Renfrew took a big step towards the WoSFL Second Division title by opening up a 10-point gap at the top with a confident win against Muirkirk Juniors.
After a frustrating goalless first half at New Western Park, with the visiting goalkeeper putting on a show to keep the scores level, Jimmy Quigley’s men found their shooting boots after the break.
In-form striker Scott Morton broke the deadlock with defender Andy Wright doubling the home team’s advantage after a corner fell at his feet just six yards out.
Experienced forward David McKenna made sure of the result late on, which puts ‘Frew in the driving seat to pick up the league title with just five games left to play.
Renfrew manager Quigley said: “In the first half their keeper has made some terrific saves.
“Ciaran Diver was looking to make it 10 games in a row on the scoresheet, and the boys kept setting him up but it was just one of those days. Their keeper was saving everything.
“Our intensity was poor in the first half and our passing was off the boil. Thankfully, we’ve tended to turn up in the second half this season when it has mattered and we scored early after the break, which settled us right down.
“No one could argue with the final result. If we’d been a bit more clinical it could have been a much heavier scoreline.”
Next up for Renfrew is a potentially pivotal clash with title rivals Maybole Juniors – one of the few sides who have enough games in hand to potentially catch the New Western Park outfit.
A win at the Ladywell Stadium on Saturday would put ‘Frew 13 points clear of Maybole with Quigley describing the match as “massive” in terms of the title race.
Quigley said: “We’re currently on 57 points and if we can get above 62 points we’ll definitely get promoted. That was our main aim at the start of the season.
“It’ll be a tough, tough game against Maybole. Like us, they’ve only lost two games all season and are on a brilliant run at the moment.
“It’s a massive game for both teams and they’ve scored a few important late goals recently, so that’s something we need to be wary of.
“We’re hitting form at the right time and if we perform as well as I know we can, I can see us coming back up the road with all three points.”
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