3/9/'11 : AYRSHIRE DISTRICT LEAGUE

 MUIRKIRK 5 LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE 1

 

Muirkirk secured their first league win of the season with a deserved victory against a Lugar team whose defensive flaws were repeatedly exposed. The home side continually exploited the space behind the full backs and both Josh Muir and Stuart Wark had headers from crosses in the first ten minutes but failed to hit the target.

 Lugar's early efforts amounted to a volley from Scott Clelland that went over the bar and a free kick from Ross Paul on the left that flew across the face of Ally McInnes's goal.

 A spell of sustained Muirkirk pressure led to the opening score in the sixteenth minute. First, Gary Patterson had a shot that was deflected over the bar and, from the resulting corner, Jamie Aitken's header came back off the post before being scrambled away for another corner. This time, Craig Duff's flag kick went long to the far post where the unmarked Martin Reynolds powered a header past Ronnie Davis.

 Lugar might have equalised when Kris Stewart broke clear of the defence but his initial shot struck McInnes and, from the rebound, the striker fired over the bar. Ross Paul's set piece efforts were proving dangerous and, from one free kick, Clelland's header was pushed over the bar by McInnes.

 Muirkirk were still creating chances, however, and they scored a second goal after 35 minutes. Murray Johnston this time utilised the space down the left and cut the ball inside to Aitken who slid it to the far post where it was thumped in by Wark.

 Goal number three came two minutes before the interval when Wark ran on to a hopeful ball out of defence and went on unchallenged to score a simple goal.

 

Early in the second half McInnes was alarmed by a dangerous corner from Paul that found no takers and his opposite number made a good save to keep out a header from Aitken. McInnes then saved Darren Gall's header from another free kick but in the 55th minute Muirkirk struck again when Duff hit the goal line on the right and cut back a threatening centre that Gall turned past his own goalkeeper.

 The introduction of Lex Sharpe brightened up the Lugar attack and they pulled a goal back in the 77th minute when Sharpe cleverly turned his marker on the edge of the box and dispatched a well placed shot beyond McInnes.

 After keeping his cards in his pocket during the first half, referee Thomas Clarke brandished the yellow on no fewer than six occasions in the second half, booking Duff and Callan Lamont of Muirkirk as well as Lugar's Stewart, Paul, Mark Gilmour and James McLauchlan all for run-of-the-mill offences.

 

The final goal came with the last kick of the game after Lugar had failed to clear a free kick and Wark was on hand to blast the ball in and claim his hat trick.

 

MUIRKIRK - McInnes, Drury, Lamont, Reynolds, Patterson, Wilson, Aitken, Duff, Wark, Johnston, Muir.

Substitutes : Vause, Dale, Fulton.

LUGAR BOSWELL THISTLE - Davis, McIntyre, McLauchlan, Lindsay, Gall, R.Paul, Uppal, Clelland, Stewart, Nisbet, Gilmour.

Substitutes : Sharpe, Naismith, A.Paul, Waddell, Briody, McCurdy, Quail.