Central League: Division 1

  Dunipace 4 - 2 Thorniewood  

On a wet and very windy Westfield Dunipace played host to Thorniewood United in this Central League Division 1 tie. The visitors, having only just missed out on promotion last season, were looking to kick start their season, with the home side looking to build on a 2-0 win in their last game against Lesmahagow.

And with the good result in the previous match Dunipace started with the same 11 players, Blair Hutton remaining on the sidelines partly through a shoulder injury, but mainly following Meighan's excellent display in the previous match.

With conditions not helping either side, Dunipace struggled in the early exchanges to create much in the way of chances against a strong wind, but despite enjoying the bulk of possession Thorniewood were struggling to break down a stubborn rearguard themselves.

Chances were always likely to present themselves though and the first meaningful one came for the visitors. Dunipace will be disappointed that they switched off from a short corner and when the Thorniewood defender found himself alone at the back post it seemed 1-0 would be the outcome. The stopper though headed against the bar and as the ball dropped on the line missed his kick in front of an empty goal. That allowed Gary MacMillan move across goal and clear from underneath his own crossbar.

This proved to be a warning that sparked Dunipace into life and the almost immediately took the lead themselves. McIllduff played a ball inside the Thorniewood fullback and into the path of Mullen, but the defender managed to toe it back to his centre half. The stopper though dalied in possession and was robbed by Barry Rodger who ran on and slotted past the outrushing keeper.

1-0 to Dunipace and it should have been two almost immediately, Tweedie getting on the end of an excellent passing move but firing into the midriff of the keeper when 1 on 1 from 12 yards.

And Dunipace nearly paid the price when McIllduff lost his man inside the area from a free kick, fortunately though the attacker headed well wide from 12 yards.

Again Dunipace capitalised following this near miss as Ryan McCafferty slotted a free kick from 20 yards low into the bottom corner with the keeper helpless.

2-0 at half time and Dunipace would have hoped to have kept it this way for at least the opening period of the second half, but as has been their way this season they allowed Thorniewood back into the game, conceeding a poor goal. A corner from the left was misjudged by Mullen at the front post, resulting in a touch that took the ball across goal rather than out. The vistors got a little fortunate that it landed at the feet of their player and more so when the midfielders shot through fully 16 bodies hit no-one and found the net from 18 yards.

Unbelievably, the visitors drew level moments later when the forward, forced backwards by Graeme MacMillan, played the ball into the path of the midfielder who had run unmatched and he fired a low shot beyond Meighan from 20 yards.

And the vistors would have taken the lead had it not been for an excellent save by the keeper Meighan, staying up to block when 1 on 1 with the Thorniewood wide man who had run through the home defence.

This proved to be another warning Dunipace would take seriously, as they went up the park and scored a third. William McLauchlan toucehd the ball inside to Ryan McCafferty who drew both defenders to him before sliding an excellent pass into the path of Marty Wright who dispatched the finish low across the keeper and into the net.

Advantage Dunipace, but things were to take a turn again for the home side as McIllduff was booked for a second time and thus ordered off by the official. The attacker could count himself a little unlucky as his first challenge was an excellent one that didn't even result in claims for a foul from the visitors so it was a suprise to see him flash the card for it. That said, he had an equally as baffling decision in the first half when a Thorniewood player went into a 50-50 with Orr which resulted in a foul. Like McIllduff's, nothing more than a hard challenge and never a booking for the visiting defender.

Having been booked already though, McIllduff perhaps could have avoided making teh challenge that resulted in a second yellow, especially as he had been guilty of a foul almost immediately prior.

Dunipace continued to soak up the pressure from Thorniewood following the dismissal, but Meighan was finding himself with little to do behind his team in the home goal. On the occasion he was called upon though he was there to make another excellent save as the ball broke to the striker 12 yards out, diving to his left to push the ball away. From the rebound 2 visiting players were closing on the tap in but as the keeper got up Gary MacMillan threw himself in to clear the ball for a corner, clearing out both forwards in the process.

And that was to be the last major threat on the home goal as Marty Wright broke away after tackling the defender on the half way line to round the keeper and score the fourth in the dying minutes of the game.

Having been 2-0 up and in such a comfortable position Dunipace will have been disappointed to have gotten into the situation at 2-2, but showed great character to pick their game up again, even when down to 10 men, to win a game the they could have (and would have in past seasons) lost out on in the end.

Another 3 points and Dunipace will hope to continue in the same vein against a tough Glasgow Perthshire side in next weekends encounter.