McGinty thrilled as Medda smack Dunbar for six
IT WAS only right and proper that Irvine Meadow boss Brian McGinty should take pride in savouring his side’s 6-2 Scottish Junior Cup crushing of Dunbar United on Saturday.
His 12 weeks at the helm of the Ayrshire club, where he previously enjoyed numerous trophy successes as a player, have been a frustrating period on account of weatherenforced postponements - and it speaks volumes that the fourth round triumph chalked up only his second home win since taking charge.
The first was a 5-2 defeat of second round cup opponents Broxburn Athletic back in late October and marked the dugout debuts of him and No.2 Stevie Aitchison (another former Medda player), so not altogether surprising to now hear supporters coming out with claims of the duo having the Midas touch.
McGinty said: “Our energy and sheer power was too much for them with local Irvine lad Ben Black putting a smile on supporters faces with his strong and direct running on the wing and I was also delighted to see Con Boyle helping himself to a well-taken hat-trick on his return to our starting line-up.
“We had done our homework on Dunbar and reports back reckoned they were a little suspect in dealing with set plays so all credit to the players for taking on board what was said and scoring twice, as well as coming close with a number of other headed opportunities.
“It was a terrific all-round display and the players deserve all the plaudits going.”
The Ayrshiremen had taken the lead in 25 minutes when the dangerous Black had worked space on the left to fire over a cross that one-time Clyde signing Boyle instantly controlled before evading a couple of challenges and wheeling to fire a left-footed shot past unsighted Dunbar keeper John Johnstone.
Five minutes from half time a fluffed clearance by Darren Gillon led to Black hammering home a low shot from just inside the penalty box.
But Dunbar had actually started brightly and Darren Handling began to pose problems in a wide right role, with his run and cross leading to attacking full-back Steven Tait netting with a well-struck shot to half the deficit.
But hopes of staging a fightback lasted all of the two minutes until Rhys Devlin’s threaded through pass was latched onto by Boyle and he placed a shot past the helpless Johnstone for a 3-1 scoreline that shortly read 4-1 after a Carson corner was met by the head of unmarked stopper Darren Miller at the back post.
Devlin got his name on the scoresheet by glancing home another Carson corner before the biggest roar of the afternoon greeted Boyle’s hat-trick score when he won a race for a through ball and turned inside Dunbar full-back Craig Thomson to rifle a low shot past Johnstone.
Irvine Meadow looked in the mood to add further goals but opponents Dunbar had the last say when Dean Ballantyne scored from close range.
The other Junior Cup tie to survive the big freeze saw last season’s beaten semi-finalists Bonnyrigg Rose secure their place in the last 16 with an impressive 5-2 win over Newtongrange Star.
Meanwhile, Irvine Vics beat Saltcoats Vics 6-3 to move from third to top spot in the league thanks to goals from Callum Davidson (2), David Adams, Sam Mears, Kenny Parris and Dylan Hamilton.