Nikki’s fab four seals Dookers win
TARBERT welcomed Duncanrig to Cil Andreis on league duty for what proved to be a highly entertaining game.
Some nice play in the middle followed by a magnificent cross from Allan Blair on the right hand side allowed Nikki MacDougall to slot home his first of the match.
Tarbert had started well, buoyed by their recent home win over third-placed Easthall Star, and soon made it 2-0.
The away side were struggling to get a foothold and Tarbert were eager in the challenges.
With only 15 minutes on the clock, Iain MacKinnon burst clear and fired a shot at goal which was saved but the rebound was tucked away by MacDougall. Nikki MacDougall scored all four goals. Here he is in action earlier this season.
The game changed in the next 20 minutes as Duncanrig pressed to get back into the match.
A good chance came and went when their striker somehow missed the target from only three yards. Chris Selfridge saved well from a 25-yard effort but on the half-hour the away side gained their reward.
Good play down the left allowed a cross shot to fizz across the Tarbert goal, the ball rebounded off the far post and straight into the path of the striker for a tap-in finish.
In the last five minutes of the first half, Tarbert had two chances – the first, another fine cross from Andy Guy into the box, MacDougall headed just over the crossbar but the second was converted.
More good play set MacKinnon away and his unselfish square pass set up MacDougall for his hat-trick and a half-time of 3-1.
The second half was a feisty affair but Tarbert restricted Duncanrig to very few chances from close range although they did have a couple of long-range efforts that were well saved by keeper Selfridge.
Tarbert looked dangerous on the counter-attack every time they broke forward and won a series of corners around the hour mark.
From one of the corners, the ball broke on the right side of the box and an uncertain touch from the defender allowed Blair to nip the ball away and be crudely fouled.
The referee played a good advantage though as the ball flew across the goalmouth and there was the ever present MacDougall to notch his and Tarbert’s fourth goal.
Very few chances were allowed to the away side but they did pull one back late on as a lucky ricochet fell to their striker to tap in at the back post.
This proved no more than a consolation though as Tarbert saw the game out to win 4-2 and climb two places in the league table.
Tomorrow Tarbert play Paisley, who sit above them in the table and have only lost three times this season. A tough match awaits but Tarbert will be looking to continue to build the momentum gained in the past few weeks.