Arthurlie leave it late but edge it over Rob Roy
Arthurlie left it late in an action-packed affair to continue their unbeaten start to the league season.
Goals from Marc McKenzie and Kieran McAleenan added to a Michael Daly double saw the Barrhead side edge an up and down encounter at Dunterlie Park.
In a fast start it took Arthurlie six minutes to get ahead, a free kick on the edge of the box saw McKenzie step up and curl a great effort up and over the wall past the despairing dive from Michael McKinven and into the net.
And five minutes later it was 2-0, Chris Lennon made strides on the right before laying the ball back and Jordan Craig slipped the ball through to Michael Daly who hit the ball across the keeper to double Arthurlie’s lead.
On the half hour Rob Roy were handed a great opportunity to get back into the game when Colin Spence was adjudged to have brought down Gavin Mackie in the area. Shaun Fraser stepped up and hit the resulting penalty but Grant Hay guessed right and palmed the ball away to safety.
Although not as dominant as the half wore on Arthurlie went in to the break deservedly ahead.
Whatever was said in the away dressing room at the interval seemed to have an effect because 10 minutes after the restart the hosts found themselves behind in a bizarre start to the second half.
Only three minutes had gone when Fraser on the right saw his cross take a deflection, the ball found Mackie inside the area but the ball fell to Kevin Watt to fire home. Three minutes later, it was all square, former Clydebank man Chris Walker took a throw on the right to Mackie who gathered then turned onto his left before hitting a great shot past Hay to level the scores.
Rob Roy were on top now and the previously dominant Arthurlie side looked at sixes and sevens, so it was no surprise when the visitors went ahead four minutes later. Lee Gallacher gathered possession deep inside his own half and raced, unchallenged, the length of the field before hitting a low shot from inside the box that flew past Hay but came back off the upright, Watt was first to the rebound and shot home.
At this stage most spectators expected the visitors to go on and win the game but Arthurlie showed great character and dug deep.
Just before the hour, Craig headed just over from a McKenzie cross then on 70 minutes the game was all square again.
Lennon showed his pace down the right before delivering a great ball across the face of goal for Kieran McAleenan to hit home the leveller.
And Arthurlie eventually got their noses back in front in the closing stages.
Lennon raced down the right but lost possession through a last ditch challenge, the ball was only cleared as far as Chris Walker who hit a long diagonal to the opposite side of the penalty area where Daly rose highest to head back across McKinven and give Arthurlie what proved to be the winning goal.
Arthurlie: Hay, Girvan, Chisholm, Tart, Walker, Spence, McAleenan, Daly, Craig, Lennon.
Subs: Graham, Trialist, Wyper, Wilson and Nugent.