McBookie Ayrshire District League

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 4

LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE 3

IT costs only a fiver to get into an Ayrshire District League match and this match proved what great value for money junior football can be as both teams served up a seven-goal thriller at Dam Park.

Vics made a strong start with Josh Sloan testing Ronnie Davis in the Lugar goal from distance and then after Craig Harvey worked his way to the byeline his cutback beat Davis but Declan Milligan’s ‘tap in’ from six yards was cleared off the line by Jamie Montgomery.

The breakthrough came in nine minutes after Jordan Boyd was brought down in the area by Montgomery and Martin Lawrie stepped up to send Davis the wrong way from 12 yards.

However Lugar levelled just four minutes later when a through ball picked out Chris Stewart who despatched the ball past Douglas from 10 yards.

Vics were relieved two minutes later when Jordan Drummond headed home for the visitors only for referee Kieran O’Reilly to rule out the goal for offside and then at the other end after Harvey saw his shot blocked by Davis, and from the resulting corner the ball eventually crossed the line but again the referee adjudged there had been a foul on the Lugar keeper and the ‘goal’ was not given.

Declan Milligan tried his luck from distance on a couple of occasions but his namesake in the Lugar line up, Stuart, who was to find the net in 26 minutes with a stunning volley from 22 yards after the home defence had failed to clear their lines from a free-kick.

Davis saved at his near post to deny Milligan and recovered to save Harvey’s follow-up. Although Vics were having the better of the play in an attacking sense, Lugar were carrying a serious threat going forward and it was clear that there were going to be more goals. And that proved to be the case in 43 minutes when the hosts snatched the equaliser. A Blair Anderson cross into the box found Louis Kerr who controlled the ball on his chest before firing a low shot past Davis.

The final chance of the half fell to Vics and although Milligan’s 20-yard drive was spilled initially by Davis, the big keeper recovered,

The second half was a very open affair with both sides going forward at every opportunity but neither defence was greatly troubled until 64 minutes when Ewart and Munyardzi combined down the left but Drummond cleared. Moments later Harvey was denied by a goal-line clearance from Andrew Struthers

Munyaradzi broke down the right and his back post cross found Ewart whose shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of Davis. But with 15 minutes remaining a great double stop from Douglas denied the Jaggy Bunnets. He saved an angled Jamie Conn shot at his near post and then recovering to stop Darren Curtis’ back post follow-up.

But not to be outdone, Conn scored in 78 minutes, drilling a low shot through a crowded penalty box and under Douglas.

Vics' response was swift. Within a minute a Munyaradzi cross into the box from a short corner found Louis Kerr and the young midfielder fired low past Davis from inside the six-yard box.

Then with five minutes remaining Vics took the lead. As Lugar failed to clear their lines from a corner, Louis Kerr worked his way to the byeline and from his cutback, Craig Harvey drilled the ball home from 10 yards.

Deep into injury-time, Shirkie had a great chance to salvage a point for Lugar when he found room for a header inside the area but Vics held on to claim what could prove to be three very valuable points.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA Douglas. Anderson, Lawrie. I Kerr, Buchanan, Sloan, Milligan (Boyle 74); Boyd (Munyaradzi 57); Harvey; L Kerr, Ewart (Ogston 85)

Subs (not used) 16. Mullen