McBookie Super League Premier Division

KILWINNING RANGERS 2

KILBIRNIE LADESIDE 2

LADESIDE travelled to Abbey Park and put another dent in Kilwinning's title-winning chances with a battling 2-2 draw.

It was the home side who started the stronger with Carlo Monti having a couple of early chances when he fired over from 20 yards out after a mistake in the Ladeside defence and again from slightly further out when he pulled his effort well wide.

Midway through the half Ben Lewis had a good chance when a cross from the right to the back post saw the Kilwinning man unmarked but his header went wide.

Kilbirnie started to get more into the game as the half went on and Mark Burbidge pounced on an error by Maitland but the Kilwinning defender recovered with a good challenge to halt his advance on goal. Monti had another go from 35 yards out but Kieran Hughes tipped his effort over the bar.

Five minutes from the interval Kilbirnie took the lead when a quickly taken throw in found Roberts on the right and his cross into the box was only cleared as far as Burbidge who slipped the ball to Scullion and his shot from the edge of the box flew past Wardrope into the net with the help of a deflection.

Kilwinning had the first chance at the start of the second half when a Michael Wardrope shot from 20 yards was touched onto the post by Monti but the flag was up for offside. Anderson then won the ball in midfield before driving forward laying the ball off to Scullion who found Roberts on the right and he cut the ball back again for Anderson but he hit his shot straight at Wardrope in the Kilwinning goal. Two minutes later Davie Anderson again won the ball in the middle of the park, played it onto Scullion, who picked out Finlay in the box but his effort was deflected wide. From the resultant corner Mick O'Byrne went down in the box appealing for a penalty but the referee waved away the Ladeside appeals.

Kilwinning had a chance to equalise on the hour when a ball through to Sam McCloskey saw him round Hughes, but his effort from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Cory Hughes.

Buffs drew level five minutes later when an effort from Coleman was spilled by Hughes and Davie Winters went down rather easily over the outstretched leg of Cory Hughes. Tommy Maitland fired the resultant spot kick past Hughes. Two minutes later Kilbirnie had a chance from a free-kick 22 yards out wide of centre but Jon Scullion fired his effort well over the bar.

Ladeside restored their lead in 70 minutes when a quick ball forward to Scullion saw him find Burbidge on the left and he in turn found Roberts in the middle but his shot was parried by Wardrope only as far as Finlay and he smashed the ball into the net from seven yards. Kilwinning looked to respond and a corner from the left found the head of Maitland three yards out but Hughes saved well from close range. With 5 mins remaining Kilwinning got back on level terms when McCloskey cut in from the left and when Hughes could only parry his effort Wardrope was there to bundle the ball into the net from three yards.

Right on full-time, Kilwinning thought they had a winner when Winters fired the ball into the net from 12 yards out but he was rightly flagged for offside.

KILBIRNIE LADESIDE: K Hughes; Mitchell, Ç Hughes, Roberts, O'Byrne, McLaren, Burbidge, Anderson, Finlay, Scullion, MacKinnon. Subs: Sweeney, McGill, Bembo, Tuohy, Wilson.

KILWINNING RANGERS: Wardrope; Coleman, Latta, Pettigrew, Maitland, Frye, Monti, Hanvey, Boylan, Lewis, Wardrope. Subs: McCloskey, Nisbet, Winters, Hill