McBookie Ayrshire District League

ARDEER THISTLE 0

IRVINE VICTORIA 1

By Stewart McConnell

AN OPPORTUNIST second half goal from Grant Bolton helped gritty Vics bounce back from defeat against Ardrossan Winton Rovers to move into the thick of the promotion race.

They racked up a sixth victory out of eight to move up into second spot.

Sometimes you have to ground out results in testing conditions and Vics had to master the hard side of the game by making telling challenges and more displays this will go a long way towards securing them promotion into the Championship.

Ardeer by contrast must learn to be more clinical and take their chances.

Kevin Adam hooked a cross into the box in five minutes but it was scrambled away by the Ardeer defence. Then at the other end in 12 minutes Archie Sewell was foiled inside the box by a strong challenge from Paul Young.

Vics forged an opening a minute later when Callum Davidson shot high and wide from 25 yards.

The Westenders set up another chance in 18 minutes when Sean Mears set up Eddie Ablorh inside the box in 22 minutes but he shot straight at goalie Paul McCann. Then two minutes later a 25-yard free-kick from Ryan Singleton was easily saved by McCann.

At the other end in 26 minutes a shot from 22 yards by Ryan Morrow was well handled by Vics goalie Chris Lamb.

Thistle spurned a great chance in 36 minutes when substitute Gordon Wilson had Lamb to beat from the edge of the box but blasted wildly over the bar.

Morrow shot wide from 20 yards three minutes later.

Vics took the lead with the first chance of the second half in 46 minutes when Mears threaded a fine through ball to Bolton who miscued the ball but it squirmed beyond McCann and into the bottom corner of the net from 10 yards.

Lamb easily saved a Derek Kennedy shot from outside the box in 51 minutes.

Kennedy shot wide from 20 yards three minutes later. Eddie Ablorh was in with just McCann to beat from 10 yards in 58 minutes but shot wildly over the bar.

On the hour, Kennedy was booked for diving although he looked to have been tripped on the edge of the box by Paul Young four minutes later.

Visiting player Pete Wood was booked for a late challenge in 66 minutes.

Ablorh ran on to a long through ball inside the box in 76 minutes but was halted by a fine challenge from Michael Holden. Davidson shot well over the top from 16 yards 10 minutes from time.

Vics were not far away in 85 minutes when Wilson sliced a shot well wide from 25 yards and they came close again in 89 minutes when Ablorh set up Adam but McCann saved at his feet.

ARDEER THISTLE: McCann; G Wilson, McKay, Donnelly, Holden, Stevenson, Morrow, Gillies, Sewell, Kennedy, Maxwell. Subs: Kean, Paterson, Thomson, Scotchfield, Johnson.

IRVINE VICTORIA: Lamb; Mears, Wood, Young, Bonner, Davidson, Mears, Anderson, Singleton, Adam, Ablorh, Bolton. Subs: C Wilson, Scott, Hamilton, D Wilson, Burt.