Kilwinning Rangers defeat Benburb in West of Scotland Cup tie

BENBURB 2

KILWINNING RANGERS 4

BUFFS won their first game in two months as they swept aside Bens at New Tinto Park.

It was the first meeting of the sides in Govan since 2003 when Buffs won 3-0 at the old Tinto Park.

Buffs kicked off, but Bens had the first half-chance when Blackwood raced into the box and chipped into the path of Jackson, but he shot well over the bar.

Carlo Monti in the middle then sent Ben Lewis through into the box, but he pulled his shot wide. A few minutes later Findlay Frye found Bryan Boylan and he touched the ball onto Sam McCloskey, whose low shot was well saved by Somerville.

A 22 yard Monti free-kick was cleared by Greer out to Livingston and he laid off to Metcalfe, who lost lost possession and Lewis then sprinted down the nearside flank and teed up Ricky Hanvey, but the striker fired wide of from inside the box.

Gallacher teed up Metcalfe, but his shot was well held by Craig Burns. At the other end Joe Coleman raced down the near side to lay off to Lewis, but his goalbound drive was deflected out by Meechan.

Coleman fired a free-kick well over the bar from just inside the`D` in 31 minutes.

Three minutes later Buffs broke the deadlock when a cross found Monti in the box and his shot was blocked by Sommerville but fell to the unmarked Hanvey to slot home from close range.

Bens came close when a Blackwood shot crashed off the crossbar, Monti found McCloskey wide and his cross found Liam McGuinness at the near post, but his header spun wide.

The hosts grabbed a deserved equaliser two minutes from half time when Connor forced Gallacher`s far side corner home.

The hosts almost scored just after the break when Gallacher sent over a free-kick from the corner of the box which found Connor at the near post, but the Buffs defence scrambled the ball off the line.

Five minutes into the second half Buffs regained the lead once again as Bens defence were caught square when Monti`s far side corner was headed home by former Tinto park idol Stephen Swift in 50 minutes.

Another far side corner from Monti found Maitland, but his header soared wide. Boylan was left one on-one with Sommerville, but the keeper pulled off a terrific save.

Yet another corner from Monti on the far side found Boylan, but his effort was well over.

Buffs then extended their lead when Boylan tore into the box on the near side to send a low ball across the face of goal, Sommerville at full stretch gets a touch, but it only serves to take the pace off the ball and Lewis had the easiest of tasks to does well to tap home.

An poor pass from A Wright was intercepted by McGuinness who lays off to Boylan in the box on the near side, but once again Sommerville produced a great save. Bens almost reduced the deficit when Jackson sent Blackwood into the box on the far side only to see his goalbound effort thumped off the line by McCloskey.

Two minutes from time Monti fired home in a screamer of a volley, despite claims from the hosts he had helped the ball in with his hand.

Bens pulled a goal back on full-time when Blackwood latched onto a loose ball in midfield and sent Livingston down the far side to fire home from just inside the box.

KILWINNING RANGERS: Burns; Coleman, McCloskey, Swift, Maitland, Frye, Monti, McGuinness, Hanvey, Lewis, Boylan. Subs: Fleeting, Kerr, Hogg, Cashmore.