Whitletts Vics : Match Report
DALRY THISTLE 2 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 4
Whitletts recorded their second win of the week on the road but manager Neil Duffy will be far from happy with the manner of this result at Merksworth Park against a determined and tenacious Dalry side.
Dalry started the match well and in the opening exchanges David Mills just failed to get a connection on a free kick played in front of goal. The Jags striker then had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide as the home side pressed but they were hit with a classic sucker punch in the eighth minute that changed the course of the match. As Tony Blfour raced into the penalty he tried to take the ball round keeper Brian Hewitt but the Thistle No1 caught trip the Vics hitman leaving referee David Ingram no option but to point to the penalty spot. But the real controversy erupted as referee Ingram then showed Hewitt a red card for deny a clear goalscoring opportunity which infuriated the home side and manager Gavin Friels was also sent off in the altercation.
When the action resumed Balfour stepped forward to calmly stroke the penalty past stand in keeper Cameron McLuckie. Even that early, with the sending off of the keeper, it felt as if Vics would cruise to victory but Dalry were fired up by the sense of injustice, chased and harried Vics who despite trying to play their passing game, were moving the ball around too slowly allowing Dalry players to close them down. That said it came as no surprise when Whitletts doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute. Balfour again chasing down a through ball into the box and getting in front on Craig Marshall before side stepping the keeper to poke the ball home.
Two minutes later it was 3-0. Balfour completing his hat trick, shrugging off the attentions of a defender to get to a Lee Anderson cross and sticking the ball home from eight yards. At this point it seemed a case of how many for Vics and they should have added more before the break. Balfour raced clean through but with only the keeper to beat appeared to be caught in two minds and the chance was lost. Sean Ewart fired wide from 22 yards and then right on the stroke of half time an unbelievable miss from the normally reliable Balfour as he let a low cross from Sam McFall slip under his foot in front of an open goal from only two yards out.
Dalry made a double substitution at half time, including a chance of personnel in goal and to their credit took the game to Whitletts although the visitors were still in control. Tommy Sloan tried an audacious lob from 25 yards that just went over before he increased the Ayr sides advantage in the 57th minute. From a James Davidson corner, both Raymond Buchanan and Lee Anderson kept the ball alive and Sloan was on hand to head home Vics fourth from close range. But this Dalry side refused to lie down and reduced the leeway on the hour mark when persistence from Marc Hood paid off as he ran through a number of challenges at the edge of the box to fire past Allt McInnes. Moments later McInnes was called into action as substitute Greg McVeigh turned Graham Longair inside the box and the Vics keeper had to save with his feet. Suddenly Whitletts were under some real pressure and that pressure grew with 16 minutes remaining when David Mathieson gave away a cheap penalty bringing down Kieran McLaughlin and McVeigh stepped forward to slot home from twelve yards. Dalry pressed further but couldn’t find a way past the Vics defence and it was the visitors who came closest to adding to their tally with the last action of the game as stand in keeper Jack Dunlop saved a Sean Ewart drive and as Balfour seemed set to score he was denied by a fine challenge from Chris McGowan.
They always say it is the sign of a good side when a team wins without playing well but this performance is one that the Vics coaching team of Duffy and Jamie McCrae will not be happy with and will be looking for a vast improvement when they take on Ardeer Thistle at Dam Park on Friday night.
Dalry Thistle
1. Hewitt 2. McMunn 3. McGowan 4. Brown 5. McLuckie (Dunlop HT) 6. Guthrie 7. McLaughlin 8. Marshall 9. Mills (McVeigh 61) 10. Hood 11. Gray (Archdeacon HT) Sub (not used) 16. McFadzean
Whitletts Victoria
1. McInnes 2. Lee Anderson (Liam Anderson 63) 3. Ewart 4. Longair 5. Buchanan 6. Sloan 7. Mathieson 8. L. Kerr 9. Davidson (K.Kerr 69)10 McFall (McCarrison 73) 11. Balfour Sub (not used) 15. Hercus
Referee: David Ingram
Whitletts recorded their second win of the week on the road but manager Neil Duffy will be far from happy with the manner of this result at Merksworth Park against a determined and tenacious Dalry side.
