Ardrossan Winton Rovers Archive
Ross rushes in late
| Dalry Thistle | 3 |
| Ardrossan Winton Rovers | 4 |
Stagecoach Ayrshire District League
A DRAMATIC last gasp winner from double dazzler Ross Fraser saw Winton edge out their North Ayrshire rivals to make up for the disappointment of their OVD Scottish Cup opening round exit a week earlier.
In Winton's first real attack they took the lead in five minutes when a long free kick was knocked back across goal and Sean Quinn side footed home.
However, minutes later the game was all square. Ewan Jamieson won a header in midfield which sent Jim "Tiger" McNally clear and he finished from 15 yards.
The visitors restored their lead in 12 minutes with a quick pass through the middle to Fraser who beat the keeper in the race for the ball. Back at the other end McNally cracked a shot off the crossbar and as Dalry continued to press a Begley shot was cleared off the line.
In a rare Winton attack Fraser, looking well offside headed straight into the keeper's arms. Dalry were then caught by a quick break through the middle in 39 minutes and Bryan Taggart scored to give Derek Frye's side a 3-1 interval lead. Thistle had to take off the injured Rodgers, replacing hiw with Wallace.
If the home side felt they had a mountain to climb, they came out in the second half with the right attitude, and outplayed the visitors for most of the 45 minutes. In 49 minutes from a corner a Collins header was kicked off the line, then a shot from Copeland was deflected for another corner.
Cockerill then sent a 20 yard shot over. Dalry had the ball in the net through Jamieson a minute later but McNally was given offside.
Nine minutes later they pulled within a goal. A cross from the right from McNally was met with a glancing header by the diving Jamieson which landed in the back of the net.
Seven minutes from time it was all square when substitute Lockwood headed in from a corner. Three minutes from time keeper Robert McGoogan saved the visitors with a fine stop from McNally. But right on the 90 minute mark Dalry were caught with the sucker punch when Fraser was given a little too much space and his shot squeezed in low at the right hand post.
There was still time for McGoogan to once again pull off a fine save this time from Copeland, and despite all the hard work from Dalry, they ended the game with nothing to show for it.
Dalry: McDougall, Cockerill, Murray, Rodgers, Begley,
Tait,
Collins, Jamieson, Chalmers, NcNally, Copeland.
Subs: Boothman, Lockwood, Wallace, Muir, Hutson.
WINTON: McGoogan, Crawford, McCann, Connelly, Easton,
Muir,
Clelland, Shanks, Fraser, Quinn, Taggart.
Subs: Cook, McNab, Robertson, Gray, Padden.
This match report has been reproduced by kind permission the editor, Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald.