Darvel Juniors hit by classic sucker punch

Apr 3 2009 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

THIS narrow defeat, in a game they could have had sewn up by half-time, has probably put paid to Darvel’s promotion dreams.

There is still a chance, if the Irvine Valley side win all their remaining games, and others drop points.

But to some extent now the matter is out of their hands.

Manager George Grierson was disappointed with the result, but said he couldn’t fault any of his players.

He said: “They created a lot of chances and were on top for most of the game. We just didn’t convert the chances when they came our way.

“The Ardrossan keeper also had a cracker of a game and pulled off a number of tremendous saves to deny us.”

The home side started off playing down the slope and made the brighter start. They had the first real chance on 15 minutes, but Darvel keeper Ross Stewart got down low to the left and saved well.

Five minutes later Stewart saved well again when he stood up to block a shot one on one with the striker.

After that, Darvel came more into the game and started to bombard the Ardrossan goal.

A nice move up the right involving Chris Taylor and Chris Dallas saw the latter swing a great ball into the box for Chris Lynn, who hit the bar.

Moments later Lynn’s ball into the box was narrowly missed by Davie Kirkland. Darvel certainly finished the half the stronger team, but had nothing to show for it.

From the restart, the Ardrossan defence was caught flat-footed and Craig Parker had a chance when he went one on one with the keeper, but his half volley, taken early, went inches past.

Then Steven Harvey caught the defence napping to set up Kirkland, who had two shots in quick succession saved by the in-form Ardrossan keeper.

The keeper pulled off another string of saves, with Darvel chances coming from Dallas and Kirkland.

And with just four minutes to go, the visitors were hit with the sucker punch, when Ardrossan, against the run of play, managed to fire a smashing shot from the edge of the box into the Darvel goal.

Parker tried to find the net in the dying moments, but it wasn’t to be Darvel’s day.

Despite the disappointment, Darvel boss George Grierson said: “We’ll still be giving it 100 per cent, even if it does look almost impossible now for us to go up.

“We don’t have long to reverse the result against Ardrossan. We face them at Recreation Park on Saturday in the second round of the Ayrshire Cup.”

Darvel: Stewart, Harvey, Johnston, Sloss, Parker, Taylor, Black, Bonner, Lynn, Kirkland, Dallas. Subs: McGhee, Kelly, Martin, Bolan, McIntyre.

Defender John Johnston has impressed so much at Darvel, his bosses have signed him on a two-year professional contract.

Said Grierson: “John has gone from strength to strength, and we were delighted to sign him on this professional form.”