Central League: Division 1

  Shotts Bon Accord 2 - 2 Dunipace  

Dunipace travelled to Hannah Park high spirits following last weekends display against Largs to face a Shotts team fancied for the league title this season in many quarters.

As was the case in the Largs game, Dunipace started on the back foot surrendering possession from their kick off and spending the better part of the first 10 minutes defending as Shotts got into their passing routine early on.

That said, there was very little for Meighan to do, as the 'Pace' worked hard to limit any sightings on goal and in fact with their first meaningful move Dunipace took the lead. Some good play between McIllduff and Tweedie released Rodger into the wide left channel. The striker must have been amazed as he was given the freedom of Hannah Park to look up and plant a perfect cross onto the head of McIllduff who had continued his run to power a header in off the right hand post.

And following this Dunipace started to pass the ball better, getting themselves forward with more regularity to start asking questions of the home defence.

And indeed it could have been two for the visitors when following a string of corners that the home side had struggled to defend, McPhail picked out Gary MacMillan in the box. The stopper though saw his header sail inches past the left post, much to his annoyance.

Oates was next to get in on things for Dunipace as they broke quickly from a Shotts corner. Tweedie did superbly to hold the ball up and play a terrific crossfield pass into the path of Oates run, in the middle of goal with no defender near him. His first touch was good, but the home keeper did well to smother the shot and bail out his defence that had been slow to react to the Pace at which Dunipace broke forward. And the keeper was to prove his worth again moments later as Tweedie hit a ferocious drive from 25 yards that he tipped brilliantly over the bar at full stretch.

Shotts though, despite Dunipace creating these chances, were still having the better of the possession without really troubling Meighan who only really had a few crosses to deal with. The equaliser though did come as a cross from the Dunipace left was headed out by McIllduff to the edge of the area, where the Shotts number 11 unleashed an unstoppable half volley beyond the keeper with his left foot.

Perhaps he wasn't closed down quickly enough, but you could take nothing away from the excellent strike that had Dunipace ruing those missed opportunities.

So 1 - 1 at half time and Dunipace came out in the second half at a different pace, looking to test the home side and playing some better football than they had in the first.

Neither side though really managed to create anything of note early on but as time passed the game, on this huge playing surface, opened up a little.

But it was Shotts who were to take the lead. Meighan did well to tip a miss hit cross ovr the bar, but from the resulting corner Dunipace left the home number 8, one of the smallest on the park, free at the back post and his return across goal was bundled home by the striker despite the attentions of Oates and Mullen on the goal line.

Harsh for Dunipace, having created the majority of the chances in the game, but again they only have themselves to blame as it was their own very poor defending that cost them the goal, rather than their opponents doing anything special to create.

But, credit to the visitors, they have rarely accepted these knocks this season and got themselves back on level terms almost immediately. Oates throw from the right was nodded out to the edge of the box by McIllduff and it fell perfectly into the path of the onrushing McPhail who let fly with an unstoppable right foot half volley into the top corner.

A great strike from the wing back and no more than Dunipace deserved at this stage.

Both teams created chances after that, with Shotts having a header just wide before Tweedie forced another fine save low to his right from the home keeper through a crisp 20 yard drive.

And after Meighan saved from a Boyack strike Dunipace thought they had grabbed the points as substitute William "Tevez" McLauchlan tapped into the net after the keeper had fumbled a cross.

Celebrations though were short lived as the referee, who was poor all game for both sides, decided that the keepers fumble was a foul and chalked the goal off. A poor decision, but following some of the saves the keeper had produced up till that point he probably deserved a little bit of luck.

With that the game finished 2 - 2 and, despite feeling disappointed not to have taken the 3 points, Dunipace will again be encouraged by the majority of the performance and go back to Westfield with a point that they probably would have accepted before a ball was kicked.