This was possibly as well as Dalry have played all sesaon, and yet they left Townhead Park with nothing to show.

 

The first chance of the game came in 3 minutes when Tony McCormack was guilty of a foul 22 yards out. McMenanmin curled the ball round the wall, but Willie Rankine was well placed to make the save.

After this early scare Dalry took the game to Cumnock.

 

On 14 minutes the fast running Hay sent in a low cross which was just begging for a touch which never came.

Then Bell had a chance cutting in from the right.

However the best chance fell to Neil Sanderson who, on 16 minutes, somehow scopped a shot from only 3 yards, over the bar.

 

Then, as so often happens, the sucker punch arrived.

It was the simplest of goals. A cross from the right, McMenamin peeled off his marker and had a free header intio the net to put Cumnock one up on 20 minutes.

 

Five minutes later Bob Hay was one on one with the keeper, who hust got enough of a touch on the ball to clear.

Canning robbed Murray of the ball and tried a shot from 25 yards which went wide.

Then it was Canning againg who curled a 25 yard free kik round the wall, but just wide of the post.

Chris McKnight was running the midfield, but the home side were always dangerous

Cumnock ended the half with a shot across the face of the goal which slipped wide.

 

The second half was only 80 seconds old when Cumnock scored again to give Dalry a mountain to climb.

A high ball was lobbed into the 6 yard box and held up in the wind. There were strong claims that Rakine had been impeded in going up for the ball, but the loose ball fell to Campbell who turned it in rom close range.

Dalry responded quickly and a ball over the top from Hay, found Canning whose shot from 15 yards went over.

Dalry took off Sanderson and put on brown up front.

McDonald sent a shot over for Cumnock.

Then Brown was quick to get onto a ball played in behind the Cumnock defence, and slipped the ball past the keeper, only to watch it slip just wide.

Bell had a run in on goal from the right and it was scrambled clear in a panic in the Cumnock defence

Dalry made further changes with Menzies and Bell leaving and Duncan and O'Malley coming on.

Canning watched his 25 yard shot clip the top of the crossbar.

A Stewart cross was perfect and asking for a finish, but was cleared.

 

The final action of the game came two minutes into injury time when Dalry were awarded a penalty. Jason Stewart hit the spot kick well but the keeper pulled off a fine save. That just summed up the day for Dalry

 

Dalry; Rankine, Hay, Menzies, Stewart McCormack, Potter, Bell, McKnight, Sanderson Canning, Fleeting; Subs; Ward, O'Malley, Duncan, Brown, Henderson, Cusack