McBookie Premiership

BEITH 3

KILBIRNIE LADESIDE 2

By Christopher Dodds

MIGHTY hat-trick hero Peter Haggarty was beaming as his three goals in between two Kilbirnie Ladeside strikes gave Beith all three points in the Garnock Valley derby.

Summer signing Haggarty said: “It’s a great feeling to come in today and score on such a great occasion between two great rivals, I thought I’d blown my chance for the hat-trick when I missed that header but I’m delighted that I was able to get it and get the three points for the team and the fans. Johnny (Millar) had said to me before the game that I had to work hard and take my chances when I got them and I felt I did that. The goals were kind of the same but I’ll take them."

Kilbirnie took the lead at Bellsdale inside the opening 10 minutes when young David Anderson sprayed a fine pass from the middle out to the right which was met by full back Gavin Mitchell, who took on his man and cut inside and slotted a left footed shot beyond Grindlay into the bottom left corner.

The lead only stood for a matter of minutes as Beith got themselves back on level terms. Peter Haggarty grabbed the first of his three goals after reacting quickest to Andy Reid’s knockdown from Darren Christie’s corner. Haggarty reacted six yards out and stretched out a leg to fire home a fine poacher's finish under three Ladeside bodies on the line.

With two minutes of the first half remaining, Ladeside regained the lead as Reece Williamson prodded home Cory Hughes’ flick on from four yards under Stephen Grindlay at the left hand side of the box on the half volley.

Five minutes after the break, Beith got themselves back on level terms again. Darren Christie was sent away down the right, he then sent in a low cross which was blocked by the sliding Reon Juskowiak, who thought he had given away a corner, however the ball got caught underneath him at the near post.

The challenging Haggarty reacted quickest got up and rattled the ball off the post and into the net, despite Kilbirnie keeper Grant Hay’s best effort to keep the ball out.

Haggarty got his and Beith’s third goal with 19 minutes remaining. Conor McGlinchey was sent away down the right, he again sent the ball low and hard into the box and Haggarty brilliantly beat his man at the front post to poke the ball under Hay, sending the home crowd into delirium.

Beith boss Johnny Millar said: "I’m delighted. We went into half time 2-1 down but we hadn’t done anything wrong. All I asked from the boys was to put a shift in going down the hill, keep it tight at the back and be on our game we should be fine. They went out, did that ande we got the three points.!

Of Haggarty Millar said “I thought he had a great game, he earned his start this week with his first half goal against Kilwinning and repaid the faith shown in him, he had been training with us last season whilst still with Barrhead 21s and showed us that he was ready to step up, he knows how to score and get in those positions, he was lethal."

Ladeside boss Budgie McGhie said: "I said to the boys at half time when 2-1 up, don’t sit in with them getting on top of you coming down the hill, but they let that happen and Beith showed their quality in the second half."

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey. Noble, Docherty, Sheridan, Frize, Christie, Wilson. Haggarty, Reid, Milliken.

KILBIRNIE LADESIDE: Hay; Mitchell, McCreath, D Anderson jnr, Juskowiak, Hughes, Burbridge, D Anderson snr, Hynes, McVey, Williamson