Seasiders are beaten in five-goal thriller

LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE 3

SALTCOATS VICTORIA 2

NINE-man Seasiders lost out in a heated five-goal thriller at Rosebank Park.

In 24 minutes Vics were awarded a free-kick when striker Stephen Reid was taken down by two defenders converging on him. Ally Patrick fired the set-piece into the bottom left hand corner.

Minutes later visiting player David Anderson was booked for a two-footed tackle on Stuart Milligan and it was not long before he dived into another similar challenge which left Darren Boyd prone on the deck. Referee Gary Hanvidge had seen enough and produced a second yellow card. Joe Young was booked for a foul on Steven McCarrison.

Just before the break Adam Lowe almost demolished the Vics' crossbar with an explosive shot that goalkeeper Shaun Kirkland had no chance of stopping.

Davis blocked a shot from Callum McDade early in the second half.

Reid was booked for halting a Lugar attack by kicking a spare ball from the touchline on to the field but the ploy backfired when, from a lofted free-kick, Kirkland flapped at the ball and Milligan drove it into the net through a ruck of players in 70 minutes.In a manic last 10 minutes the hosts took the lead when good work from Jackson Stevenson led to Wilson firing in a shot which beat Kirkland at his left-hand post. Within a minute, Saltcoats were level again when slack defending allowed Ryan McKie to cross from the left for sub Matt Santos to blast home.

With six minutes left Lugar grabbed the winner and again Stevenson found Milligan to shoot past Kirkland.

Late on Santos saw red in more ways than one. After a collision with Davis, the goalie went to shake hands with Santos who responded by kicking him, leaving his team with nine players.

Gary Kelly then confronted Young and raised his hands in a provocative manner, leading to a red card for him too.

SALTCOATS VICTORIA: Kirkland,; Kean, Patrick, Houston, Bonner, Arthur, McDade, Young, Reid, Anderson, McKie. Subs: Easdon, Santos, Harkin, Thomson, Hollis.