McBookie Super League First Division

IRVINE MEADOW 0

KELLO ROVERS 2

By Stewart McConnell

AFTER the glorious highs of their shock West of Scotland triumph against Kilwinning Rangers, Irvine Meadow were brought crashing back to earth on Saturday.

They went down at home to promoted Kello to hand new boss Brian McGinty his first defeat in what was his fourth game in charge.

And ironically they were beaten by a visiting team who adopted Meadow's tactics at Abbey Park by keeping a tight defence and going forward on the counter-attack.

In four minutes a 25-yard effort from Jared Willet was saved by visiting goalie Ryan Dunsmuir.

Four minutes later a shot from just inside the box by Mark McLennan was deflected wide. Then in 12 minutes a 25-yard shot from James Wilson was well saved by Shaun Newman in the home goal.

Two minutes later home skipper Ben Carson saw his 25-yard effort scrambled wife.

In 14 minutes, Sean Dennis crossed to David Jardine, whose eight-yard effort went straight into Newman's arms.

As Meadow kept pushing, James Marks shot narrowly over the bar from 12 yards in a crowded box in 20 minutes.

Good play on the right by Graham Boyd won Medda a corner in 23 minutes and the resultant set-piece from Carson was headed just over the bar by Darren Miller.

Marks had a crack from 22 yards but his effort was smothered by the Kello goalie a minute later.

But Kello made the breakthrough in 31 minutes when Liam Fleming swung a cross into the unmarked Wilson, who slotted home from close range.

Declan Hill then saw his shot from well inside the box scrambled away by the Meadow defence in 34 minutes before a minute later Eddie McTernan's shot from 12 yards was saved by Ryan Dunsmuir.

Medda missed a sitter in 41 minutes when Stuart Hannah set up Boyd to blast over the bar from 10 yards with only the goalie to beat.

Hannah shot narrowly wide from six yards two minutes from half-time.

The hosts came close when a Stuart Hannah shot from 12 yards was deflected wife and from the resultant corner-kick Boyd headed just over the bar.

James Marks raced towards the box in 57 minutes but was beaten to the ball by Kieran Pagan.

Meadow came so close three minutes later when a shot deflected off Mark McLennan and hit the top of the net from eight yards.

Jardine surged deep into Meadow territory in 66 minutes but Newman made a superb save to deny him from eight yards.

A Ben Black effort from eight yards was cleared off the line by a Kello defender four minutes later as the home side tried to get back into the game.

Carson then shot narrowly over the bar from 18 yards six minutes later.

The captain was then booked for diving a minute later.

Dan McKay replaced Stuart Hannah a minute later as McGinty freshened up the side.

Ben Black saw his effort from the edge of the box blocked in 77 minutes and from the resultant corner from Carson the bell was deflected by the goalie.

With Dunsmuir well out of his goal, Willet shot wildly over the bar from 25 yards four minutes later.

At the other end a minute later Fleming shot across the face of goal.

James Marks saw his effort outside the box scrambled away in 85 minutes as the Dumfriesshire side held on to win.

IRVINE MEADOW: Newman; McLennan, Hannah, Begley, Miller, Carson, McTernan, Carnwath, Marks, Boyd, Willet. Subs: Boyle, Black, McCrea, McKay.

KELLO ROVERS: Dunsmuir; Bennie, Pagan, S Bell, M Bell, Hill, Hampson, Shaw, Jardine, Fleming, Wilson, Quinn.