West League One

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS 4

ROYAL ALBERT 4

BRAVE Winton blasted back from a three-goal deficit and were unlucky not to ultimately overcome the Lanarkshire visitors.

This was one of the few junior games to beat the weather and was played in a strong wind and torrential rain. Both teams must take credit for playing well in such conditions.

Winton were without top scorer Jamie McKenna but included Sam Liddington, signed on loan from Hurlford United during the week in the starting line-up.

Rovers had the first chance in the opening minute but Sean Mears fired into the side netting. Albert went right down the park and Scott Ballantyne chased a ball down the left into the box and a defensive mix-up let him in to fire into the empty net from 15 yards. Three minutes later David Cunningham played a good ball to David Adams who got into the box but his shot was turned out by Smith. In eight minutes Adams had another chance but once again Smith made a good save.

The visitors doubled their lead in 12 minutes when a poor kick-out by Scott Watson went straight to an Albert player who played the ball into Greg Fernie, who shot home from 15 yards. Adams had another good chance in 20 minutes after being played in by David Cunningham but his shot went wide. Winton paid for the missed chances in 25 minutes when they went 3-0 and a man down after Graham Longair was sent off for pulling Ballantyne back as he outpaced him and was running in on goal. Michael Bell gave Watson no chance with his spot kick.

With the sky getting blacker the floodlights were switched on at half-time and there was little indication of the drama to come. Winton had the first chance of the second period saw a ball in from the right come to Mears who got the ball in the net but the referee gave offside.

Adams then had another shot comfortably saved by Smith before Rovers finally pulled one back on the hour when Sean Mears played a good ball to Adams on the right and the striker’s angled shot beat Smith at his near post. A couple of minutes later Jamie Cunningham’s 25 yard free-kick went wide. Rovers were right back in the game with 20 minutes left when the referee awarded a penalty for a back-post foul following a Sam Liddington corner. With Jamie McKenna missing, Jo Maxwell took responsibility and fired past Smith to make it 3-2 in 70 minutes.

Winton were dealing better with the conditions and equalised in 78 minutes when they were awarded another penalty after a foul on Mears. Maxwell converted to make it it 3-3 with 10 minutes left.

The hosts seemed to have shot themselves in the foot again when Davie Wilson was unable to control a ball into the box and Fernie fired past Scott Watson. However the lead only lasted three minutes as Rovers went down the park and after some good play, David Cunningham played the ball back to his namesake Jamie who shot into the roof of the in 83 minutes.

Winton then laid siege to the Albert goal and Liddington brought out a good save from Smith, while some last ditch blocks kept the visitors' goal intact.

ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS: Watson; McGregor, Hunter, Wilson, Longair, Maxwell, Mears, J Cunningham. Adams, D Cunningham, Liddington. Subs: Young, Wilson, Lennox, Ballantyne, Bruce.