Ayrshire football round-up from Saturday, October 28

Murdie MacKinnon’s men were one of three WoSFL sides from Ayrshire aiming to make it into Sunday evening’s third round draw – but they were the only ones to achieve that aim after Mack McLennan and Andy McLaughlin struck in the second half to overturn a 1-0 interval deficit and earn a 2-1 win at home to Highland League Turriff United.

They will play host in round three to Lowland League Broomhill - with the tie to be played on the weekend of November 25 - after Stephen Swift's side ended the cup dreams of reigning WoSFL Premier Division champions Beith on Saturday.

The loss of two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half proved too much for Chris Strain’s men to overcome at Bellsdale Park, and though Ciaran Driver pulled one back for the hosts, Scott Roberts’ second saw the visitors through.

The lowest-ranked WoSFL side left in the competition on Saturday morning was Kilwinning Rangers, but Chris Aitken’s men were unable to turn the tables on Cowdenbeath at Buffs Park, with Michael Cunningham notching the game’s only goal on 79 minutes to send the Fifers through.

Results elsewhere left Cumnock as one of only two WoSFL sides to make it into the draw for the third round, with MacKinnon’s former club, Pollok, sharing the honour after a 5-2 win at home to Gala Fairydean Rovers of the Lowland League.

For the rest of Ayrshire’s WoSFL clubs, it was back to the bread-and-butter of league business after several weeks of cup action on various fronts – and among the biggest Premier Division smiles of the day were those worn by Troon, who returned home with a 2-1 win from their trip to a Darvel side whose preparations for the match won’t have been helped by a statement from the club’s board on Friday night announcing plans to slash their player budget to balance the books at Recreation Park.

Other big Ayrshire winners in the top flight on Saturday were Largs Thistle, for whom David Ramsay's strike on 88 minutes was enough to see off high-flying Benburb at Barrfields, and Auchinleck Talbot, who climbed out of the relegation zone with a fifth straight win, Gareth Armstrong’s first-half header proving the difference against Rob Roy at Beechwood Park.

Still stuck in the top flight drop zone are Glenafton Athletic, despite a battling 1-1 draw at home to East Ayrshire rivals Hurlford, with Lewis Morrison equalising after Liam Caddis scored his first goal in a Glens jersey to put the hosts in front, and Irvine Meadow, whose new boss Martin Ferry may feel his honeymoon period is drawing to a close after a chastening 4-1 defeat at home to Gartcairn on Friday night that kept Medda pinned to the foot of the table.

In the First Division, Maybole let a 2-1 lead slip through their fingers away to struggling Cambuslang, who eventually triumphed by the odd goal in five at Somervell Park – but it was a better day for the Ayrshire sides at the wrong end of the second tier standings, not least Kilbirnie Ladeside, who climbed above fellow strugglers Neilston after a 4-0 win at Valefield Park, Danny Bamford leading the way with a double strike.

And there was a dramatic finish at Petershill, where bottom side Whitletts Vics thought they’d grabbed their first win of the season when Jason Walker headed home his second right on the 90-minute mark.

It looked like an amazing turnaround for a Vics side who were two goals down with 13 minutes left – but there was still time for a cruel late twist for the visitor, as Connor Higgins headed home to grab the hosts a point in the third minute of added time.

Ardrossan Winton Rovers surged back to the top of the Second Division with a thrilling 3-2 win away to third-placed Vale of Clyde, David Gray grabbing the winner two minutes from time following a quick-fire Ryan Wilson double – with Cumbernauld’s slip at home to Maryhill sending Gavin Friels’ men back to the summit.

Ian Nixon’s first full week in charge at Craigmark Burntonians ended on a high note, Jamie Henderson and Jordan Banks finding the net for the Station Park side in a 2-0 win away to St Anthony’s, while Bonnyton Thistle came from behind to win 2-1 at bottom side Glasgow University.

But it was a tougher afternoon at the office for Muirkirk, who conceded four goals in the final half an hour to end up on the wrong end of a 6-2 scoreline at home to Larkhall Thistle.

Arguably the biggest surprise of the day came at Nithside Park, where Kello Rovers picked up not just their first win but their first points of the league campaign – with Mark Armour and Lori Johnson the men on target against a Glasgow United side who came into the match second in the table.

That result allowed Irvine Vics to climb to second place in the standings, though they had to work hard for the points away to second-bottom Port Glasgow in a match which saw three red cards, with Alessandro Savarese and Ben Strain on target for Dougie MacDuff's side.

Dalry Thistle climbed to fifth after a comfortable 4-1 win in their all-Ayrshire clash with Girvan at Merksworth Park, while Ardeer Thistle ended a three-match losing streak, Jack Taylor scoring the winner for Sean Kenney’s men in a 2-1 victory at Kilsyth Athletic.

None of the three Ayrshire sides in the Fourth Division were able to muster so much as a point on Saturday, with Lugar’s good recent run ended by a 2-0 loss away to Giffnock, while Eglinton lost 2-1 at league new boys Knightswood and bottom dogs Saltcoats Victoria tumbled to a 6-0 defeat away to Newmains United.

Next up for seven of Ayrshire's sides is the third round of the Scottish Junior Cup on November 4, with highlights including Troon's trip to South Lanarkshire to face last year's runners-up Rutherglen Glencairn, and a long journey north for Auchinleck Talbot to take on Bridge of Don Thistle - while Dalry Thistle make the trip to Dundee to face Downfield after causing a huge shock by knocking Pollok out in round two.

Stand-out league matches on Saturday include Clydebank v Beith and Irvine Meadow v Cumnock in the top flight, and Kilwinning Rangers' trip to third-top Blantyre Vics in the First Division, while Winton Rovers put their Second Division title credentials to the test away to Kilsyth Rangers.

All of November 4's league and cup ties kick off at 2pm.