Kevin Adam equalled Andy Clarkson’s all-time scoring record for Irvine Vics on Saturday – only for Saltcoats to spoil the party.
The prolific frontman followed up Alessandro Savarese’s opener with a close range finish to put the Westenders 2-0 up with less than half an hour to play at Campbell Park and take his tally for the club to 146.
But Saltcoats roared back with goals from Adam Graham and Greg Kean and looked the likelier side to grab a winner before settling for a 2-2 draw.
The result stretched Vics’ unbeaten run in the WoSFL Third Division to 11 games but coach Peter Campbell was far from happy with the display.
He said: “I think we were lucky to get anything from the game in the end. We were really poor and off the pace all day.
“We were 1-0 up at half-time but the players knew themselves it hadn’t been good enough.
“We hoped we would kick on in the second half but we never got going and were really flat. After Kevin got his goal we offered nothing.
“Credit to Saltcoats. At 2-0 down they showed good character and they were the hungrier side.
“You’ve got to expect to battle when you come to Saltcoats but we were outfought – it’s as simple as that.
“It’s really disappointing because with so many of the teams above us in the table playing in the cup it was a chance for us to make up some ground.”
Vics went into the clash 21 points ahead of their North Ayrshire rivals but there was very little between the teams in the first half.
Gary McKay was unlucky not to give Saltcoats a 16th minute lead when he slipped a goal-bound shot past onrushing goalkeeper Owen McCallum only for the ball to slow on the sticky Campbell Park surface and allow Fraser MacDuff to get back and clear.
Instead it was Vics who broke the deadlock in 35 minutes when Savarese robbed Luc Leishman on the touchline, cut in towards goal and nonchalantly stroked the ball past keeper Ryan McWilliams at his near post.
The game looked dead and buried when Adam turned home Shane Jackson’s cross from point blank range in 61 minutes.
But the hosts weren’t done yet. Adam Graham netted from a wicked corner kick delivery in 64 minutes before Kean levelled matters with a fine swivel and finish from the edge of the box with 13 minutes left on the clock.
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