Irvine Meadow robbed of win by late penalty

Nov 20 2009 by John Woods, Irvine Herald

Irvine Meadow

A LATE penalty from David Turnbull prevented Irvine Meadow from closing the gap on league leaders Pollok in an entertaining encounter on Saturday.

Despite a late spell of Pollok pressure Meadow looked like holding out for all three points, but their hopes were dashed in 86 minutes when Chris McGowan needlessly fouled David McGeown as the Pollok midfielder went past him in the box and “Bully” slammed the spot kick past home keeper Michael Wardrope to earn the visitors a share of the spoils.

The game got off to a brisk start with Meadow's Brian McGinty shooting wide and a last-ditch Gerry Joyce tackle denying Davie Hamilton after good work by Chris Strain and Richie Barr.

A left wing John Sweeney cross was held by Wardrope, then, after Joyce was booked or a foul on Meadow's Gareth Turner, the Glasgow side almost took the lead when Sweeney rose to meet a Shaun Dillon cross only to see his header come back off the crossbar.

The woodwork rescued Meadow again when Andy Essler and Brian Dingwall released McGeown but his effort hit the bar and went over then, as play swung to the other end, keeper Kris Robertson did well to cut out a dangerous Barr cross.

Pollok had the ball in the net when Sweeney beat Wardrope from close range but he was rightly ruled offside, however when the goal finally arrived it was at the other end, and it was a real beauty.

Hamilton started it all off in 36 minutes when he won the ball on the left and it then travelled along the 18-yard line with McGinty and then Barr helping it on to Strain in space on the right.

As Dillon came across to try to cut out the danger the Meadow winger coolly steadied himself, looked up, and flighted over a perfect cross for Hamilton to nip in ahead of the lurking McGinty and slam the ball past the helpless Robertson.

However it was s short-lived lead and Pollok were back on level terms just before the break when Robertson launched a huge free kick deep into Meadow territory from just outside his own box, Stephen Swift was beaten in the jump and the ball broke to former Meadow winger Essler whose left wing cross was knocked back across goal for the unmarked danger man Brian Dingwall to nod home from close range.

Wardrope pulled off two good saves as Pollok went all out for a second goal after the break and 'Lok defender Stevie Miller twice headed dangerous corners to safety but it was Meadow who regained the lead in 61 minutes when a Mark Crilly diagonal cross was returned from the left, Ryan McGregor was adjudged to have handled in the box and McGinty gave Robertson no chance from the penalty spot.

As Meadow went for the killer third goal they had their share of bad luck when David Lowing crashed a great free kick off the bar but, whether by accident or design, the home side seemed content to sit on their lead in the closing stages and that simply invited Pollok back into the game.

As the pressure mounted on the home defence Sweeney fired wide and Dingwall blazed wildly over from close range but, just when it looked as if Meadow would weather the storm, Pollok won that penalty and, after Lowing was red-carded for a last-minute rash tackle on Calum Hardie, they went home with a result which suits them better than the defending champions.