24/9/'11 : AYRSHIRE DISTRICT LEAGUE

LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE 2 CRAIGMARK BURNTONIANS 1

Lugar captain Scott Clelland led from the front, scoring both goals against ten-man 'Mark and it might have been a hat-trick but for a first-half penalty miss.

The Bunnets had the better of the first half and Steven Nisbet was first to have a shot at goal but the ball flew wide of the target. Clelland then laid the ball off for Scott McIntyre whose shot cleared the crossbar.

The visitors responded with a Hoots Harvey effort from twelve yards that failed to trouble 'keeper Ronnie Davis but Lugar returned to the attack and a Kris Stewart drive from the angle of the box was saved low down by Bradford.

The best chance of the half also fell to Stewart who was played in by Nisbet's head-flick but the striker's shot was again off target. Bradford was called on a few minutes later to push a 30-yard free from Mark Gilmour over the bar.

Craigmark's Henderson was booked for a foul on Clelland and Allan Paul was the only Lugar man cautioned for a foul on Harvey. Paul's opposite number Neil was also in bother for a foul on Nisbet but worse was to come for the Craigmark defender in the 32nd minute when he allowed Stewart a run in to the box and dealt with the problem by hauling him down from behind. Referee William Cowie awarded the penalty and the card produced was as red as the defender's face.

 

 

 

Clelland's viciously struck spot-kick threatened to demolish the recently erected goalposts as the ball thundered back off the crossbar and the strength of the frame was tested again when a long-range free kick from Mark Gilmour struck the junction of post and bar as the half ended goalless.

 

 

 

Lugar finally forged ahead after 55 minutes when Perry Uppal did all the hard work down the right but instead of having a go himself, he moved the ball inside to Clelland who made up for the penalty miss by blasting a shot into the top corner.

 

   

 

Bradford made saves from Uppal and Clelland as Lugar sought to put the game to bed but the ten men hauled themselves back into contention on the hour. Davis had pushed out a shot from Harvey but the ball was not properly cleared and Henderson smashed in a shot from the edge of the box.

The visitors were in control of things now and confusion, if not outright panic, reigned in the Lugar defence. Davis saved a shot from Boyle off Reid's cross, Gilmour almost put a Harvey centre into his own net then a low cross from Mark Simpson fizzed across the face of the goal.

Three minutes from time, however, Lugar scored the winner when Uppal again set up Clelland whose initial effort struck the post but the home skipper followed up and headed in the rebound himself.

 

 

Even then Craigmark should have equalised in stoppage time when more lamentable defending presented substitute O'Neil with an open goal but he missed the target and Lugar claimed the points.

LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE - Davis, McIntyre, Gilmour, Dunlop, A.Paul, R.Paul, Uppal, Clelland, Stewart, Nisbet, Sharpe.

Substitutes : Gibson, Fairley, I.Lindsay, McGougan, Elstob, S.Lindsay, Waddell.

CRAIGMARK BURNTONIANS - Bradford, Harvey (junior), Gray, Gaw, Neil, Simpson, Glass, Henderson, Harvey(senior), Boyle, Reid.

Substitutes : Holland, Wallace, Collins, Smith, McBlain, McKay, O'Neil.