McBookie Super League First Division

KILWINNING RANGERS 4

GREENOCK 2

by Frank Cassidy

A WEEK after their heroics at Camelon, it appeared that the Buffs were suffering from a cup hangover.

They surrendered a 1-0 lead to fall behind at home against Greenock but then rallied to comprehensively defeat the visitors.

Barry Fleeting had the ball in the net after six minutes, but was adjudged offside, before a Dean Agnew cross and Joe Coleman long throw-in in quick succession put their opponents under pressure.

It looked as if the match would be a one-sided affair, particularly as Greenock's first attack never happened until 10 minutes, and even then it was ineffective.

But Adam Strain almost gifted them the lead when he miskicked a clearance, enabling Martin Orr to set up Kenneth Munro, who shot past.

Greenock paid dearly for that miss as Buffs took the lead in 14 minutes when Bryan Boylan fired home an Agnew corner.

Strain atoned for his earlier mistake with two good saves, from Munro and Simon McBride, before launching a ball upfield.

Boylan gathered it, but was crudely brought down by Ryan Begley who was yellow carded as Boylan limped off to be replaced by Ian Cashmore.

Whether this disrupted the game plan or not is debatable but Greenock came back into the match and got an equaliser in 39 minutes.

Buffs failed to clear their lines and the ball broke to Martin Orr and, although Strain got a hand to it, he made it 1-1.

The second half was barely 10 minutes old when they took the lead in similar circumstances - although on this occasion Strain had no chance with Brendan Grana's shot into the top corner.

That was the wake-up call the home side needed and they pretty much dominated the rest of the match with Agnew terrorising the Greenock rearguard.

Collecting the ball from a Coleman lay-off he shot just over, before Kyle Cumming set Ian Cashmore, whose attempt hit the side netting.

Agnew then came closer after a Ross Stewart shot was blocked and he shot just inches past the upright.

Having set up Buffs' first goal with a corner, he did just that again in 74 minutes, an unstoppable header from Isaac Kerr doing the damage this time.

Incredibly, Agnew then notched up a hat-trick of assists when Coleman was bundled off the ball and he took the free-kick. His cross was met by Tommy Maitland who made it 3-2 with just 10 minutes left, but Kilwinning weren't finished.

Substitute Mark Barrowman set off on a run down the left wing and sent a superb cross in for Stewart to first-time past the shell-shocked keeper to round off a great win.

KILWINNING - Strain; Coleman, Boyd (Cumming 54), Kerr, Maitland, Hanvey, Agnew, McGuiness, Stewart, Boylan (Cashmore 26), Fleeting (Barrowman 70). Subs not used - Burns (gk), McGowan.