ARDEER THISTLE (Ardeer Stadium)

WEST REGION AYRSHIRE DISTRICT LEAGUE, ARDEER THISTLE 4-2 WHITLETTS VICTORIA, ATTENDANCE: 79 (h/c)

Another surprise today
was the availability of
a programme. An
excellent read and
clearly a labour of love.

Today was a long planned trip north of the border, with an intended stopover in Penrith en route home, in order to have a wee drink with a motley crew of fellow groundhoppers.

Penrith has been our rest stop every time we return from Scotland and it has been a long standing joke that, due to the large number of pubs in the town, we should book a hotel and have a night on the ale.

When, last year, one of our party was diagnosed with cancer it was decided that once he was back on his feet after surgery then the time would finally be right to have that night out in the town.

It was also right that it was his call for which game would be the afternoons entertainment. However, the atrocious wet weather that had battered the country overnight Friday into Saturday certainly threw a spanner into the selection process.

Prior to setting off, the unanimous choice of game was Maryhill v Linlithgow in the Scottish Junior Cup, but that bit the dust (for the third week in a row incidentally) so an alternative had to be sought. As we crossed the border into Scotland we still had no firm idea of where we were heading.

Reading tweets from various clubs in the area it seemed that the Ayrshire coast had avoided the worst of the deluge so, after consultation between the various hoppers heading up the motorway, it was decided that Ardeer Thistle was the destination of choice.

Once a town in it's own right, Ardeer now forms part of the town of Stevenston and was famous for the manufacturing of explosives. Established in 1871 by Alfred Noble, he of the Noble prize, the British Dynamite Factory employed 13,000 people at its peak but has long since closed.

The company became part of ICI in the 1920's and the Ardeer Stadium was the company's recreation ground and was home to the now defunct Ardeer Recreation FC. In the 1970's Ardeer Thistle moved into the vacant ground and it has been their home ever since.

Formed in 1900, this is Thistle's second home in the town. They moved here because their original Ardchoille Park home suffered from vandalism, effectively leaving them homeless.

The Ardeer Stadium is another fine example of a Scottish Junior ground with a small piece of cover and vast open terracing. I have said it many times, you just don't get grounds like this south of the border as the health and safety brigade would probably have a fit!

The club compete in the West Region Ayrshire District League, which is the third level of this regional set up.

Today Ardeer were hosting Whitletts Victoria just two weeks after they last played each other at Dam Park, where Ardeer won 3-2. Whitletts are in the hunt for promotion, lying in second place at the start of play, whilst Ardeer are ensconced in mid-table. A victory was probably of greater significance for the visitors.

Both teams went for it from the off with chances at either end but the first goal didn't arrive until the 36th minute, triggering a spell of 5 goals in 18 minutes.

A Ryan Morrow penalty (pictured left) gave Ardeer the lead before he doubled their advantage just a minute later with a fine strike from outside the box.

In the 41st minute Whitletts were awarded a penalty of their own and Tony Balfour duly converted (pictured right).

Right on half time though the Whitletts defence failed to clear the ball and, as it fell loose in box, Lee Munro smashed it home.

The game was effectively over in the 54th minute when David Henry headed home a superb cross to score Ardeer's fourth. The pace of the game dipped after this though Ardeer had chances to extend their lead.

Whitletts did reduce the deficit in the 84th minute when Niall Kennedy fired home the rebound after his initial penalty was saved by Paul McGann (pictured right).

In stoppage time, Whitletts' Munya Mbanje was sent off for retaliating to a bad tackle and, in the melee that followed,  Ardeer's previously substituted Jack Robertson was also 'sent off' for running onto the pitch and appearing to aim a punch at a Vic's player. An unsavoury ending to a very fine match.

The players observe a minutes silence prior to kick off for
former Ardeer physio Sammy McKee, who passed away recently.