Whitletts Vics : Match Report
WHITLETTS VICTORIA 0 - NEILSTON 1
A stunning first half strike by Dylan Fletcher gave Neilston the points in this Championship fixture at Dam Park to stretch The Farmer’s Boys unbeaten run in all competitions to eleven matches.
In a hard fought but at times scrappy it was Vics who almost took the lead in the eighth minute when a Callum Walsh header was blocked on the line by Ross Mackinnon before being scrambled to safety. But the visitors soon settled into the game and had the better of the chances in the first period.
Vics trialist keeper Scott Johnston was called into action as he made an excellent save to deny Fletcher after some good play down the left by Mark Archdeacon but there was nothing he could do in the 16th minute when Neilston took the lead. Fletcher received the ball at the corner of the area and unleashed an unstoppable drive across Johnston into the top corner of the net.
Sean Ewart tested Kyle Pirie in the Neilston goal with a shot from 22 yards which the keeper failed to hold but Johnston was to be the busier of the two keepers, saving a back post header from Martin Curren and then reacting well to tip over a miscued clearance from Morgan Brown.
In a neat counter attack, Mackinnon drove past the angle when he had options in the middle before Johnston again kept the home side from falling further behind when he saved well to parry behind an Archdeacon effort.
Without doubt the visitors had had the better of the first period but the second period was a more even affair but chances were few and far between at either end.
Vics came close in the 58th minute when Ewart zipped a low cross across the face of goal but as Thomas Donovan slid in at the back post he couldn’t get enough on the ball to direct it into the net.
Fletcher went close for Neilston with a header past the angle while Donovan also went close for Vics, skewing his shot just wide after some good lead up play by David Cunningham.
Vics hopes of getting something from the match however were dented in the 75th minute when they were reduced to ten men when Callum Ogston was shown a second yellow card. Neilston were back in the ascendancy and Daryl Convery fired wide after he was set up by Cammy Haddow.
Late on Vics Stewart Davidson tested Pirie from distance but the keeper pushed his shot over the bar while at the other end Neilston almost doubled their advantage when an attempted clearance by Martin Findlay flew just wide of his own goal!
Not the return to Dam Park that George Grierson will have wanted but now Vics must prepare for two huge games coming up away to Craigmark next Saturday and then a home clash with Petershill on St.Andrew’s Day. Positive performances and results from those two fixtures could start to see the Dam Park side move away from the relegation zone.
Whitletts Victoria 1. Johnston 3. Millar (Boyd 75) 4. I.Kerr 5. Walsh 7. L.Kerr (Cunningham 68) 9. Reilly 10. Donovan 12. Ogston 15. Ewart 16. Davidson 19. Brown (Findlay 75)
Subs (not used) 13. Millen 17. Dinwoodie
Neilston 1. Pirie 2. Halliday 3. Mackinnon 4. Clark 5. Doyle 6. Docherty 7. Convery 8. Stirling 9. Fletcher (Diack 83) 10. Archdeacon (Stewart 72) 11. Curren (Haddow 63)
Subs (not used) 15. Hay 21. Digney
Referee: Gary Train