Hitman Heaver nets a hat-trick
Doune Castle dig deep for victory
Doune ................ 3 Bearsden ........... 1
Sean Heaver struck a secondhalf hat-trick to secure the league points against a resolute Bearsden.
Doune came close after five minutes when Heaver met a Dylan McGowan cross first time, but his effort cannoned back off the post.
After 27 minutes, Heaver’s shot took a deflection off a defender and crashed off the face of the bar.
Graham McClymont then made a perfectly timed sliding challenge to thwart a Bearsden counter.
Doune broke the deadlock after 47 minutes.
As Heaver prepared to shoot, a defender brought him down 22 yards out, and he dipped the resultant free kick up and over the defensive wall.
Doune’s continued pressure finally brought a further reward after 70 minutes when they went two up.
James Graham headed on to McGowan who found Lukasz Duszynski.
Duszynski ghosted into space and looked certain to drive the ball into the net.
He slipped the ball to his left to Heaver who thrashed a shot past the keeper and into the far corner of the net from 12 yards.
Very much against the run of play, Bearsden made it 2-1 after 78 minutes.
A forward swivelled and his miscued effort from a tight angle somehow eluded Malcolm Scott and Ryan Duncanson and ended up in the net.
Deep in added time, Doune sealed the points with another expert finish from the prolific Heaver.
Niall McClure began the move with a ball forward to James Graham who threaded it on to the striker to set him clear on goal. Heaver drew the keeper and flashed a precise curling effort into the net at the far post to make it 3-1.
Doune Castle: Scott, Macaloney, Innes (Graham), McClymont (Duncanson), Feaks, Statter (Paterson), McGowan, McClure, Ogilvie (Duszynski), More, Heaver