Saltcoats Vics 3–2 Dalry Thistle — SJFA West Region Ayrshire District League, 13 Dec 2014

Report by Keano

 Saltcoats managed to hold off Dalry in the closing stages thanks to a couple of timely subsitutions from manager Derek Frye and hold on to a well deserved 3 points.

 In the early stages Saltcoats had Dalry under pressure and James Moan, Thomas McLelland and especially Joe Young were all looking in good form, and Young had the first go at the Dalry rear guard but to his dismay he was easily played off the ball by Tolland as he headed for goal, next up was McLelland after some good link up play between himself and Moan saw him test Summers in the Dalry goal and the keeper stood up well to the test. Dalry gradually came into the game but were being restricted to shots from distance as Billy Aurthur was marshalling his troops in defence well, but Graeme Hamilton did test Ingam from distance but he to was well up for the test. Saltcoats tried to turn the screw as the pressure on the Dalry rear guard was begining to tell with both Young and McLelland testing Summer in goal, but on the half hour mark the keeper was beaten when he was left short with a back pass and the ever nimbble Young raced in and just beat him to the ball knocking it passed him and into the net 1-0 Saltcoats, And Saltcoats doubled there lead 6mins later when Sean Quinn played over a cross ball that was controlled well by James Moan with one foot and buirried in the back of the net with the other foot to make it 2-0 Saltcoats. From the kick off Saltcoats could have been accused of being a little lack luster as Dalry were allowed to go up the park and pull a goal back through Graeme Hamilton after he and Archdeacon were allowed to stroll right up the middle of the park and fire home 2-1 and game on again, and for the following 3mins or so til the break Dalry kept up the pressure looking for the goal to even up the game but the whistle came at the right time for Saltcoats to take a slender lead into the second half.

 The second half started much the same as the first with Saltcoats having the upper hand, and with the one goal ahead and the wind at thier back they tried to push home thier advantage, and with in 6mins they were 3-1 ahead after some delightful play by James Moan set up Thomas McLelland to slot the ball home, and Moan himself went close shortly afterwards when he was set up by Young but this time Summers was the winner. The hard working Chris Black was next to have a go but his shot was blocked by Lockhart for a corner before he was to be replaced by Paul Monan as he picked up an injury, and from the resulting corner Adam Easdon hit the post with a header. Dalry were finding it difficult to clear thier own half as the Vics tried to turn the screw but when they did Singleton and Hamilton were making Curren and Aurthur earn thier corn, with their next attack Joe Young had Summer scrambling across his goal to make a finger tip save as the ball headed for the top corner. On70 mins Dalry made thier way up feild and after some good work from Lockhart and Liam Hood the ball fell to Ryan Singleton to fire home and pull Dalry back into the game, the  goal gave Dalry all the boost they needed and they gained the upper hand pushing Saltcoats back looking for a leveller, but Billy Aurther and Seamus McGeady were to prove that experiance is a great thing as the marshalled the team through and Easdon and Curren must have learned a lot as the maturity began to rub off on them. In the end the result was a true refection of the game where in a close run encounter Saltcoats just had the upper hand thus came away with the 3 points. Final score Saltcoats Vics 3 Dalry Thistle 2