Port are on the brink of drop

0 - 0 • Published 25 May 2009 12:36

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Port Glasgow 0 Maybole 2

PORT GLASGOW 0,

MAYBOLE 2

A THIRD successive home defeat has left Port Glasgow standing on the precipice of relegation.

They never quite got going in what manager Carig Brown had termed as a "must-win" game, and will now require a Herculean effort to escape the drop.

Scott Nugent looked lively in the opening stages, and actually had the ball in the net after just two minutes. However, referee Stuart Hodge ruled that he had controlled Gary Loughran"s cross with a hand, with Nugent indicating it had come off his chest.

The striker then saw a great 25-yard pile-driver touched over the bar by Maybole keeper Martin McAuley.

As the game continued at a frantic pace, the visitors almost opened the scoring in nine minutes when a Paul Kerr shot beat Port goalie Steven Kidd but was cleared off the line by Paul Temporal.

The game then settled into a midfield battle, but Maybole eventually took the lead after 35 minutes. A free-kick from just outside the box was met by Paul Callaghan, who bulleted a header past the helpless Kidd to give the Ayrshire men an interval advantage.

Maybole almost doubled their lead within two minutes of the re-start. Scott Dunwoodie looked almost certain to score when he found himself in space six yards out, but Kidd pulled off a great stop to turn the ball round the post.

The second goal did, however, come just four minutes later, through a Liam Harper header.

This knocked the stuffing out of the Port and the heads went down, although a delightful move in 68 minutes almost brought them back into the game. A brilliant reverse back-heel by Tam Jamieson put Andy Monaghan through on goal, but McAuley thwarted him with an excellent save.

Jamieson himself then had a golden chance with nine minutes remaining, but his low drive went inches past the post.

There were mixed emotions when the results came through from the other games involving Port Glasgow"s relegation rivals.

Annbank"s single goal defeat at Clydebank keeps them within sight of the Port, but Shotts" surprising win at promotion-chasing Girvan makes Port Glasgow"s task all the harder. Craig Brown"s men must take at least four points, and probably six, from their remaining two games, and even then must rely on Annbank faring badly in their last two matches.

The manager said: 'The first goal is key, and so we were up against it when we lost it, as teams then tend to sit in and we have to break them down. But again, we have not lost a goal through open play, with both their goals coming from set-pieces, so that is disappointing. We know we can play a lot better than we have been doing, but I don"t know if it is maybe nerves because of the need for a win. But there"s no point in doom and gloom, we need to stay positive and try to get a win at Lanark.'

Because of the Rangers v Falkirk Scottish Cup Final on Saturday, the Port"s fixture at Lanark will be played on Friday evening, with a 7.30pm kick-off.

Port Glasgow: Kidd, Temporal, Coyle, A. Banks, Walton, Jamieson, Hoey (Devlin 74), Walker, Nugent, Loughran (Monaghan 45), Beckley (Jack 61).

Sub not used: S. Banks.

● Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by WJ. Strips sponsored by Swordfish Signs and Re-Max Ltd.

This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 25 May 09

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