Match Report : Whitletts Vics
KELLO ROVERS 3 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 2
Vics fans leaving Nithside Park on Saturday were scratching their heads wondering exactly how this one got away from their side as an injury time penalty kick ensured the home side took all three points in this vital promotion clash.
For the majority of this clash it was the visitors who were the dominant force but they paid the penalty for squandering a host of chances and now they are looking for favours if they are to achieve their goal of promotion to the Superleague.
With only two minutes on the clock the first chance fell to Vics’ Craig Harvey who was through on goal onl;y to be denied by the outstretched leg of Kello keeper Ryan Dunsmuir.
Harvey then got on the end of a Sean Ewart cross but his flick was well saved at his near post by he keeper. Dunsmuir then denied Paul Cameron after a good run by Chris Black but in the 26th minute Vics were stunned as Kello took the lead. After his first cross into the box came back to him, Sean Bennie’s cross struck the shoulder of Josh Sloan and flew into the net despite the best attempts of keeper Ally McInnes.
A Greg Miller volley from the edge of the box was saved by McInnes but still the majority of the play was in the Kello half but ten minutes before the interval it was Kello who had the chance to double their advantage after Geoff Paterson was adjudged to have been tripped inside the area as Black cleared the danger by referee Michael McCart. Up stepped Geoff Ramage but Vics’ were thrown a lifeline as his spot kick came back off the post.
Whitletts pressed forward and Jordan Boyd couldn’t direct a Black cross on target and then Harvey again was released by Black in a one on one situation but again his attempt struck the keepers legs. Then three minutes before the interval Vics were given the ideal opportunity to level after Harvey was barged to the ground inside the area. No doubt about the award and Harvey dusted himself down but fired his poor penalty well wide of the target.
The first chance of the second period fell to Kello on a counter attack but McInnes pulled off a sensational save at full stretch to deny Miller and just five minutes after the restart Whitletts were back on level terms.
Black stepped inside a defender to set up Harvey who took the ball across the grounded Dunsmuir to fire into the empty net from six yards.
It was no more than Vics deserved and within two minutes Black was denied only by a goal line clearance from giving the Ayr side the lead.
Whittletts were in full flow but in the 58th minute a long clearance picked out Miller and the little striker was tripped in area by Danny Cunningham. A second penalty of the match for Kello and this time Martin Shaw drilled the ball down the middle to put the home side in front.
Back came Vics. Harvey fired over from a Ewart cross and Sloan was given a free header that he put wide but in the 65th minute, Vics pressure paid off again when a superb through ball by Ross Campbell released Black and the midfielder dinked the ball past the advancing Dunsmuir into the net.
Game on! Whitletts still having the majority of the play with Kello pressed back into defence and the best chance falling to Sloan with fi e minutes remaining but he headed wide.
As the game entered injury time, Black hooked a close range effort over his shoulder inside the six yards box only for Shaw to thump the ball off the line. Kello broke upfield and Miller again broke into the box down the left and was tripped this time by Robert Kirkland. Referee McCart pointed to the spot for a third Kello penalty and substitute Ross Costello stepped forward to drill the spot kick past McInnes.
As it stands, with Maybole’s victory at Ardrossan, promotion will be Kello’s if they win there five remaining fixtures but any slip will give Whitletts the opportunity to capitalise and there will be another huge match in two weeks time when Kello visit Dam Park in a match that will have major significance for both sides.
Kello Rovers 1. Dunsmuir 2. Bennie 3. Anderson 4. Ramage 5. Weir 6. Paterson (Hill 57) 7. Smith (McKenna 57) 8. Shaw 9. Miller 10. Fleming (Costello 19) 11.Pagan Subs (not used) 16 Thomson
Whitletts Victoria 1. McInnes 2. Boyle 3. Ewart (Kennedy 74) 4. Kirkland 5. Cunningham 6. Sloan 7. Boyd (Baird HT) 8. Black 9. Cameron 10. L. Kerr (Campbell 52) Subs (not used) 16. Buchanan
Referee: Michael McCart
Vics fans leaving Nithside Park on Saturday were scratching their heads wondering exactly how this one got away from their side as an injury time penalty kick ensured the home side took all three points in this vital promotion clash.
