Beith chalk up third victory

CLYDEBANK FC 1

BEITH JUNIORS 2

Pictures: Stevie Doogan

UNSURPRISINGLY, Beith stuck with the same starting 11 from the previous week's fine victory over the Glens, but they quickly found themselves in a tough contest against a strong Clydebank side who were seeking points after losing narrowly in their two opening fixtures.

The visitors had slightly the better in the opening exchanges but the fast pace offered neither side time on the ball and it was not until 16 minutes we had the first genuine chance when Lafferty found himself clear on a long ball with Beith looking for an offside flag but skipper John Sheridan came to the rescue with a fine challenge as the forward prepared to shoot.

Beith had more possession and were playing the better football but chances remained scarce with the Bankies defence well led by Jamie Darroch holding firm. A Beith corner saw central defenders Sheridan and Mark McLaughlin both get their head on the ball but fail to trouble the keeper in a packed box. Good work by Ross McPherson also created an opening for Jamie Wilson but his shot flew a yard wide.

Bankies' best chances seemed to be stemming from set-pieces and a Ryan Deas free-kick found the head of Ross Forsyth but his effort was saved comfortably by Grindlay.

The visitors finished the half strongly with Bankies pegged back but chances stemming from a free-kick on the edge of the box saw a McPherson effort blocked and a Paul Frize follow-up saved by Morrison.

The proceedings took a significant twist only four minutes gone into the second half when ultra-fussy referee Mr King showed a second yellow card to Bankies' Alan Vezza for a fairly innocuous challenge. The advantage presented Beith with more possession as they chased the opener but Nicky Docherty scorned a good opportunity when he volleyed a Christie cross wide in front of goal.

The visitors' pressure told in 59 minutes when a fine Ryan Docherty cross to the back post was headed home by Kier Milliken. The advantage was then doubled minutes later when another cross to the back post was laid back by Darren Christie for McPherson to knock the ball home from a few yards.

The hosts then threw a spanner in the works with most in the healthy crowd thinking that the contest was all but done when Jamie Wilson lost possession with Beith going forward and Ryan Deas quickly found substitute Chris Black in space and he applied a composed finish lifting the ball over advancing keeper Grindlay to give his side a lift and make it game on again.

With three players also on yellow cards and decidedly unpredictable officials, Beith looked a tad vulnerable as Bankies went for broke and pushed players forward when they could to try to snatch an equaliser.

Set-pieces in particular caused some anxiety and Darroch got on the end of a free-kick but his header went wide.

With Bankies pushing forward gaps were left at the back and keeper Scott Morrison kept his side in the contest with a fine diving save to fingertip a Paul Frize shot wide.

Beith scorer Milliken then passed up a great opportunity when he scooped a pass from sub David McKenna over from eight yards.

The Beith defence actually coped well with any Bankie's attacks in the closing stages and McKenna, Collins and Milliken went close with the hosts exposed but the visitors duly headed home with another three points from a difficult away fixture.

CLYDEBANK: Morrison, Dooley, Patterson, Vezza, Darroch, Forsyth, Johnston, Deas, Shelley, Lafferty, Allan. Subs: Pearson, Gow, Miller, Black, Lumsden.

BEITH: Grindlay; R Docherty, N Docherty, McLaughlin, Sheridan, Wilson, Christie, Frize, McPherson, Milliken, McGowan. Subs: McKenna, Collins, Martin, MacDonald, Cunningham.