Irvine Meadow got here near blowing a 3-0 lead as they made heavy climate of beating Hurlford on Saturday – however boss George Grierson insists successful was all that mattered.
Terrific objectives from Louis Kerr, Callum Graham and Connor Boyd had the hosts seemingly cruising in direction of victory within the West of Scotland League Premier Division conflict with lower than an hour performed at Meadow Park.
However Ford hit again by Paul McKenzie and Michael Mullen and solely a effective double save from goalkeeper Marc Waters prevented the guests from remarkably restoring parity.
Medda rode the storm and appeared residence and dry when Jamie Martin curled residence a great thing about a strike with six minutes left on the clock.
However there was a double dose of drama deep into stoppage time when residence defender Willie Lyle turned the ball into his personal web after which Marc McKenzie was denied a final ditch likelihood to earn Hurlford a Premier level.
And Grierson was sincere sufficient to confess: “At 3-0 it appeared like the sport was achieved. However when Hurlford scored you could possibly see our confidence take a wee little bit of a success.
“I believe we possibly made it tougher for ourselves than we would have liked it to be. However I’m not going to dissect an excessive amount of out it. It’s about getting three factors on the finish of the day.
“I’ve stated earlier than that if we will take 4 factors out of six going ahead then I’ll be glad and that’s two video games we’ve not been beat.”
Grierson handed new signing Kerr a spot within the beginning 11 and the midfielder repaid the religion proven in him by opening the scoring in 12 minutes.
The previous Whitletts ace began and completed a fast passing transfer within the Ford field, side-footing residence from eight yards.
Boyd ought to have doubled Meadow’s lead 10 minutes later however someway steered Calum Gow’s knockdown huge of the goal from shut vary.
Strike associate Callum Graham confirmed him the best way to purpose when he smashed an unstoppable strike into the highest nook from 20 yards simply earlier than the half hour mark.
Hurlford had hardly created an opportunity regardless of seeing loads of the ball and will haven't any complaints about being two objectives adrift on the interval.
And their afternoon went from unhealthy to worse when Boyd volleyed a 3rd previous goalkeeper Martin McDonald in 55 minutes.
It was a incredible effort from the frontman who took one contact to flick up Kerr’s move on the sting of the field and one other to arrow a shot previous McDonald at his close to put up.
It was troublesome to see a means again for Hurlford however slack marking at a nook kick allowed Paul McKenzie, the smallest man on the park, to go residence and scale back the deficit to 2.
The sport out of the blue opened up, Boyd forcing McDonald right into a effective save in a one-on-one whereas, on the different finish, Mullen rounded Waters solely to see his shot come again off the put up.
Mullen would have higher luck in 79 minutes when he headed residence from level clean vary to place Hurlford getting ready to a tremendous comeback.
Waters then clawed two efforts off his purpose line because the guests threw the kitchen sink at an equaliser.
Meadow held their nerve nonetheless and when Martin discovered the highest nook with an beautiful curling end from 17 yards it proved simply sufficient to get them over the road.
Lyle’s stoppage time OG ensured a nervy few final minutes and the house help held their collective breath when Marc McKenzie bulldozed his means into the six yard field just for the referee to blow for an earlier infringement.
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