Match Report : Maybole v Whitletts
MAYBOLE 1 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 0
Nine man Vics’ succumbed to defeat in their first competitive outing of the season as they went down to an early goal at Ladywell Stadium on Monday night. But the main talking point of the game will be the sending off of THREE players in a flrst half flashpoint that reduced Vics’ to nine men for three quarters of the game.
Maybole started strongly and it didn’t take the Superleague side long to make the breakthrough. With five minutes on the clock a Keiran Nisbet corner was met by the head of Stephen Cargill and the defenders effort came off the shins of the unfortunate Graham Longair and settled in the back of the net past Jordan Callaghan.
It was no more than the home side deserved at that stage as Vics’ struggled to find any kind of rythmn to their play. The Ayr sides first effort on goal came in the 8th minute when striker Tony Balfour wriggled his way past three defenders and fired just wide from 22 yards.
The game erupted in controversy midway through the half when Dominic Boyle put in a rash challenge on Maybole defender Jo Maxwell. Although the Vics’ midfielder won the ball, both feet were off the ground when he made the challenge. Then in the ensuing melee, Maybole’s Stephen Cargill and Vics’ Stevie Kerr, making his competitive debut upon his return to the Dam Park side, pushed each other and that was sufficient for referee Callum Haswell to show both players the red card, along with Boyle.
Despite being down to nine men, Vics’ responded and only a sensational save from Scott Johnstone denied the visitors an equaliser in the 31st minute. When Bryan Paterson flicked a Michael O’Connor cross goalward, the ball seemed to have beaten the Maybole No1 but somehow he managed to claw the ball over the crossbar.
Although their passing was poor at times, there was no doubting the work ethic of the Vics’ players and O’Connor should have levelled in the 38th minute. As Tony Balfour latched onto a poor Maxwell pass back, Johnstone raced from his goal to block the strikers effort only for it to fall to O’Connor 25 yards out but with the goal at his mercy, the normally reliable striker mishit his effort and it drifted hopelessly wide.
At the other end, former Vics’ frontman David Cunningham turned Martin Lawrie inside the box but Callaghan was equal to his strike.
Maybole winger Keiran Nisbet was their dangerman and he had a great chance to double his sides advantage just after the restart when he raced clear but he shot wide of the target. Later he turned Raymond Buchanan to bore in on goal but again his finishing let him down as he chipped wide of the goal.
Vics’ kept battling away and probably had more of the territorial advantage, especially after the introduction of Elliot Duffy but although there was plenty of effort there was little in the way of clear cut chances to worry Johnstone in goal. The visitors looked like a side where players were getting to know each others style of play and at vital times lacked that bit of quality in their play to trouble the home side. Indeed it was Maybole who looked the more likely and Robert Forde went close with a shot from the edge of the box.
Forde should have wrapped up the points with six minutes remaining when he was left all alone at the back post but Vics’ keeper Callaghan stood tall to block the midfielders shot at his near post.
Vics’ continued to search for the equaliser but rarely looked like making the breakthrough and Maybole held on to get their Ardagh Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Maybole
1. Johnstone 2. McKissock 3. Whittaker 4. Cargill 5. Maxwell 6. Peacock 7. Murphy 8. Dinwoodie (Love 54) 9. Allan (Forde HT) 10. D.Cunningham 11. Nisbet
Subs (not used) 12. Bargh 14 S.Cunningham
Whitletts Victoria
1. Callaghan 2. Rodgers 3. Lawrie 4. Longair 5. Buchanan 6. Kerr 7. Davidson (Duffy 68) 8. Boyle 9. O’Connor 10. Balfour 11. Paterson (Cameron 50)
Subs (not used) 21. Stewart 14. Simpson 16. Barr
Referee: Calum Haswell
Nine man Vics’ succumbed to defeat in their first competitive outing of the season as they went down to an early goal at Ladywell Stadium on Monday night. But the main talking point of the game will be the sending off of THREE players in a flrst half flashpoint that reduced Vics’ to nine men for three quarters of the game.
Maybole started strongly and it didn’t take the Superleague side long to make the breakthrough. With five minutes on the clock a Keiran Nisbet corner was met by the head of Stephen Cargill and the defenders effort came off the shins of the unfortunate Graham Longair and settled in the back of the net past Jordan Callaghan.
It was no more than the home side deserved at that stage as Vics’ struggled to find any kind of rythmn to their play. The Ayr sides first effort on goal came in the 8th minute when striker Tony Balfour wriggled his way past three defenders and fired just wide from 22 yards.
The game erupted in controversy midway through the half when Dominic Boyle put in a rash challenge on Maybole defender Jo Maxwell. Although the Vics’ midfielder won the ball, both feet were off the ground when he made the challenge. Then in the ensuing melee, Maybole’s Stephen Cargill and Vics’ Stevie Kerr, making his competitive debut upon his return to the Dam Park side, pushed each other and that was sufficient for referee Callum Haswell to show both players the red card, along with Boyle.
Despite being down to nine men, Vics’ responded and only a sensational save from Scott Johnstone denied the visitors an equaliser in the 31st minute. When Bryan Paterson flicked a Michael O’Connor cross goalward, the ball seemed to have beaten the Maybole No1 but somehow he managed to claw the ball over the crossbar.
Although their passing was poor at times, there was no doubting the work ethic of the Vics’ players and O’Connor should have levelled in the 38th minute. As Tony Balfour latched onto a poor Maxwell pass back, Johnstone raced from his goal to block the strikers effort only for it to fall to O’Connor 25 yards out but with the goal at his mercy, the normally reliable striker mishit his effort and it drifted hopelessly wide.
At the other end, former Vics’ frontman David Cunningham turned Martin Lawrie inside the box but Callaghan was equal to his strike.
Maybole winger Keiran Nisbet was their dangerman and he had a great chance to double his sides advantage just after the restart when he raced clear but he shot wide of the target. Later he turned Raymond Buchanan to bore in on goal but again his finishing let him down as he chipped wide of the goal.
Vics’ kept battling away and probably had more of the territorial advantage, especially after the introduction of Elliot Duffy but although there was plenty of effort there was little in the way of clear cut chances to worry Johnstone in goal. The visitors looked like a side where players were getting to know each others style of play and at vital times lacked that bit of quality in their play to trouble the home side. Indeed it was Maybole who looked the more likely and Robert Forde went close with a shot from the edge of the box.
Forde should have wrapped up the points with six minutes remaining when he was left all alone at the back post but Vics’ keeper Callaghan stood tall to block the midfielders shot at his near post.
Vics’ continued to search for the equaliser but rarely looked like making the breakthrough and Maybole held on to get their Ardagh Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Maybole
1. Johnstone 2. McKissock 3. Whittaker 4. Cargill 5. Maxwell 6. Peacock 7. Murphy 8. Dinwoodie (Love 54) 9. Allan (Forde HT) 10. D.Cunningham 11. Nisbet
Subs (not used) 12. Bargh 14 S.Cunningham
Whitletts Victoria
1. Callaghan 2. Rodgers 3. Lawrie 4. Longair 5. Buchanan 6. Kerr 7. Davidson (Duffy 68) 8. Boyle 9. O’Connor 10. Balfour 11. Paterson (Cameron 50)
Subs (not used) 21. Stewart 14. Simpson 16. Barr
Referee: Calum Haswell