Last week Ardrossan fans would have been cursing the surname Duncan after Ants keeper Jonny’s heroics against them, this week it’s a familiar story only this time it’s the Ants striker Willie Duncan they will be cursing after the hitmans deadly double either side of a Thomas Miller penalty that saw the Ants progress to the 2nd round to face Dunipace and the Ayrshire District side crash out.
With barely a minute on the clock the Ants showed their intentions when Docherty had a snap shot that went just over the bar. Ardrossan, shooting down the Winton Park slope then started putting pressure on Duncan’s goal. Caddis found the by-line but his cross was dealt with easily by Ants captain Ronnie McDonald who booted the ball out of play and the danger was gone. Five minutes later a slack pass by Thomson let John Johnston get a shot away but it failed to trouble the Ants goal then Cashmore, who’s two goals last week forced the replay, had a shot but Thomson cleared well. The Ants seemed a little lethargic as the hosts continued to press and with 22 minutes on the clock the home side took the lead. Carson dispossessed Docherty and then found Caddis who played the ball back into the path and BEN CARSON made followed up his initial pass and made no mistake firing first time past Duncan from 20 yards.
The Ants then had a chance when Duncan found space down the right hand side but his cut back was cleared before it reached Docherty and the chance was gone. Johnston and Caddis were linking up well for the home side and the former should have done better but shot wide after some neat play then Caddis fired wide when it looked easier to hit the target. Despite the pressure building you still had a sense that if the Ants could hold on until half time they were right back in the tie and they almost equalised right on the stroke of the break when McIntosh was inches away from connecting with a Crawford corner.
A different Ants side came out for the second half, shooting down the hill and with the words of the management no doubt ringing in their ears and within 7 minutes of the restart they were level. Jamie Docherty was sent through on goal before he was scythed down in the box by Billy Gilmour giving the impressive man in the middle Sean Murdoch no option but to point to the spot and reduce the home side to ten men for denying a goalscoring opportunity. THOMAS MILLER stepped up and gave Pollock no chance with a well drilled spot kick. Five minutes after that and the Ants made the man advantage count. A stray pass by Johnston was pounced upon by WILLIE DUNCAN who raced through on Pollock’s goal and caught the keeper flat footed with a lovely lob over the keeper to put the Ants 2-1 up, picking up a booking for his celebration as he ran to the small band of Ants fans on the terracing. The Ants were starting to play some lovely football and McCuish nearly finished off a great move involving 4 Ants players but his shot from 20 yards was easily held by Pollock then a lovely turn and through ball by Docherty was cut out as Duncan closed in on the ball.
The Ants forward line was causing the home defence all manner of problems now and another good turn by Docherty found Ants debutant Scott McEwan but he couldn’t get his cross into the box as it was blocked for a corner. From the corner Crawford swung a lovely ball onto the head of Miller, who you would expect to have buried it but his header flashed inches wide of the post. The chances were mounting up and you felt they would have to take at least one of them as Ardrossan started creeping into the game again and they almost equalised when Cochrane headed a corner off the Ants bar, and then had a big penalty claim waived away when the ball appeared to strike Thomson on the arm but Ref Murdoch waived away the claims much to the Ants full back’s relief. A minute later the Ants had sub Johnny Loughlin to thank for keeping their lead intact when he blocked a net-bound shot on the line and the ball was whacked to safety. with 72 minutes on the clock a long diagonal from R.McDonald found Docherty, he turned his marker and stung the palms of Pollock who denied the striker with a fine diving save, Duncan got to the rebound first but with his back to goal he passed to Docherty who’s shot cannoned off Cochrane and was cleared.
Just like last week it was the ten men who got the equaliser.In the 77th minute A long ball by Cochrane found RYAN CADDIS who appeared to be a yard or two offside but the Ref’s whistle remained silent as he fired past Duncan despite the best efforts of McIntosh. The Ants players protested but Mr Murdoch was unmoved and the goal was awarded. Veteran striker Ian Cashmore was then shown a second yellow after 83 minutes for a silly foul which would have enraged his manager, especially after his first booking was for not allowing a free kick to be taken by standing infront of the ball and you sensed there may be a twist in the tale still to come.
Come it did and in the shape of a little bit of De-Ja Vu when Jonny Duncan’s kick was flicked on by Billy Stevenson into the path of that Man WILLIE DUNCAN who once again lobbed the ball over Pollock with only a minute left on the clock to send the Ants support wild and the club into the 2nd round of the Scottish Junior Cup.
A great second half performance by the players, who once again showed their never say die attitude and its a great credit to the backroom staff for the bond that is forming in the changing room
Ants Man of the Match – Willie Duncan
