Ardagh Glass League Cup

LARGS THISTLE 3

BEITH JUNIORS 3

By Calum Corral

A LAST gasp penalty from Ross McPherson helped Beith battle back for a point in a thrilling match against the lower league hosts.

Thistle set the tone by opening the scoring in just over a minute as midfielder Stephen Burden raced on to a defence-splitting pass to tuck the ball under Stephen Grindlay.

Beith put the Largs backline under immediate pressure with several chances but Thistle refused to buckle, and in fact, moved two goals into the ascendancy as Burden was quickest to react to a through ball and beat the outrushing Grindlay in 19 minutes.

However, the Garnock Valley men responded instantly as Keir Milliken pounced to rifle a curling low shot which was whipped low into the right hand corner to the delight of the burgeoning Beith support.

It was very much game on, with Largs nearly restoring their two-goal deficit with Laurie McMaster firing a half volley just wide of the right post,

A cleverly worked free kick step over saw Burden drill in a low hard effort to the bottom right which was saved by Grindlay. Thistle striker Scott Adam then went close with a powerful header which was well blocked by the Beith keeper.

Beith soaked up the pressure from the home side and nearly equalised as Richie Burke's bending free-kick smashed off Ross Lundy's crossbar.

The game had ebbed and flowed in a lively first half, but Beith were sensing their chance to level matters.

It was Burke who headed a looping effort beyond Lundy's reach into the top right corner from 10 yards which made it all-square just before the break.

The game didn't let up in the second half either, and it was Thistle who edged ahead again in 66 minutes with a quality header from Creag Little from a corner-kick out on the right.

But Beith bounced back with an equaliser from the penalty spot in 75 minutes after an Iain Fisher foul, McPherson converting.

A point apiece was probably a fair result in the end up, as both sides battled for supremacy in what was a fascinating encounter.

LARGS THISTLE: Lundy; Fisher, McVey, Little, Jamieson, Muir, Orr, Burden, Adam, Kasubandi, McMaster. Subs: Ashe, Fleming, Gilbride, Trialists.

BEITH: Grindlay; Cunningham, Docherty, MacDonald, McLaughlin, Martin, McGowan, Frize, McPherson, Milliken, Burke. Subs: Broadley, Collins, McKenzie, Blakey, Sheridan.