Dalry started the match well and in the opening exchanges David Mills just failed to get a connection on a free kick played in front of goal. The Jags striker then had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide as the home side pressed but they were hit with a classic sucker punch in the eighth minute that changed the course of the match. As Tony Blfour raced into the penalty he tried to take the ball round keeper Brian Hewitt but the Thistle No1 caught trip the Vics hitman leaving referee David Ingram no option but to point to the penalty spot. But the real controversy erupted as referee Ingram then showed Hewitt a red card for deny a clear goalscoring opportunity which infuriated the home side and manager Gavin Friels was also sent off in the altercation.
When the action resumed Balfour stepped forward to calmly stroke the penalty past stand in keeper Cameron McLuckie. Even that early, with the sending off of the keeper, it felt as if Vics would cruise to victory but Dalry were fired up by the sense of injustice, chased and harried Vics who despite trying to play their passing game, were moving the ball around too slowly allowing Dalry players to close them down. That said it came as no surprise when Whitletts doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute. Balfour again chasing down a through ball into the box and getting in front on Craig Marshall before side stepping the keeper to poke the ball home.
Two minutes later it was 3-0. Balfour completing his hat trick, shrugging off the attentions of a defender to get to a Lee Anderson cross and sticking the ball home from eight yards. At this point it seemed a case of how many for Vics and they should have added more before the break. Balfour raced clean through but with only the keeper to beat appeared to be caught in two minds and the chance was lost. Sean Ewart fired wide from 22 yards and then right on the stroke of half time an unbelievable miss from the normally reliable Balfour as he let a low cross from Sam McFall slip under his foot in front of an open goal from only two yards out.
Dalry made a double substitution at half time, including a chance of personnel in goal and to their credit took the game to Whitletts although the visitors were still in control. Tommy Sloan tried an audacious lob from 25 yards that just went over before he increased the Ayr sides advantage in the 57th minute. From a James Davidson corner, both Raymond Buchanan and Lee Anderson kept the ball alive and Sloan was on hand to head home Vics fourth from close range. But this Dalry side refused to lie down and reduced the leeway on the hour mark when persistence from Marc Hood paid off as he ran through a number of challenges at the edge of the box to fire past Allt McInnes. Moments later McInnes was called into action as substitute Greg McVeigh turned Graham Longair inside the box and the Vics keeper had to save with his feet. Suddenly Whitletts were under some real pressure and that pressure grew with 16 minutes remaining when David Mathieson gave away a cheap penalty bringing down Kieran McLaughlin and McVeigh stepped forward to slot home from twelve yards. Dalry pressed further but couldn’t find a way past the Vics defence and it was the visitors who came closest to adding to their tally with the last action of the game as stand in keeper Jack Dunlop saved a Sean Ewart drive and as Balfour seemed set to score he was denied by a fine challenge from Chris McGowan.
They always say it is the sign of a good side when a team wins without playing well but this performance is one that the Vics coaching team of Duffy and Jamie McCrae will not be happy with and will be looking for a vast improvement when they take on Ardeer Thistle at Dam Park on Friday night.
Dalry Thistle
1. Hewitt 2. McMunn 3. McGowan 4. Brown 5. McLuckie (Dunlop HT) 6. Guthrie 7. McLaughlin 8. Marshall 9. Mills (McVeigh 61) 10. Hood 11. Gray (Archdeacon HT) Sub (not used) 16. McFadzean
Whitletts Victoria
1. McInnes 2. Lee Anderson (Liam Anderson 63) 3. Ewart 4. Longair 5. Buchanan 6. Sloan 7. Mathieson 8. L. Kerr 9. Davidson (K.Kerr 69)10 McFall (McCarrison 73) 11. Balfour Sub (not used) 15. Hercus
Referee: David Ingram