THREAVE ROVERS 3  NEWTON STEWART 4

John McNaught reporting from Meadow Park.

 The Newton Stewart youngsters came of age last Saturday when they pulled a remarkable four goals to three victory at Meadow Park against the present league champions Threave Rovers.  The visitors put up a great fight throughout the match and although under severe pressure for periods of the match, particularly in the latter part of the second half they held out to record a memorable victory. 

There is no doubt that the hero of the day was Newtons striker Andrew ‘Fishy’ McEwan who scored a hat-trick in his first ninety minute start following his signing from Stewartry Amateur side Ferrytoon.  Both sides were without a few of their regular starters and Threave received a further set-back six minutes into the match when they lost central defender Liam Patterson with a facial injury following an accidental head clash with McEwan and was replaced by Callum Wilson to allow the Threave player medical treatment to a deep  cut above his left eye. Luckily for Newton Stewart striker McEwans head wound was treatable on the park and he managed to continue otherwise the outcome of this match could have been very different.

The early pressure came as expected from the home side and Sean Kevan had a great opportunity to open the scoring on the ten minute mark when his headed effort from a good deep cross found the wrong side of the upright.  The home side continued to press but Newton had a good out in McEwan who was playing as a lone striker.  The speed of McEwan was troubling the Threave defence and when the visitors managed to find him with the ball it spelt danger for the home side.  With twenty minutes played Paul Cook was denied by Newton keeper Harry Fidler with a good stop but two minutes later it was the visitors who took the lead when McEwan was first to a ball on the left and leaving two defenders in his wake homed in on keeper Vinnie Parker.  The keeper was equal to the strikers first effort but could only parry the ball and McEwan made no mistake from close in from the rebound.

This goal seemed to spur the home side on but they did not seem to be at their best and their passing game was not as lethal in the last third of the pitch as it usually is.   However ten minutes from the break a fierce and accurate cross from the left into the box found the head of Andrew Donley to level the match. Threave then dominated proceedings and five minutes later almost took the lead when keeper Harry Fidler failed to hold a Sam Warren effort but defender Martyn Henry was on hand to make a goal line clearance to save a certain goal. A minute later Newton rode their luck for a second time in succession when this time Martin Walsh was the saviour when he cleared another net bound effort from the goal-line.   With three minutes to the break the unexpected happened when McEwan found the ball at almost an identical position as when he scored his first goal. This time though after shrugging off his two markers instead of running on into the box he struck a superb first time shot from twenty yards which flew into the postage stamp corner of past a motionless Vinnie Parker such was the speed and accuracy of the shot. The striker was on fire and as the half-time whistle approached he again lost his markers but this time his effort was dealt with by the keeper.  The visitors though held a one goal half time advantage which was just reward for the determination and manner in which they had played in the first forty five minutes

The visitors were expecting a tough start to the second half and they weren’t disappointed with Threave pushing forward right from the whistle in search of an equaliser. The leveller came in the fifty fifth minute from the penalty spot when Henry was adjudged to have tripped an opponent in the box with Scott Wilby sending keeper Harry Fidler the wrong way.  McEwan had started quietly in the second half but still managed to have enough in reserve to make sure that the Threave defenders had to be on their toes.  Harry Fidler in the Newton goal pulled off some outstanding saves to keep the eager Threave forwards at bay while central defenders Lewis Richardson and Davy Hyslop played their part in withstanding the pressure from the home side.  With nineteen minutes left to play the pure speed and determination of McEwan gave him his hat-trick with the ball being played over the top of the Threave defence as they pushed forward.  The striker went one on one with keeper Parker and having beaten him to the loose ball deftly tucked it past him and into the net for his hat-trick on his full South league debut. Five minutes later though the match was level again at three goals each when following a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Danny Dunglinson at the edge of the eighteen yard box and when fired goalwards took a slight deflection to enter the net just under the Newton crossbar.  

This was great entertainment for the crowd and it wasn’t finished with the winner coming ten minutes from time.  It was all hands on deck for Newton Stewart as Threave pushed to win the points but it was the visitors who =managed the defining goal. They won a free kick about thirty five yards out on the left after the ball had been cleared upfield and ex-Stranraer player Stephen Beggs lined up to take the kick.  His fierce drive towards Parkers goal cleared the defensive line up to find the net just inside the keepers right hand post for another excellent goal.   

Newton Stewart looked determined this time to hold onto their lead and with every player playing their part they held out with some very good defensive work always aware that they had the hat-trick hero McEwan up field as their out which was also keeping the Threave defenders from all out attack as they had still to be alert to his presence.

There was great relief for the Newton Stewart side as the final whistle was blown after three minutes added on but also great jubilation after taking this prestigious scalp and although there have been some great close contests between these two sides it is thought that this is the first time that the Creesiders have come out on top...so great credit must go to them for this historical result.

This was a remarkable result particularly as Threave Rovers had not lost a goal in their first three outings of the season but they have the experience to bounce back. For the moment though the plaudits must go to Newton Stewart with their young team maturing considerably over the past year and a result like this should send them into the rest of the season with a new found confidence.

Threave Rovers; Parker, Green, Warren, Patterson, Wilby, Kevan, Baty, Dunglinson, Donley, Cook, Struthers, Wilson, Krause and Nicol.  

Newton Stewart; Fidler, Henry, Walsh, Hyslop, Richardson, McKie, Smith, McLean, McEwan, Taylor, Begg, Subs; McClymont and Brown