Friendly

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS 2

BEITH 4

WITH Winton having no scheduled game and Beith’s clash with Cumnock called off both sides took the opportunity to play a friendly at a cold, wet and windy Winton Park.

While the Premier side put out a full strength team and strong bench, Rovers took the chance to take a look at some trialists.

Beith dominated the opening spell and in three minutes Bryan Tucker made the first of numerous saves to turn a shot from Ross McPherson out for a corner and the Winton goalie denied Beith again before the loose ball was cleared but just before the 10-minute mark former Winton man Keir Milliken scored at the near post, converting a low cross from the right.

At this point it was all Beith with but gradually Winton got back into the game and equalised in 15 minutes Jamie McKenna chased the ball down the right and squared it to Larry McMahon just inside the box. He controlled the ball, turned and shot past Steven Grindlay from 15 yards. Two minutes later the keeper saved a dangerous low cross from Thomas Donovan with his feet and from the resultant corner-kick Jamie McKenna headed Rovers in front.

Beith drew level in 22 minutes when Joe Bradley played a ball into the box which Tucker started to come out for then hesitated allowing Ross McPherson to get to the ball and shoot past him to make it 2-2. Two minutes later Tucker made another good save, this time from Darren Christie and after a goalmouth scramble the danger was cleared. McKenna almost restored Winton’s lead when he chased a long clearance from Michael Lennox to the edge of the box but as he ran into the box and shot Grindlay who had come out of his goal blocked the effort.

On the half hour Tucker again denied Christie with a good save but a couple of minutes later the winger cut into the box from the right wing and his shot took a deflection off a defender and past the goalie to make it 3-2.

McKenna had a chance to draw the teams level when he ran onto a ball on the edge of the box. Digney came out to the edge of his box but as the striker tried to round the keeper he smothered the ball. In 55 minutes Tucker saved another effort from McPherson then Rovers brought on David Orr and Steven Tan for McKenna and Donovan. Beith extended their lead in 65 minutes when an unmarked John Sheridan headed home a corner.

A couple of minutes later Winton brought on teenage trialist keeper Ben Rodgers for Tucker.

McMahon could then have reduced the deficit when he rounded Digney but shot wide of the goal. With 10 minutes left Steven Tan had a shot saved by Digney while at the other end Rodgers made a good diving save. Both sides ended the game with 10 men when David Orr and Ryan Docherty were both shown a red card following an incident in 88 minutes.

ARDROSSAN WR: Tucker; M Davidson, L Davidson, Lennox, McGregor, Ashe, McMahon, Cairnie, McKenna, Donovan, Loughlin. Subs: Muir, Lynsey, Orr, Tan, Rodgers.

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey, Docherty, MacDonald, Sheridan, Martin, Christie, Frize, McPherson, Milliken, Bradley. Subs: Collins, Reid, Wilson, Cunningham. Digney, Burke, McLean.