McBookie Ayrshire District League

DALRY THISTLE 0

DARVEL 1

DARVEL clinched promotion with a narrow win against a Dalry side, whose hopes of a top three finish ended with this defeat.

There wasn't much to report from a first half where both teams cancelled each other out. Chances on goal were few and far between with home goalie Burns cutting out a cross and little else happening.

Thistle enjoyed a spell of pressure where the won a series of corners, but the powerful Darvel defence dealt with anything Dalry could offer.

At the break you could hear the roasting that the Darvel players got from well outside the dressing room, and this brought a reaction at the start of the second half.

In a break from defence Armour was allowed to get onto the ball and his shot from the edge of the box was too powerful for Burns, who got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out of the net.

Darvel then seemed content to hold what they had and wasted as much time as possible for the rest of the game.

Dalry pushed forward but were almost caught out when a header from Kenny Parris brought out a good save from Burns.

Several chances then came and went for Dalry. First a header then a shot, both from Kieran McLaughlin were well saved. A corner-kick saw a shot from Stuart which just missed the top corner. Midway through the half McLaughlin skinned a defender, leaving him for dead but he shot wide from the edge of the box. Another shot from McLaughlin was well saved.

Darvel were very rarely seen in attack, and the Dalry defence, well organised as usual by Chris McGowan senior coped with what little they had to do. This was a sterling performance from a player who had been sick before the game and again at half-time, but still played to his usual high standard.

Into the last quarter a Gillies shot went over, then the same player got away in a quick break but the defence did enough to prevent him getting a shot away.

Thistle committed all three substitutes as they pushed forward but good defending and a lot of time wasting kept them out. Keeper Markey was eventually booked for his time wasting as Darvel struggled to hold on.

However, time ran out for Dalry and Darvel were left to celebrate.

Thistle more than matched the visitors and with a bit more in front of goal might have got something out of the game.

DALRY THISTLE: Burns; Hunter, McGowan Junior, Reid, McGowan Senior, Lavery, McLaughlin, Marshall, McLintock, Hood, Stuart. Subs Morrison, Cumming, Gillies, Cochran.

DARVEL: Markey; Davidson, Moodie, Gaw, Walsh, McCreadie, Armour, Henderson, Parris, Gilmour, Johnston. Subs Orr, Findlay, Ryan, Vernon, Gall.