Match Report : Whitletts Vics
TROON 4 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 0
Premier Division Troon progressed to the Second Round of the Ayrshire Weekly Press Cup after a comfortable victory over a depleted Whitletts Victoria at Portland Park.
Troon dominated the match from the kick off but Whitletts, who only had eleven fit players, defended resolutely with Lee Holland leading by example at the back. Dale Moore went close for Troon with a cross to the back post that drifted just past but it was David Gillies who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. Dean Keenan fired a free kick into the area which the visitors failed to clear and Gillies was on hand to fire home from ten yards.
Martin Ure was lucky to only receive a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Ricky Hanvey but the closest the visitors came in a dour first half was courtesy of Michael O’Connor whose shot on the turn at the edge of the box went over Darren Johnson’s crossbar.
Keenan tested Ally McInnes with a thumping 30 yard free kick with Raymond Buchanan sweeping up the danger while just before the break Hanvey failed to control an O’Connor cross in front of goal and the chance went a begging.
Whitletts went into the game with only eleven fit players and an injured Tony Balfour on the bench but the Vics’ top scorer had to come on at the start of the second half for Hanvey just to make up the numbers.
Troon came out in the second half in rampant fashion looking to kill the tie and Gillies should have added a second but failed to get a proper connection to a Moore cross with the goal at his mercy. McInnes then denied both Gillies and Adam Forsyth in one on one situations while on the hour mark former Annbank striker Forsyth lobbed the Vics’ keeper only to see his effort slip agonisingly wide.
Michael Reilly was next to come off second best against McInnes as the keeper turned his shot round the post as Troon pressed for a second.
It was clear however that Vics’ striker Balfour couldn’t continue and in the 66th minute manager Rikki Ryland brought him off but with no other substitutes available, the visitors were left to finish the match with only ten men and the home side took full advantage.
After Forsyth had failed to connect properly with a Reilly cross in front of goal the second goal did arrive in the simplest of fashions in the 71st minute as Moore rose to head home a corner at the near post.
With six minutes remaining Moore scored his second of the game as he ran onto a long ball to fire low past McInnes and the scoring was completed in the 88th minute as substitute Pat Walker ran in at the back post to fire home from close range.
Still Troon looked to add to their tally and Zack Hood denied Moore his hat trick as he blocked his shot on the goal line.
Troon now play either Kello Rovers or Ardeer Thistle in the second round while Whitletts now have their final fixture of the season at Dam Park on Saturday against table topping Kilwinning Rangers who could secure promotion to the Superleague with a win.
TROON
1. Johnson 2. Ure (Murphy 73) 3. Armstrong 4. Keenan 5. Collins 6. Chatham 7. Reilly 8. Wilson 9. Gillies (McCann 78) 10. Forsyth (Walker 83) 11. Moore
Subs (not used) 15. Armstrong 16. Wyllie
WHITLETTS VICTORIA
1. McInnes 2. Hood 3. Longair 4. Buchanan 5. Holland 6. Love 7. Kerr 8. Ewart 9. O’Connor 10. Hanvey (Balfour HT) (66) 11. Robertson
REFEREE: Martin McCarthy