For the majority of this clash it was the visitors who were the dominant force but they paid the penalty for squandering a host of chances and now they are looking for favours if they are to achieve their goal of promotion to the Superleague.
With only two minutes on the clock the first chance fell to Vics’ Craig Harvey who was through on goal onl;y to be denied by the outstretched leg of Kello keeper Ryan Dunsmuir.
Harvey then got on the end of a Sean Ewart cross but his flick was well saved at his near post by he keeper. Dunsmuir then denied Paul Cameron after a good run by Chris Black but in the 26th minute Vics were stunned as Kello took the lead. After his first cross into the box came back to him, Sean Bennie’s cross struck the shoulder of Josh Sloan and flew into the net despite the best attempts of keeper Ally McInnes.
A Greg Miller volley from the edge of the box was saved by McInnes but still the majority of the play was in the Kello half but ten minutes before the interval it was Kello who had the chance to double their advantage after Geoff Paterson was adjudged to have been tripped inside the area as Black cleared the danger by referee Michael McCart. Up stepped Geoff Ramage but Vics’ were thrown a lifeline as his spot kick came back off the post.
Whitletts pressed forward and Jordan Boyd couldn’t direct a Black cross on target and then Harvey again was released by Black in a one on one situation but again his attempt struck the keepers legs. Then three minutes before the interval Vics were given the ideal opportunity to level after Harvey was barged to the ground inside the area. No doubt about the award and Harvey dusted himself down but fired his poor penalty well wide of the target.
The first chance of the second period fell to Kello on a counter attack but McInnes pulled off a sensational save at full stretch to deny Miller and just five minutes after the restart Whitletts were back on level terms.
Black stepped inside a defender to set up Harvey who took the ball across the grounded Dunsmuir to fire into the empty net from six yards.
It was no more than Vics deserved and within two minutes Black was denied only by a goal line clearance from giving the Ayr side the lead.
Whittletts were in full flow but in the 58th minute a long clearance picked out Miller and the little striker was tripped in area by Danny Cunningham. A second penalty of the match for Kello and this time Martin Shaw drilled the ball down the middle to put the home side in front.
Back came Vics. Harvey fired over from a Ewart cross and Sloan was given a free header that he put wide but in the 65th minute, Vics pressure paid off again when a superb through ball by Ross Campbell released Black and the midfielder dinked the ball past the advancing Dunsmuir into the net.
Game on! Whitletts still having the majority of the play with Kello pressed back into defence and the best chance falling to Sloan with fi e minutes remaining but he headed wide.
As the game entered injury time, Black hooked a close range effort over his shoulder inside the six yards box only for Shaw to thump the ball off the line. Kello broke upfield and Miller again broke into the box down the left and was tripped this time by Robert Kirkland. Referee McCart pointed to the spot for a third Kello penalty and substitute Ross Costello stepped forward to drill the spot kick past McInnes.
As it stands, with Maybole’s victory at Ardrossan, promotion will be Kello’s if they win there five remaining fixtures but any slip will give Whitletts the opportunity to capitalise and there will be another huge match in two weeks time when Kello visit Dam Park in a match that will have major significance for both sides.
Kello Rovers 1. Dunsmuir 2. Bennie 3. Anderson 4. Ramage 5. Weir 6. Paterson (Hill 57) 7. Smith (McKenna 57) 8. Shaw 9. Miller 10. Fleming (Costello 19) 11.Pagan Subs (not used) 16 Thomson
Whitletts Victoria 1. McInnes 2. Boyle 3. Ewart (Kennedy 74) 4. Kirkland 5. Cunningham 6. Sloan 7. Boyd (Baird HT) 8. Black 9. Cameron 10. L. Kerr (Campbell 52) Subs (not used) 16. Buchanan
Referee: Michael McCart