McBookie Super League First Division

SHETTLESTON 0

TROON 2

By Richard Henderson

YET another vital win on the road for Troon saw them propelled back into the automatic promotion places and are again favourites for promotion to the Premier Division at the first time of asking.

Wednesday's disappointing defeat at home to Kello seemed to inspire the Seasiders and this proved to be a strongly competitive encounter from the outset. Troon were first to threaten as wide man Dean Fulton beat his full-back and crossed only for Mark Curragh to see his effort saved by home keeper Gary Whyte.

Only a few minutes later, Whyte went down unchallenged with what turned out to be a recurrence of a previous back injury which saw him stretchered off and replaced by former Ardrossan Winton Rovers goalie Dylan Caddis.

Steven McCreadie was next up as a Troon move again down the right flank threatened the breakthrough, but his left-footed shot sailed over the crossbar. Shettleston put up a fight that belied their lowly league position and had their share of possession in the middle of the park without seriously threatening Ally McInnes' goal and so it was no surprise when the promotion-chasing visitors took the lead just eight minutes before half-time. An attack was thwarted and cleared before a dangerous looking ball travelled into the corridor of uncertainty to be rifled home by David Syme for his sixth goal in nine games - not a bad return for a player signed as a defender!

The second half started at much the same tempo as the first as both teams grafted hard and competed for every ball. as the 'Ton looked to grind their way back into the game referee MacDermid showed a flurry of yellow cards for over-zealous challenges before Troon looked to have a valid penalty claim waved away, with the insult to injury being a yellow card for diving shown to the aggrieved Fulton.

As 'Ton manager Hugh Kelly chased and harried his charges on from the dugout, the challenges became increasingly rash but visiting Captain nearly took advantage of another cheap free-kick when he was denied well by Caddis at his near post. The hosts had introduced a live-wire front two at the interval to replace the more physical threat of the first half and this was stretching the game, but with Fulton and Maley running riot Troon always looked the more likely of the two teams. A clever tactical switch from Troon manager Jimmy Kirkwood saw Mark Curragh, previously marshalled well by the impressive Crumlish, switched with wide man Fulton and the change delivered the second goal. Strong running from Fulton unsettled the home defence and Captain Marvel Keenan was on hand to fire home the decider. A tousy final 10 minutes followed, but it was a position of strength that Troon never really looked like allowing to slip.

A very professional performance from Troon in a very hostile environment, which sees Troon move into the fourth and final automatic promotion place. But with Cambuslang, Largs and Kirkwood's Portland Parker's separated only by goal difference in third, fourth and fifth, there is still everything to play for as each team has three games left to play.

Saturday is a perhaps unwelcome distraction from the cut and thrust of league duty when Auchinleck Talbot are the visitors to the Ayrshire coast in the third round of the West of Scotland Cup, a competition these two sides met in the final of four years ago.

TROON: McInnes; McCreadie (Clark 90), Thorburn, Keenan, Strachan, Chatham, Fulton, Syme, Curragh, Maley, Miller (Garden 87).