McBookie Super League First Division

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN 0

IRVINE MEADOW 1

By Stewart McConnell

REVITALISED Meadow achieved the goal of boss Brian McGinty by winning their fifth straight game to keep their promotion dream alive.

Needing a two-goal win to reach the Premier Division automatically, they fell just short at the sun-kissed Celsius Stadium.

They now look set to face Arthurlie in the Premier Division play-off, although should Largs fail to beat Cumbernauld away in their final league match on Sunday they will take the direct route to the top flight.

Good play by Graham Boyd on the right won Irvine Meadow a corner in seven minutes and from the set-piece Darren Miller headed just over the bar at the back post.

Medda won a free-kick 30 yards out in 10 minutes and the set-piece from skipper Ben Carson was headed away by a Glencairn defender.

The visitors came close in 14 minutes when a rasping volley from 16 yards by Jordan McGuire was saved by home goalie Jack Baker.

Visiting goalie Shaun Newman made a confident stop from a Tony Fraser corner-kick in 19 minutes. At the other end, a minute later a Calum Gow header was cleared for a corner. From the resultant set-piece a Darren Miller header was booted off the line.

It was a tense contest with so much at stake.

Medda were awarded a penalty in 29 minutes when Miller was sent tumbling inside the box. However skipper Carson's effort was saved by Baker but David Mackay blasted the rebound over the bar.

The visitors were totally dominant at this stage with Glencairn rarely in the game.

A David Mackay free-kick in 45 minutes was cleared by the Glencairn defence as Meadow kept pressing. Medda came so close in 51 minutes when a Boyd corner-kick was headed inches over the bar by Miller.

Glens came close in 62 minutes when Jordan Leyden shot high and well wide from 18 yards in 62 minutes.

Medda blasted into the lead in 67 minutes when a well-flighted cross from Mackay was powerfully headed home from eight yards by Carson, who atoned for his earlier miss.

Rhys Devlin came on for Colin Spence in 76 minutes.

Glencairn were unlucky three minutes later when Del McNab shot narrowly wide from 18 yards.

Medda went close in 84 minutes when a Miller shot was hooked off the line but they could not add to their tally and now face a waiting game.

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN: Baker; Hall, Kerr, Donaldson, Fraser, S McGuire, McCall, Hamilton, Smith, Gormley, McNab. Subs: Grier, Leyden, McGregor, Trialist, McLellan.

IRVINE MEADOW: Newman; Boyd, Willet, Gow, Begley, Mackay, Carson, Spence, Miller, Dickie, McGuire. Subs: Hannah, Black, Devlin, Gemmell, Bannister.