Beith secure important win

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1

BEITH~3

BEITH built on their Scottish Cup quarter-final triumph to claim important league points from their trip to Loch Park.

Kenny McLean and Kevin MacDonald were unavailable through injury and illness which meant Josh McArthur made a rare start in defence and David McGowan partnered Andy Reid up front.

Beith started positively however and got themselves in front after five minutes when Nicky Docherty got on the end of an inswinging Burke corner to head home at the near post.

Soon after the good start looked to be at risk when stalwart defender John Sheridan limped off with a serious looking injur forcing another reshuffle with veteran Zander Ryan coming on and Iain Fisher moving into central defence

The visitors continued to look dangerous going forward when a combined desperate block by keeper and defender stopped Reid. The hosts worked themselves into the contest and Beith keeper Stephen Grindlay made a fine save to deny Joe Andrew when he burst into the box and shot for goal.

Paul Frize and Darren Christie were causing the Glens defence problems with strong runs from midfield and McGowan and Christie went closes before Beith deservedly doubled their advantage when Darren Christie fired a measured shot past McGarrity from just outside the box,

Glens looked dangerous when they wheeled their big players forward for set pieces but Beith's makeshift defence stood firm and they continued to look the more likely to score again. Ritchie Burke almost caught out Brian McGarrity with a shot curled in to the near post. Glens were fortunate to keep Hay on the pitch after he cynically chopped down Nicky Docherty on a burst forward as the referee chose to show yellow rather than red.

Just when Beith had an eye on the break with Glens doing little they conceded a simple goal when Mick McCann was allowed virtually a free jump in the box from a cheap corner and made no mistake with a powerful header.

Beith went back on the attack and efforts from Martin and Christie went close.

The visitors were quickly back on the offensive in the second half with David McGowan and Andy Reid going close,

Christie's pace and skill continued to torment the home defence but Nicky Docherty shot over from a good position when Christie set him up and he himself headed over a Burke cross.

A sucker punch came along on the hour but Grindlay blocked a goalbound Canmy Marlow goalbound shot when the winger burst into the box.

Thomas Collins replaced David McGowan up front and Jamie Wilson took over from Tommy Martin in midfield as the game became stretched and end-to-end with Glens also benefitting from some poor refereeing decisions.

McGarrity made a fantastic save to deny Reid when he clipped a Burke pass for the top corner. However Reid got his deserved reward a few minutes later when he he burst forward onto a Christie pass and crashed hone an unstoppable right foot shot.

This was another fine performance from a Beith side playing with real confidence and the players who came into defence played their part fully.

BEITH: Grindlay; Fisher, Docherty, McArthur, Sheridan, Martin, Christie, Frize, McGowan, Reid, Burke. Subs: Wilson, McLean, Ryan, Collins, Watt.