 yards.

The tempo of Glencairn's start eased off for a while as the match moved into its second quarter.

A brilliantly judged defensive challenge by Kerr thwarted home striker Mark Curragh as he looked to pull the trigger in front of goal in 27 minutes. A minute later a free kick from the right saw a breakdown in communication at the back for Glencairn, leaving David Syme with a free header at the back post which he looped up and over the crossbar.

Glencairn soon got back on the front foot as McKay's long throw was head flicked on by Del McNab, the ball flying across goal just too high for Smith to connect in the middle.

Visiting number one Jack Baker made a fine save in 37 minutes, tipping David Syme's back post header over the crossbar from Steven McCreadie's corner. Another corner just before half-time was only partially cleared by The Glens' defence, leaving a chance for Evan Maley to shoot from 25 yards, his effort rising well over the crossbar.

In 48 minutes stepped Gary Smith to hit one of his trademark free-kicks and the ball swerved and flashed past McInnes.

Troon looked to hit back quickly, but the makeshift Glencairn defence were in no mood for conceding, and Hall made a fine block to deny Dean Fulton before the same player fired a second effort into the side netting.

Some fine defensive pressure by Kerr was enough to force Mark Curragh into glancing his header wide of goal in 63 minutes.

A swift break by Troon in 69 minuted saw them pass up a good chance to pull a goal back. Morgan Brown's cross from the left was too high for Kerr to head away, leaving Fulton to dive in behind him but head over the crossbar from close range.

Troon's frustration was summed up a minute later as McCreadie fired a speculative left foot shot from distance which flew well wide of the target, and you could clearly hear the home support's lack of belief that their side were going to stage a recovery.

Troon's miserable afternoon was almost complete when McCreadie was shown a red card by the referee in 86 minutes, allegedly for comments made to the officials. Glens scored again in 87 minutes as the two substitutes combined. Leyden intercepted a poor pass out of defence, and he fed the ball to Liam Gormley, who clipped the ball past McInnes.

TROON: McInnes; McCreadie, Thorburn (Murphy), Keenan, Strachan, Brown, Maley, Syme, Curragh (Collins), Chatham, Fulton.