DUNOON FC faced Greenock’s Blackthorn Rovers at Parklea Stadium in what was to be a last game duel for the semi final play off spot.
The local team sits with six points facing down on Blackthorn who were sat on four points going into the last fixture of the group stage.
Blackthorn needed a win to secure semi-final glory, with Dunoon only requiring a draw.
The game started with plenty of buzz with both sides probing early.
A Blackthorn cross, saw D.Burns concede a penalty due to a miss timed attempted headed clearance, resulting in the cross catching his upheld arm.
Early blood was drawn by the eager Blackthorn side.
However it was short lived as Fraser Syme volleyed a shot into the top corner with the outside of his left foot to silence Blackthorn.
Both sides fought fiercely throughout the first half with neither side able to take the lead.
At half time the manager encouraged his players to remember the occasion and to focus on their superior style of football, with newly promoted Captain Andrew Lochrie, also adding that calmness would see them through.
The second half, started with Blackthorn tightening the screw, but to no avail as every player in the Dunoon back line weathered the storm with the exact calmness the captain had called for.
Substitutes Jack Davies, Garry Stewart, Ryan Buckley and Roddy Bonaccorsi all came on to offer fresh legs and reinvigorate Dunoon FC’s attacking forward line.
Dunoon broke forward with Garry Stewart peeling away from an miss-timed defensive effort at Blackthorns back line, driving forward and calmly slotting the ball past the keeper, levelling the score.
Dunoon celebrated vigorously and manager Leon Braid was more than eager to convey the message of remaining aware to his players, following the previous week’s early concession from the restart.
The lads listened intently, with sharp goalkeeping from Fraser Witherow to snuff out any blackthorn attempts to claw their way into Dunoon’s defensive areas.
It wasn’t long before Ryan Buckley showed his class, the manager’s ace on the cards, constantly driving the ball from a defensive posture through to an attacking one.
This ultimately assisted the final goal of the game with Robertson’s persistent efforts to loop his header over the flailing goalkeeper to clam the nerves.
Finally the relief Dunoon had hoped for. With near misses from Jack Davies, Ryan Buckley and I. McArthur the game ended 3-1 and the day ultimately belonged to Dunoon FC.
MOTM went to Fraser Witherow for exceptional goalkeeping.
Following the game manager Leon Braid said: “We are delighted to secure the points necessary to advance to the semi final, though we face the Scottish cup and league champions from the previous season.
This will be a tough game and requires everything we have to win the game but never say never. Delighted with today’s result, great day for the club and the players
