Published: Thursday, 8th May, 2008 12:00
VICTORY AS KILBIRNIE HEAD TO FINALS
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Clydebank 0 v 2 Kilbirnie Ladeside
LAST year’s beaten finalists progressed to the last eight of the Junior game’s second competition with this comfortable win at Glendale Park on Monday night.
However there was a price to pay as injuries to three players, Liam McGuinness, Neil Rankin and Miller looks set to keep them on the sidelines for the vital run in.
After a scrappy start from both sides it was Ladeside who eventually settled and Kevin Struthers saw an effort cleared off the line by Docherty in the 18th minute. Two minutes later Quigley almost forced the ball home following a scramble in the box after a Kilbirnie corner. The hosts responded with a Jack piledriver that McCann could only watch whistle by his left hand post. The same player again almost set up a chance for Proctor but the forward was not alert enough to take advantage of the free kick.
After missing numerous opportunities Ladeside eventually took the lead on 42 minutes when Miller picked up a loose ball before slotting past Gonet from 14 yards. The goal came at a price though as McGuinness was carried off after having won the initial challenge that led to the goal. Things got even better for the visitors on the stroke of half-time when Docherty was short with a pass back that he didn’t need to make and Alain Kinney’s sheer persistence saw him ride three challenges before forcing the ball home.
The second half was only five minutes old when Miller pulled up with a hamstring strain that ended his night and for long spells that was the only noteworthy incident as the game became bogged down in the middle of the park with no chances of note. Indeed the first real bit of good football of the half came on 72 minutes when a sweeping Kilbirnie move involving Caldwell and Gray saw the ball reach Erskine but his shot was turned round for a corner.
The hosts had a claim for a penalty on 79 minutes when former Ladeside man Brian Miller went down but those claims were waved aside. The third Ladeside player to suffer injury was Neil Rankin who had only been on the field for three minutes and following a driving run into the box he was crudely tackled by Jordan and whilst not even a penalty or a booking was given the Ladeside player would take no further part in the game. An Anderson volley rounded the evening off for Kilbirnie who unfortunately are counting the cost in terms of injury problems.
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