Arthurlie battled to victory in a scrappy pre season friendly at Nithsdale on Saturday. On a council surface which didn’t seem to have been cut this summer it was Arthurlie who made the early running but Nithsdale who came closest with a rebound from the upright being hammered low into the net only for the goal to be disallowed. Ricky Orr was following on from his brilliant debut performance in the previous match with darting runs up the right wing causing problems for the home side and it was from one of these runs that Alan McFadden had the balled teed up in front of goal only to somehow blast over with the ‘keeper nowhere.

Midway through the first period it was Orr who made the difference, and once again it was from the touchline that he lofted the ball high towards goal and into the net, with a shot which is fast becoming his party trick down Dunterlie way. McFadden crossed for Joe Andrew to fire over before Nithsdale again hit the woodwork with an effort from the right side. The stroke of halftime brought the second Arthurlie goal, Andy McFarlane cutting the ball across from the left and John Bradford being left with the easiest of chances to tap home after the goalie lost his way in the box.

Orr continued posing problems in the second half but it was the home team who scored four minutes in, with a long throw that evaded the defence and was fired low into the net. Andrew laid the ball off for McFadden to shoot wide before the equaliser came in controversial circumstances. The referee (related to a Nithsdale player we hear?!?) gave a free kick the wrong way from which the ball was played through and lobbed beyond Robertson in the Arthurlie goal.

It didn’t take long for the ‘Lie to regain the lead, the ball was played in from the left wing minutes later for Bradford to double his tally for the game and his pre season haul, with his fourth strike in as many games. The game petered out towards the end, with the final real chance being from a Ballantyne free kick which was deflected across goal by a defender to rebound from the junction of bar and post.

J Evans (J Robertson 45), R Orr, A McFarlane, G McLaughlin, A Shields, P McLaughlin (C Neil* 29 (T McCann 64)), M Hughes, T McCann (P McLaughlin 45), J Bradford (R Ballantyne 82), J Andrew, A McFadden