Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1 Irvine Vics 2
Irvine Vics boss Dougie MacDuff reckons his players silenced a few doubters with a stunning win at Winton Park on Saturday.
The Westenders scored twice just before half-time through Matt Deehan and Alessandro Savarese to give themselves the perfect platform to go and take all three points .
Aidan Ferris pulled one back for Winton midway through the second half but Vics defended like lions to stay in front and were unlucky not to add to their tally on the counter attack.
The result was the perfect pick-me-up for Vics after last week’s disappointing defeat at Finnart and keeps them firmly in the WoSFL Third Division promotion mix while knocking Winton off top spot.
And MacDuff admitted it was a sweet response to critics he believes were too quick to write off his side.
He said: “I said to the boys before the game that this is one people will be looking at to see what our reaction is. After last week’s result people were saying ‘has their bubble burst?’
“Apart from a sticky start I thought we were the better side in the first half. We put so much into it that it was always going to be difficult to keep that going for the full game.
"In the second half, Winton were the better team but our defending was absolutely tremendous.
“A draw might’ve been a fair result in some people’s eyes but I’m just over the moon to come away with the win.
“We’re not getting carried away though. It wouldn’t have been the be-all and end-all if we’d lost the game.
“People have got to realise the Third Division is a really good league. It’s been so competitive.”
Vics broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time when Deehan netted with a deft header.
The large travelling support were then sent into delirium when Savarese volleyed home James Maxwell’s perfectly hung cross at the back post in first half-stoppage time.
Winton were always going to turn the screw in the second half and their pressure finally paid off when Ferris lashed home from close range.
Vics dug deep however and almost added a third goal at the death when trialist substitute Kyro Crawford rounded the goalkeeper only for a defender to get back and block his shot.
Match highlights are available here on Irvine Vics' YouTube page.
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