McBookie Ayrshire District League

ARDEER THISTLE 3

ANNBANK UNITED 1

ARDEER picked up their first points of the league campaign with a well deserved win over visitors Annbank at Ardeer Stadium.

Thistle made four changes to the starting line-up from last Saturday's defeat against Dalry, Gordon Wilson coming in for Paul McKay at the back, Matthew Stevenson returning to midfield in place of the ill Jordan Bruce and Ryan Morrow, just back from a six week holiday, and 16-year-old Greg Kean replacing Archie Sewell and James Maxwell on the flanks.

Annbank were missing Dillon Dunn and were looking to build on their victory over Muirkirk in their only league match.

The visitors started brightly with the lively Jamie Martin posing the main threat to Ardeer. He firstly shot wide at the second attempt from Roddy Paterson's square ball after his initial effort was blocked in defence. Minutes later he made a bursting run with the ball through the middle but struck his effort just over the bar from the edge of the area. Maclean Simpson also failed to trouble the Ardeer net with an effort, side-footing just wide when receiving a cut-back at the edge of the box. Annbank had looked more likely to open the scoring but Scott Reid put them notice at the other end when he went for goal from distance, his shot beating keeper Marc Fisher and crashing off the crossbar.

Annbank looked the more likely to score early in the second half. Martin picked out Ryan Connolly with a pass who cut inside only to shoot wide with Martin also drawing a shot wide soon afterwards from a rebounded free-kick. Ryan Morrow was unlucky not to open the scoring at the other end, Fisher making a good stop to deny him when he got through on goal, but it was the visitors who eventually broke the deadlock in 63 minutes. A corner was cleared out to Scott Granger and rather than going for goal he cleverly picked out Paterson with a fine pass and the striker smashed the ball into the net from inside the area.

Ardeer responded well to going a goal down and restored parity five minutes later. Stevenson's determination led to the goal, as he strongly won the ball from an Annbank defender catching the back-line off guard and as he advanced on goal he played in Kennedy who hit a nice finish past Fisher and into the net.

The hosts were buoyed by the equaliser but their cause was hindered when they were reduced to 10 men in bizarre fashion, Kennedy seeing red after clashing with team-mate Gordon Wilson after Ardeer were awarded a free-kick in an attacking position. The free-kick wasn't fully cleared and the ball eventually made its way to the right flank, where Stevenson turned provider again, dumbfounding the defence as he beat two men moving towards goal and although the ball seemed goalbound, Mick Holden made sure by knocking it into the net from close range. It was the centre half's first goal for the club since scoring against the same opposition four years ago but Ardeer's third came in the more typical fashion of a Scott Reid penalty in 82 minutes. Bankies' Nathan Baird was penalised for a handball when under pressure from Reid and although his effort looped over Fisher and into the net, referee Tony Fullerton had already whistled to stop play. Thankfully Reid made no mistake, converting the spot-kick to seal victory.

Ardeer performed well after a few disappointing results and will need to build upon the result in the quest to move away from the bottom end of the table.

League duty takes a break on Saturday as Yoker make the trip to Ardeer Stadium to contest a Scottish Junior Cup first round tie.

ARDEER THISTLE: McCann, Wilson, Donnelly, Holden, Stevenson, Kennedy, Reid, Kean, Turner, Morrow. Subs: Thompson, Sewell, Nyame, Bruce, McKay, Robertson.