Ardrossan Winton Rovers Archive
| Beith Juniors | 3 |
| Ardrossan Winton Rovers | 2 |
Ardagh Glass League Cup
BELLSDALE Park was in immaculate condition despite the downpour that forced a number of cancellations and fancied Beith finally overcame spirited Winton to take top spot in the section.
The hosts made widespread changes to the side that got off to a winning start at Kilbirnie and struggled to find their shape early on with Winton challenging for every ball.
The visitors stunned their hosts after 10 minutes when Colin Frye brilliantly curled a free kick from 20 yards in off the upright giving Tiropolous no chance.
The action continued and Beith levelled a minute later when a fine move was clinically finished by Stephen Dymock, when he darted in to steer a John Spence cross home from seven yards.
The game swung freely from end to end with Arbuckle causing problems for Winton up the right and similarly Stephen Reid looked dangerous when in possession and he forced beith keeper Tiropolous into a good save with a shot from a tight angle.
Winton keeper Stevie O'Neill made a fine block on a Andy Arbuckle effort as Beith pressed. Winton were fortunate that referee Mr Burns only booked O'Neill when he came outside his area to catch the ball as Beith attacked. Spence curled the resulting free kick wide.
Spence and Arbuckle failed to hit the target with decent chances before the break.
Beith kept up the pressure after the restart and soon went ahead when new singing Lee McShane got on the end of a Spence free kick into the area to steer his header into the bottom corner.
Winton plugged away and were rewarded with a penalty a minute later when Mr Burns adjudged that John Sheridan had brought down Wilson as he drove into the box.
Wilson looked to have made the most of the incident as there looked no contact but Sheridan needlessly went to ground in a challenge when the ball would have gone out if he had stayed on his feet. Colin Frye made no mistake with a confident strike from the spot.
Beith brought on Kenny McLean but it was former Beith defender Billy Easton who almost found the net when he headed off the crossbar from a corner.
John Spence was providing plenty of ammunition for the Beith forwards but a finish was proving elusive. O'Neill also produced two fine saves to deny K McLean.
Winton were being forced to defend deeper as time wore on and Beith grabbed the winner with 10 minutes remaining when Chris Kerr caught a clearance sweetly on the volley 22 yards out and found the bottom corner despite O'Neill getting a hand to the shot.
Beith were relieved to collect full points and will need to raise their game while Winton performed well and could have some optimism for the season ahead, particularly if they can secure the services of tricky forward Reid.
Beith: Tiropolous, Kerr, Palmer, McShane, Sheridan,
Spence,
Arbuckle, Canning, Dymock, McKeown, S McLean.
Subs: Reid, K McLean, Davidson, Stewart.
WINTON: O'Neill, Paton, Milliken, Wilson, Easton,
Muir,
Patterson, Frye, Adam, Reid, Gallagher.
Subs: Hamilton, Gilmour, Monan, Cook.
This article has been reproduced by kind permission the editor, Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald.