Match Report : Whitletts
MUIRKIRK 0 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 7
Whitletts prepared for next Saturday’s vital league match at Kello Rovers with a comfortable seven goal romp at Burnside Park in the Ayrshire Cup to set up a trip to South Ayrshire rivals Maybole in the second round.
The outcome of this game was rarely in doubt after the visitors opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Ali Boyle played the ball into Jordan Boyd who skipped past the challenge of a defender to fire low past ‘Kirk keeper Robbie Wilson.
Muirkirk had their chances as Ally McInnes clawed a Ross Ballantyne shot to safety after a Danny Cunningham clearance was blocked and then former Vics midfielder Mark Ferris missed his kick with the goal at his mercy and they were punished just a minute later as Vics went two up. Paul Cameron played a delightful pass through to Chris Black and the midfielder fired home from the corner of the six yard box.
Cameron himself had a shot deflected inches wide before Whitletts struck again on the half hour. The two goalscorers combining as Black broke down the right and from his cross Boyd swept the ball into the net.
Craig Harvey was denied by the feet of the keeper three minutes from the break but two minutes later he got his name on the scoresheet. Cameron again the provider as he played a ball in behind the home defence and Harvey raced clear to fire low past Wilson to give Whitletts a four goal lead at half time.
With an eye on next weekends crucial match at Kello, manager Neil Duffy made all three changes at the interval to give his players some match time with Tony Balfour, Niall Kennedy and Darren Baird all entering the field and in the opening minute of the second half Balfour was denied
Craig Peck fired just over the bar from the edge of the area for the home side but in the 57th minute Vics made it 5-0. A poor kicked clearance from Wilson fell kindly for Louis Kerr who from 25 yards drilled the ball low into the back of the net.
To their credit Muirkirk continued to press forward but Whitletts were in total control of the proceedings and it came as no surprise when they added a sixth in the 76th minute. A neat move down the right saw Kerr head a Kennedy cross back across goal for Cameron to score from six yards.
The scoring was completed in the final minute with the pick of the bunch scored by Cameron with a sublime overhead kick from a Kennedy cross. Now the focus is firmly back on the league and Whitletts promotion bid and next week’s huge clash with fellow promotion contenders Kello at Nithside Park
Muirkirk 1. R.Wilson 2. Peck 3. Millar 4. Barrie 5. Williamson 6. Campbell 7. Campbell 8. C.Wilson (Murtagh HT) 9. Ballantyne (Kiltie 89) 10. Ferris (Burt 60) 11. Beveridge Sub (not used) 17. Hume
Whitletts Victoria 1. McInnes 2. Boyle 3. Ewart 4. Cunningham 5. Kirkland 6. Sloan 7. Boyd (Balfour HT) 8. Black (Kennedy HT) 9. Cameron 10. L. Kerr 11. Harvey (Baird HT)
Referee: Gary Logan
Whitletts prepared for next Saturday’s vital league match at Kello Rovers with a comfortable seven goal romp at Burnside Park in the Ayrshire Cup to set up a trip to South Ayrshire rivals Maybole in the second round.
The outcome of this game was rarely in doubt after the visitors opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Ali Boyle played the ball into Jordan Boyd who skipped past the challenge of a defender to fire low past ‘Kirk keeper Robbie Wilson.
Muirkirk had their chances as Ally McInnes clawed a Ross Ballantyne shot to safety after a Danny Cunningham clearance was blocked and then former Vics midfielder Mark Ferris missed his kick with the goal at his mercy and they were punished just a minute later as Vics went two up. Paul Cameron played a delightful pass through to Chris Black and the midfielder fired home from the corner of the six yard box.
Cameron himself had a shot deflected inches wide before Whitletts struck again on the half hour. The two goalscorers combining as Black broke down the right and from his cross Boyd swept the ball into the net.
Craig Harvey was denied by the feet of the keeper three minutes from the break but two minutes later he got his name on the scoresheet. Cameron again the provider as he played a ball in behind the home defence and Harvey raced clear to fire low past Wilson to give Whitletts a four goal lead at half time.
With an eye on next weekends crucial match at Kello, manager Neil Duffy made all three changes at the interval to give his players some match time with Tony Balfour, Niall Kennedy and Darren Baird all entering the field and in the opening minute of the second half Balfour was denied
Craig Peck fired just over the bar from the edge of the area for the home side but in the 57th minute Vics made it 5-0. A poor kicked clearance from Wilson fell kindly for Louis Kerr who from 25 yards drilled the ball low into the back of the net.
To their credit Muirkirk continued to press forward but Whitletts were in total control of the proceedings and it came as no surprise when they added a sixth in the 76th minute. A neat move down the right saw Kerr head a Kennedy cross back across goal for Cameron to score from six yards.
The scoring was completed in the final minute with the pick of the bunch scored by Cameron with a sublime overhead kick from a Kennedy cross. Now the focus is firmly back on the league and Whitletts promotion bid and next week’s huge clash with fellow promotion contenders Kello at Nithside Park
Muirkirk 1. R.Wilson 2. Peck 3. Millar 4. Barrie 5. Williamson 6. Campbell 7. Campbell 8. C.Wilson (Murtagh HT) 9. Ballantyne (Kiltie 89) 10. Ferris (Burt 60) 11. Beveridge Sub (not used) 17. Hume
Whitletts Victoria 1. McInnes 2. Boyle 3. Ewart 4. Cunningham 5. Kirkland 6. Sloan 7. Boyd (Balfour HT) 8. Black (Kennedy HT) 9. Cameron 10. L. Kerr 11. Harvey (Baird HT)
Referee: Gary Logan