McBookie Ayrshire District League

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS 1

DALRY THISTLE 1

A LAST gasp goal from top-scoring striker Jamie McKenna helped 10-man Winton battle back for a point.

Both sides went into this game looking for a win for different reasons.

Winton were looking to build on their Junior Cup victory and start moving up the table while Dalry were aiming to continue their good start to the season which had seen them win all three of their league games.

This was the second meeting of the season between the clubs with Rovers winning 3-1 in the Ardagh Cup in August.

In what was a poor half with few chances for either side and too many fouls and free-kicks, Thistle took the lead in seven minutes. The dangerous Kyle Cumming ran on to a ball down the left before cutting inside and hitting an angled shot past Bryan Tucker from just inside the box.

Winton then had a couple of half chances in what was a scrappy first half hour and Bryan Tucker made a good save from Shaun Lavery with his feet as Thistle looked to increase their lead and they had another chance five minutes later. Rovers' poor first half got worse in 40 minutes when Andy Irvine was harshly shown a red card, leaving the home side the whole second half down to 10 men.

Winton brought on Andy McGregor for Adam Easdon at the start of the second half and the home side put in a much improved performance. Five minutes into the second half Jamie McKenna won a free kick right on the angle of the 18-yard box but nothing came of the resulting free-kick. Three minutes later it looked as if McKenna had equalised when his shot at the back post hit the underside of the bar and although the ball seemed to go in, the referee played on. Regan Ross then brought out a save from Blair Lochhead from a free kick in 55 minutes.

The hosts should have equalised on the hour when Steven Tan was in on goal with only the keeper to beat following some good lead up play from Bobby Colligan but shot past the post from close range.

Both sides then made changes with former Winton favourite Ian Cashmore making way for Paul Byrne and David Orr replacing Bobby Colligan for Winton.

Each side then had a chance and Michael Lennox came on for Alan Muir as the hosts pushed for the equaliser.

That finally came with three minutes left when goal predator McKenna chased a ball into the box and with Blair Lochhead coming off his line, he beat the keeper to the ball and forced the ball home to make it 1-1 in 87 minutes.

As Winton pressed for a winner the ball was cleared off the Thistle line with time more or less up.

If Winton had played in the first half like they did in the second they could have won, although Dalry will be disappointed not to see the game out.

ARDROSSAN WR: Tucker; Ross, Jamieson, Irvine, Cairnie, Muir, Colligan, Tan, McKenna, McMahon, Easdon. Subs: McGregor, Orr, Lennox, Cowie, Davidson.

DALRY THISTLE: Lochhead; Brown, Kirkwood, McGowan, Stuart, Lavery, Anderson, Cashmore, Cumming, Archdeacon. Subs: Marshall, Byrne, Lawrie, Fleeting, Stevenson.