Irvine Vics 5–2 Saltcoats Vics — Ayrshire League Cup, 8 Aug 2015

Report by keano

This game was played in near perfect conditions, and a lot of credit must go to the ground staff for this. Saltcoats started the game and after a couple of mins of mid-field battleing were first to have a shot at goal through Thomas McLelland but this went well over the bar without bothering Lamb in the Irvine goal. This effort seemed to spark Irvine to life and they took total control of the game from early doors when a Calum Davidson shot was blocked by his own player in David Adams, and was followed shortly afterwards with a header from a corner at the back post that had Catterson scrambling across his goal. The first goal came on 7mins from a Davy Wilson free kick from half way was flicked on by Scott Chesney and the defence seemed static as the ball rolled into the net. Saltcoats did not learn anything from the first goal as from thier very next attack David Adams made it 2-0 when the defence stood still,he nipped in front of them to knock the ball passed Catterson. From 2-0 down Saltcoats started to make inroads into the match, and there was some good football from both sides, and some good match ups in the middle of the park none more so than Calum Davidson and Paul Weaver and neither were giving an inch. On the half hour mark Adam Easdon was halted rather abruptly by the Irvine defence as he charged forward resulting in a free kick, but once again Lamb went untroubled. At the other end Darren Russell had a goal bound effort blocked by Jamie Whyte, and as the play went from one side to the other Saltcoats should have got back into it on 35mins when Joe Young broke clear but the slightest of delays in releasing the shot gave Lamb and Wilson enough time to block between them. As play reverted back to Irvine, Carlo Scaramuzza went close with a shot on 38mins, but Saltcoats did cut the deficit when a delightfully pass from Paul Weaver to an on rushing Sean Quinn and the winger placed the ball passed Lamb into the net off the post 2-1 just before the break.

 Irvine started the second half and should have restored thier 2 goal advantage almost from kck off but Adams totally miss-kicked his shot in front of goal and Catterson mopped up, as play once again flowed from end to end Paul Weaver made Lamb in the Irvine goal earn his corn with a good shot from 18yds after some good interlinking play with Joe Young set him up, and not to be outdone Catterson at the other end had to look livelly to punch away an effort from Paul Monan. There was always going to some heavy tackles in a game like this and on 58mins Chesney picked up a yellow for one such tackle, and shortly afterward picked up a second to make a red and hand Saltcoats the numerical advantage, but the visitors could not take advantage of it and when Adam Easdon brought down David Adams he made Ref Kirklands job easy pointing to the spot for a penalty, which he got up and easily dispatched passed Catterson to make it 3-1, and after some hand bags with Catterson both he and Adams were booked, but it was to be Adams that got the last word when he had an easy tap in after Davidson found him in acres of space in front of goal to make it 4-1 on 85mins but the scoring was not over at that and Davidson himself headed home from a cross to make it 5-1, and right at the death Calvin Smith score a consolation for the visitors to make the final scoe Irvine Vics 5 Saltcoats Vics 2