Ardeer Thistle 3 Hurlford United 5

Ardeer lost 5-3 to Hurlford United in an open game that was marred by a thoroughly inept refereeing display from David Dunne. Both teams spurned a couple of chances early on and when Hurlford scored the opener on 22 minutes it was slightly against the run of play. It was a scrambled goal and it did look as if their scorer was offside when the ball was played to him. The away side then began to dominate the half, hitting the bar with a shot from long range before scoring twice in the last 10 minutes. Ardeer could have no complaints when a low cross was converted at the back post to make it 2-0 but Hurlford's 3rd was scored from twelve yards after a soft penalty was awarded in their favour.

With Ardeer being three goals down at half-time, further collapse was expected but the team knuckled down and did their best to get back into the game. Scott Reid got a goal back on 50 minutes when he headed in Toni Paton's corner kick. Hurlford restored their three goal cushion six minutes later and came close to scoring a fifth shortly after when a powerful volley off a long ball fizzed wide of the goal. Lee Munro almost got another back for Ardeer when, despite being clearly pulled back by an opposition defender, he managed to lob the keeper but the ball hit the top of the bar and went over for a goal kick. Tommy Miatland then came close from distance but Ardeer were denied until the 82nd minute when the returning Darren "Tinny" Quinn scored a really good goal. He brought the ball in from the left wing, beating a defender in the process, before sending the ball into the top corner of the net with a delightful finish.

There had been a couple of stoppages earlier in the half so the home side had about 10 minutes to try and get a result but Hurlford wrapped up victory with 86 minutes gone when one of their strikers inadvertently blocked a shot by one of his own teammates at the edge of the box before finishing the ball low into the net himself. Again it may have been offside and Tommy Maitland received a second yellow card for complaining to the match official about the decision to award the goal. Ardeer were not done yet though, and immediately went back up the park and scored when Lee Munro went straight through the middle and beat the Hurlford goalkeeper with a composed finish. They could have scored a fourth in the dying seconds of the game when Darren Quinn chose to shoot instead of passing to Munro or Brett McKenzie but his effort was saved.