Dookers dismay as East End take all three points
DESPITE some magnificent saves, an error by Tarbert’s goalie, caught out of the box, gave East End the winner.
Earlier, the Greenock outfit’s first goal came after a much disputed penalty given for a Tarbert hand ball in the box.
Both sides seemed to struggle on a slippery Cil Andries, well soaked by Friday night and Saturday morning’s heavy cloudbursts, which had stopped just before kick off.
In the first half, Dookers had plenty of chances but saw their efforts go wide or over the bar. Young supporters seemed to search in the deep bracken of the ‘rough’ around the pitch for ages to find the balls.
East End forced a number of corners early on but were unable to make the breakthrough due to Chris Selfridge’s excellent work between the sticks and some smart clearances on the line.
The play was hard and brutal without being overly aggressive but neither side scored and at the break it was 0-0.
About five minutes into the second half Tarbert’s Blair Mckay scored to put the home side in the lead.
But it was not to last and moments later a bitterly-disputed hand ball led to a penalty. The tie-breaker came a few moments after a Dooker’s free kick saw East End gain possession and kick a long ball into the Tarbert box. Selfridge dived the right way but could not quite get his hands to the ball.
Five minutes later, Selfridge was caught out of the box and tackled by an East End striker who went on to roll the ball gently into the net for what became the winning goal.
Tarbert renewed the pressure but despite some runs the length of the pitch, particularly on the left, their efforts went un-rewarded and Dookers saw the game slip away.
Afterwards, a spokesman said that it was difficult at the bottom of the league and soul destroying for the players who had put in an outstanding effort only to go away again with nothing.