Saltcoats Vics 3–3 Whitless Victoria — SJFA West Region Ayrshire District League, 1 Nov 2014

Report by Keano

This game turned out to be a great advert for the junior game and credit must go to both side for making it so, with 6 goals and end to end action all the way, and in the end a draw being a fair result.

 Whitletts started the stronger side and in only 4mins George Wallace went close with a header that Catterson did well to turn over the bar, and as Saltcoats found thier feet and worked into the game Chris Black had a good shot at goal after he and Sean Quinn combined well on the left wing. Saltcoats had Billy Aurther playing as a trialist in the centre of defence and he produced a man of the match performance marshaling Hood,Curren and Easdon well all day, and I am sure the youngsters picked up more in this one game than they have all season. With Aurther controling the defence it gave the mid-feild a chance to create openings and Ferris and Moan were doing thier best to feed the wingers and when Davidson pressured Lawrie he was slack with a pass back to McInnes and the on rushing Black force the keeper to fumble and he accepted the gift to put Saltcoats in front, with the side evenly matched it was Whitletts that were next to go on the attack and with-in 2mins they were level when the Saltcoats defence failed to clear a corner and Balfour slammed home the bouncing loose ball to make it 1-1. With the game flowing from end to end both sides were to have a chance before the break with Quinn setting up Monan but his effort was well delt with by McInnes and not to be out done Catterson at the other end saved well from the advancing Ewart to send the sides in level 1-1 at  break.

 The second half followed the pattern of the first with the game going from end to end dispite the strong wind blowing across the pitch, and it was the home side first to have a go when after Davidson was pulled down Quinn set up the free kick and brought out a good save from McInnes in the Whitletts goal, and at the other end Alan Love tested Catterson, on 55mins ref Scott awarded Whitletts a penalty after Curran was judged to have brought down O'Conner inside the area, up stepped Tony Balfour to give the Ayr side the lead. But Saltcoats came roaring back and on 58mins Black had his shot well saved by McInnes, but the kepper was to be beaten only 2mins later when Davidson put over a good cross the the feet of Moan and the industrial midfielder made no mistake to bring the seasiders back level. With Ferris and Moan doing some good crative work in the mid-field Saltcoats took the lead with the move of the match when Ferris fed Curran on the wing and as advanced he sent over a pin point cross for Davidson to head passed  McInnes to make it 3-2 Saltcoats with 7mins to go, but Whitletts were not to be out done and after some good work by Blair on the wing O'Conner headed them level although it looked as if Catterson had prevented the ball crossing the line but he did admit the ball had only just crossed the line so a good desision by ref Scott to award the goal and send the teams in at full time level at 3-3.