The Ants made it two wins in a row with a fine 3-4 win away to Bonnyton Thistle at the Synergy Arena in the first ever matchup between the two sides.
The Ants were on the front foot from the kick off and that early pressure paid off in the 11th minute when Jack MacMurray put the Ants infront direct from a corner which deceived the Thistle defenders and keeper who couldn’t scramble the ball clear. It was double delight for the Ants in the 18th minute when last season’s top scorer Martin Mullaney notched his second of the season as he lashed the ball into the top corner after a fine cut back from Keir McNair.
Bonnyton didn’t waste long in a reply though and reduced the deficit to 1-2 in the 21st minute when a Kieran Murphy free kick found its way to the back post and Ben Wilson was unmarked to head home past McGuire. This boosted the home side and 11 minutes later they were level when goal provider turned goal scorer when Kieran Murphy fired home a long range free kick that beat McGuire much to the delight of the home fans.
Just before the break there was a golden opportunity for Bonnyton to take the lead when McGuire spilled a shot and upon trying to retrieve the ball took out a Bonnyton player and the ref pointed to the spot. Kyle McAvoy stepped up to take the kick but he was denied by McGuire who guessed the correct way to keep the ball out.
HALF TIME BONNYTON 2 v 2 ANTS
The second half was barely a minute old when we had the games 5th goal. Jack MacMurray started the move in his own half and after a good passing move Mullaney slid the youngster in and he made no mistake firing across McRoberts and into the net to restore the Ants lead. Both sides pressed for another goal and both looked equally dangerous going forward but it was The Ants who would get the next, and as it turned out crucial goal when Mullaney passed the ball back under pressure from two Bonnyton defenders into the path of Sam Muir who applied a stunning finish to give McRoberts no chance and put the Ants 2-4 ahead.
It looked like it was game over as we reached the 90th minute but life as an Ants fan is never that simple and when Aaron Fairbairn nodded home in the 91st minute you could have been forgiven for wondering if we would hold out. A couple of corners, including one where the Keeper came up were dealt with well by the Ants rearguard and the refs final whistle was music to the ears of the visiting fans.
FULL TIME BONNYTON 3 v 4 ANTS
