Carnoustie Panmure 2 Ballingry Rovers 1
Ballingry got the game underway, but Carnoustie were first to attack through Muhsin on the right. His attempted cross was blocked by Condie, who went down injured and had to go off for treatment.With Condie still absent from the field of play, Muhsin again broke clear on the right and fired in a good cross, which was headed for a corner by Gray. Clark's cross to the far post was met by D. Smith, who blasted the ball high over the top.
Ballingry were forced to make a substitution in six minutes, sending on Halley for Condie, who was unable to continue.
Cook made a strong run up the right for Carnoustie and was tripped just outside the box, but the referee was quite distant from the incident and waved aside the free kick claims, much to the annoyance of the home bench and support alike.
Voigt then got on the end of a D. Smith cross from the right, but his header was saved easily by K. Smith in the Fifers' goal.
Carnoustie thought they had taken the lead when a Conway cross from the left picked out Voigt, who headed home from close-in, only to be ruled offside and the 'goal' was disallowed.
Clark then forced a corner on the right off Rollo. The kick, taken by Clark himself, was cleared away by Roberts.
Carnoustie had been doing most of the early pressing, but a good build-up and cross by Ballingry's B. Smith found the unmarked Adam, but Hendry made a great block to prevent a certain goal.
Muhsin was then sent through by Hall, but after advancing into the box, shot wide of the 'keeper's left hand post.
As the Gowfers continued to press, a low cross from the left by Clark was well held by 'keeper K. Smith at his near post.
Moments later, Clark was again in the thick of the action, this time laying the ball off to D. Smith, who tried his luck from 25 yards, but sent the shot high over the top.
At the other end, Smart brought a fine save from McCafferty, who did well to turn the ball round the post for a corner. The kick was taken quickly by B. Smith to the edge of the box from where Dair blasted a shot high over the bar.
In 30 minutes, Hall was booked for dissent.
Ballingry could have gone ahead when Smart was sent clear by Graham, but with only McCafferty to beat, he shot weakly past the post.
Despite that slight scare, Carnoustie continued to do most of the attacking and forced a corner on the right. Conway's cross to the far post fell to Voigt, but before he could bring the ball under control, it was cleared off his toes.
Play then switched quickly to the other end and with Adam driving into the box, he was tripped by Beith and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty with 41 minutes on the watch. Fortunately for the Gowfers, however, Smart blasted the spot kick high over the bar and out of the park.
Fired up by that penalty miss, Ballingry ended the first half on the attack and squandered another great chance to open the scoring when a cross from B. Smith on the right presented Adam with a clear shot at goal, but he sliced his effort wide of McCafferty's right-hand post.
Half Time : Carnoustie Panmure 0 Ballingry Rovers 0
On the restart, Carnoustie were again first to show when Conway was sent clear by Cook and fired in a good cross, but K. Smith came smartly off his line to thwart Voigt.D. Smith then fed a fine ball through to Voigt, who shot across the 'keeper, but just wide of the left-hand upright.
In 58 minutes, the Gowfers at last went ahead. Along clearance out of defence was headed on by Beith to VOIGT, who worked his way into the box before firing across the 'keeper into the far corner of the net from 15 yards.
That one-goal advantage was short-lived, however, as in 66 minutes, Ballingry got back on level terms, albeit in rather fortuitous circumstances. Smart, out on the left, played the ball inside to DAIR, whose 20 yard shot came off Thompson's head and was deflected over McCafferty into the back of the net. The 'keeper did get a hand to the ball, but was unable to push it over the crossbar.
Carnoustie now set about trying to regain the lead and in 74 minutes won a free kick 20 yards out when Clark was fouled by Roberts. Conway's kick was blocked by the defensive wall, but the referee spotted a handling offence and awarded a penalty. This was duly converted by CONWAY, sending the 'keeper the wrong way, and the Gowfers were back in front.
In 75 minutes, Smart was booked for dissent, and just a minute later, Voigt was yellow-carded for a trip on the Ballingry man. Dair took the resultant free kick 30 yards out, but although his shot cleared the defensive wall, it was wide of McCafferty's left-hand post.
With time running out, the visitors were now going all out for an equaliser and a Dair cross picked out Adam, who shot narrowly over.
Shortly afterwards, another opportunity was squandered when an Adam corner from the right fell to Gray, who fired high over the top.
On the 90 minute mark, Voigt ran on to a great through ball from Clark, but was pulled down just outside the box by Dair, who was shown a straight red card. Voigt curled the free kick round the defensive wall, but it was well held by 'keeper Smith.
That proved to be the last action of the match and at the final whistle Carnoustie had double cause for celebration. Not only had this hard-earned 2-1 victory taken the Laing Park men second top of the East Premier League, but it was also Ballingry's first league defeat since April 2007, the Fifers having gone through the whole of last season unbeaten in the league.
Match Report Courtesy Of Guide And Gazette Newspaper
| STARTING LINE-UPS | |
| 1. John McCafferty | 1. Kevin Smith |
| 2. Steven Cook | 2. Darren Wilson |
| 3. Gavin Beith | 3. Craig Condie |
| 4. Robert Hendry | 4. Andrew Rollo |
| 5. Jonathan Thompson | 5. Brian Roberts |
| 6. Euan Hall | 6. Shaun Graham |
| 7. Sean Muhsin | 7. Barry Smith |
| 8. Daryn Smith | 8. Lee Dair |
| 9. Jon Voigt | 9. James Adam |
| 10. Brian Clark | 10. Craig Smart |
| 11. Aaron Conway | 11. Ally Gray |
| SUBS : | SUBS : |
| 12. Steven Narey (Sub Not Used) | 12. Brett Halley (Replaced Condie After 6 Minutes) |
| 14. Jim Scott (Sub Not Used) | 14. Scott Logan (Sub Not Used) |
| 15. Garry McLaughlin (Sub Not Used) | 15. Cumbie Bowers (Replaced Halley After 82 Minutes) |
| 16. Scott Robertson (Replaced Conway After 89 Minutes) | Sub 'Keeper - Scott Chalmers (Sub Not Used) |
| Sub 'Keeper - Mike Gourlay (Sub Not Used) | |
| GOALS | |
| CONWAY (pen 74), VOIGT (58) | DAIR (66) |
| OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS | |
| Referee : Joe Rice | |
| Hall, Voigt | Smart, Dair (Straight Red For Being Last Man) |