ANNAN ATHLETIC1 SHIRE 0

Annan Athletic’s Galabank is one of Shire’s unhappiest of hunting grounds since they joined the league and there was no changing their fortunes on their latest visit.

A promising opening was undone by a 36th minute red card for David Dunn and the ten men were then struck by the blow of Graham Bell’s 49th minute goal for the home team.

For all that, the team showed a great deal of character to boss the closing stages of the game and will consider themselves unlucky not to have taken at least a point, having had a stonewall penalty appeal waved away and missed two glorious late chances.

Shire were forced to make three changes to the team that lost to Livingston seven days previously. Michael Bolochoweckyj was suspended after his sending-off in the top of the table clash.

Simon Lynch and Paul Hay were also absent. Neither player travelled to Galabank after being laid low with a virus. That mean some changes to the way the team was sent-up.

Ryan Harding dropped back from midfield to partner Eddie Forrest in the centre of defence. Into the team came Derek Ure and David Dunn for their first starts in a number of weeks. Both slotted into midfield, while coach Jim McInally partnered Stephen McGuire and Andy Rodgers up front.

Shire started the match playing down the Galabank slope and after just three minutes created the game’s first chance. Jamie Stevenson swung the ball in low from the right, McGuire helped it on into the path of Ure whose shot from ten yards out was deflected over the crossbar for a corner.

Shire also had the advantage of a strong wind at their backs. One early Jamie Barclay goal kick went right through to his opposite number Craig Summersgill without any other player touching the ball.

And they were not afraid to have a go from long distance. After eight minutes the bal was rolled to Dean Richardson and his 25 yarder fizzed just past the keeper’s left-hand post.

Annan forced their way into the game slowly and after 13 minutes only a timely intervention from Forrest stopped MacBeth’s cross reaching Lewis Sloan in front of goal. Not long after Gilfillan tried his luck from long range but his shot went well over the bar.

The heads were in the hands after 22 minutes when Ure swung over a cross from the left which Rodgers flicked on for Stevenson but he could not connect at the back post.

A minute later Barclay had his first real work to do, making a good double stop. He got down low to block a Jardine shot, then managed to get to his feet quickly to save the rebound effort from Cox.

On the half hour a quick throw-in set McGuire free but his shot was deflected wide for a Shire corner. Stevenson’s flag kick was only half cleared and the ball fell to Ure whose shot was netbound but hacked off the line by MacBeth.

But Shire’s task of getting back to winning ways was made harder after 36 minutes when Dunn was sent-off for a tackle on Annan’s Graham Bell.

The ten men reached the interval goalless but, within four minutes of the re-start, they were behind. A simple cross from the left was met by Bell’s near post header which flew into the far corner of the net.

Shire tried an instant response and within a minute some desperate Annan defending was required to block a netbound Harding effort.

After 53 minutes Rodgers created a promising break but elected to have a shot of his own from the edge of the box which went straight to the keeper.

There followed a decent spell of Shire pressure but the best they could manage was an overhead kick from McGuire which was easily saved.

With twenty minutes left McGuire and Rodgers were withdrawn and replaced by Scott Johnston and Marc McKenzie, but neither really were given enough of the ball to work with.

Annan didn’t always make their extra man advantage tell but towards the end they started to exploit it and Barclay had to make a great save from Lewis Sloan’s shot.

In the last few minutes Shire went all-out attack and should have had a penalty when Neilson diverted the ball behind with his hand. In injury-time a Stevenson corner found McKenzie at the back post, he chipped the ball to Forrest whose header was only prevented from crossing the line by an Annan boot. It was not going to be their day.

ANNAN ATHLETIC : Summersgill, Steele(Steven Sloan 76), MacBeth, Watson, Neilson, Gilfillan, Muirhead, Jardine, Cox(Storey 71), Lewis Sloan, Bell(Jack 86).

SHIRE : Barclay, Domaldson, Richardson, Forrest, Harding, Dunn, Weaver, Stevenson, McGuire(Johnston 70), Ure, Rodgers(McKenzie 70).

REFEREE : T. Robertson

ATTENDANCE : 613.