McBookie Ayrshire District League

DALRY THISTLE 2

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 1

DALRY produced possibly their best performance this season to puts a dent in Victoria's title hopes.

Thistle were on the front foot right from the start.

A cross across the six-yard box from Jordan Stuart found no takers.

Andy Hunter 's 20-yard effort went over and a minute later Stuart shot over the bar from 18 yards.

Thistle took the lead in 15 minutes. A free-kick on the left was only partly cleared and Chris McGowan Jnr found Kyle Cummings who drilled into the net.

Dalry came close in 27 minutes when Cummings found Mark Archdeacon, whose weak header was saved.

Whitletts went forward and a scissors kick from Balfour left an easy save for Blair Lochhead.

With half-time approaching Archdeacon set up Shaun Lavery inside the box and his shot produced a great save from McInnes.

Right on half-time, Cummings picked up the ball 30 yards out and unleashed a powerful shot which came back off the junction of bar and post.

An Archdeacon shot was deflected and from the resultant corner Brown headed into the side net.

Whitletts were struggling to cope with the tempo and the passing of Dalry and it got even harder in 50 minutes when Craig Harvey was red-carded. Harvey had argued with the referee about a foul given against him in the box, and as the teams shaped up for the free-kick he again spoke out of turn and was dismissed.

As can often happen the 10 men rolled up their sleeves and Dalry were almost caught on the break.

But the hosts pressed forward again and a Stuart cross was almost headed into his own net by Cunningham and from the corner a powerful header from Chris McGowan Snr was blocked.

A free-kick wa whipped in by Robert Boyd and Stuart just failed to connect at the back post.

Pressure paid off in 74 minutes when Dalry got their second with a classic passing move - Shaun Lavery crossed and Archdeacon scored from six yards.

In 92 minutes Whitletts pulled a goal back. A long range shot from substitute Ali Boyle was too powerful for Lochhead and with players crowding on top of him, the ball was adjudged to have gone over the line.

It was a great three points for Dalry, which keeps them on the edge of the promotion race, and boss Gavin Friels will be looking for his side to carry on this form.

DALRY THISTLE: Lochhead; Hunter, McGowan, Junior, R Boyd, McGowan Senior, Brown, Lavery, W Boyd, Archdeacon, Cummings, Stuart. Subs: Beech, Hood, Marshall.