We fear no one says Girvan boss Billy

Dec 26 2008

RELIEVED Girvan scraped into the last 32 of the Scottish Cup and then set their sights on Carnoustie.

And boss Billy Thomson believes they have nothing to fear both in the cup and the league.

Despite toiling to a 1-0 win away to Craigmark, Thomson insisted: “We are as good as anyone in the league if not better than most. The first-half was as poor as we have been and if looked as if we had been off for ten months never mind one. But we dominated the second-half and could have scored a lot more.

“We are always looking to score with Michael Moffat, Darren Mitchell and David McVittie and with other league results going our way, I believe we are still in the mix at the top.”

The controversial winner came with 14 minutes to go when Steve Shankland forced the ball home with Craigmark claiming that Martin Lawrie had stopped it crossing the line. The upset home team had Scott Caldwell sent off after the final whistle for arguing with one of his team-mates.

A half-time sub was new signing Dale Beattie who has returned from New Zealand. His last Ayrshire club was Glenafton.

Disappointed Craigmark boss Lawrie Dinwoodie admitted: “From where I was standing I thought the ball had been cleared but a couple of our players said it had crossed the line. We had a stonewall penalty turned down early on and Scott Dinwoodie hit the bar from 35 yards.

“Our keeper Stevie Douglas had nothing to do and I think we deserved at least a draw.”

Meanwhile, Thomson has hit out at football’s rulers after Elgin and Spartans were allowed to replay their Scottish Cup tie by the SFA despite both fielding ineligible players. Earlier this season, Girvan were thrown out of the Ardagh Cup and fined £500 for a similar offence against Lugar.

Thomson blasted: “Where is the consistency in that? Our cup tie against Craigmark was off three times because of the weather and we were led to believe they would be given another two attempts at staging it.

“Yet Annbank played Dalry at Ardeer while Dalry moved their Scottish Cup tie against Glenafton to Pollok.”