Published: Thursday, 8th May, 2008 10:30
Thistle comeback not enough
By Calum Corral
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McClure at the double ... Thistle striker Willie McClure scored twice in the second half at Girvan.
Girvan 3 Largs 3 (Girvan win 3-2 on pens)
It looked like Largs had gone and done the Great Escape on Wednesday night at Girvan in the Whyte and Mackay Cup after coming back from 2-0 down to be leading in the final minutes.
However, it was a dramatic change of script and was perhaps more akin to a disaster movie of Titanic like proportions as Largs lost grip of this cup clash to concede again at the last gasp, before losing on penalties.
Despite the midweek fixture and long distance to South Ayrshire, Largs had nearly their full pool of players with Martin Dow the only absentee due to work commitments.
Things started relatively well too as Largs took the game to Girvan immediately with John Robertson's 12 yard looping header bouncing off the crossbar and to safety in under two minutes.
Girvan took the lead 15 minutes after a spectacular strike from the edge of the box as McVittie curled the ball into the top right of the goal for a composed finish.
Thistle then had an amazing let-off on 35 minutes after Ross McMillan's brilliant lunge denied Girvan but Darren Mitchell must have wondered how he could have hit the rebound off the post from only two yards out.
Largs really should have netted the equaliser after an excellently worked free kick as three quick-fire passes resulted in Jamie Marks with the goal gaping in front of him but inexplicably fired high over the bar from five yards.
Gault's high curling ball from the right hand side was then headed over by an off-balance Marks as Largs tried to net an equaliser before half-time.
However, it was Girvan who scored again on 44 minutes as Neil Shearer was adjudged to have fouled Darren Mitchell as he burst through on goal. Biggart made no mistake from the spot.
Thistle looked a different side after the break and grew stronger as the match went on as Girvan seemed to suffer the effects of tiredness. Alan McCabe headed wide from Gault's hanging cross, but McClure slid in to stab the ball into an empty net after another inviting cross from the right hand side on 51 minutes. Game on.
Connick pulled off a pointblank save to deny Girvan a two goal advantage as Largs continued to create chances with a McClure header ruled out by the referee for an infringement.
It was end to end stuff as Biggart pinged the ball wide after good build up play from the home side, and then they won their second penalty of the evening as Paterson fell under a challenge. Thistle couldn't believe their luck as Biggart launched the ball over the bar on 62 minutes.
McClure then raced on to a long ball to slide home the equaliser on 74 minutes.
Thistle introduced Graham Black and he made an immediate impression when he came on - making some wonder why he had been kept on the bench in recent games - and he fired in a great shot which was blocked by the keeper.
On 84 minutes Black was again at the centre of things and his shot was blocked miraculously by the keeper but Marks came racing in at the edge of the box to send a delightful curling shot beyond the reach of the keeper and into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Largs looked to be on their way to an amazing victory when a tired Girvan, who had looked to be lagging in the last twenty minutes, managed to nick an equaliser as Darren Mitchell managed to get his long leg on to the ball around a scrum of Largs players in the penalty box and slide the ball past a despairing Connick.
The penalty shoot-out which followed resulted in the first four spot-kicks being missed with only Hendren and McCabe converting for Largs. Girvan made it 3-2 but Molloy blazed the last spot-kick over the bar.
Largs: Connick, Molloy, Hendren, Gault, Shearer, McMillan, McCann, Robertson, Marks, McClure, McCabe. Subs: Black, Jamieson, Cannie, Dow, McColl.
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