The Wee Rovers suffer 3-1 defeat in the Lowland League West clash against Kilwinning Rangers at Buffs Park.
Barry Duncan’s opener cancelled out as Kilwinning Rangers turned the game on its head, scoring three before half-time.
Albion Rovers took the lead after a lovely finish from Barry Duncan, a brace from Lewis Morrison and a strike from Ryan Wilson overturned the deficit as Kilwinning Rangers secured all three points.
Facing a difficult away trip to Buffs Park against Kilwinning Rangers, Steven Saunders made one change to the starting XI that defeated Caledonian Braves on Saturday, as the new gaffer and his side looked to secure a second win of the campaign.
Grant Tamosevicius started in goal, with Chris Neeson, Innes Clark, Rock Moses and Liam Dolan forming the back four. Conor McLaughlin, Dan Hunter and captain Barry Duncan completed the midfield, while Saunders handed Adam McMillan his first start of the season. Nathan Brown and Alex Eguagie completed the line-up.
Leo Clark dropped to the bench alongside Owen Ronald, Tony Garth, Devan McColl, Dean Rhappozzoh and Alfie Lumsden, while Jonathan Page returned to the matchday squad for the first time since Cumnock Juniors. Albion Rovers were also without a substitute goalkeeper.
Kilwinning Rangers kicked proceedings off under the lights and immediately started on the front foot, threatening the Rovers area in the opening seconds. A whipped cross from Ryan Wilson caused problems, with Rock Moses’ clearance only going as far as Lewis Morrison, whose powerful effort was blocked and cleared by the big centre-half moments later.
Carlo Monti continued the pressure as the hosts looked to take an early lead. The winger went on a driving run before battling with Liam Dolan, who did well to take the ball away from him. Monti remained determined, winning the ball back on the touchline and playing it across the area before Rovers goalkeeper Grant Tamosevicius scooped up the danger.
A difficult opening six minutes for the Rovers only seemed to get tougher, with Monti forcing Tamosevicius into another save from an effort just to the right of the six-yard box.
Moments later, a fantastic outside-of-the-boot pass from Nick Lockhart gave Robbie Scullion the freedom to run onto the ball inside the box. The onrushing Tamosevicius prevented the shot, but the young goalkeeper stayed down after retaining possession, landing awkwardly on his knee.
Things were not looking good for the Wee Rovers as the goalkeeper received lengthy treatment with no substitute keeper available, but the away support breathed a sigh of relief when Tamosevicius returned to his feet and continued with a slight knock.
The hosts continued to apply pressure, with a shot from Andy Rodden finding the gloves of the young goalkeeper before a dangerous free-kick from the edge of the area whistled over the bar.
Albion Rovers eventually found their rhythm and grew into the match, threatening down the left-hand side. Nathan Brown’s throw found Alex Eguagie, who held the ball up before laying it off to Dan Hunter. His cross found the head of a high-rising Adam McMillan, but Dylan Brown saved the header in the Buffs goal.
It would be the Wee Rovers who took the lead moments later in the 22nd minute. After some roughing in the box before an Albion Rovers throw-in, Brown was finally allowed to restart. Conor McLaughlin battled to win the header, causing enough problems for the Kilwinning Rangers defence to make a poor clearance. The ball fell to Barry Duncan just inside the area, with the captain unleashing a fierce shot across goal and into the bottom corner to give Rovers the lead.
The hosts had a chance to level through another free-kick on the edge of the area, with Rodden stepping up, but his tame effort was comfortably saved.
The Wee Rovers continued to fight and create opportunities of their own. A good passing move down the left-hand side gave Duncan a chance from the edge of the area, but the midfielder could not double his tally.
Poor defensive mistakes, including taking too long on the ball and failing to clear their lines, allowed the Buffs to pull one back. Wilson won back possession before finding Morrison, whose powerful driven effort found its way past the injured Tamosevicius to level the game.
The officiating team found themselves on the end of criticism from the Rovers players, management and supporters when the visitors looked to hit back. A fantastic ball from Dolan over the top found Brown, but the winger was incorrectly flagged for offside after finding himself in a position to square the ball.
Controversy did not end there. A long ball was played over the top for Nathan Brown, who caused problems for Buffs goalkeeper Dylan Brown. Both players almost clashed on the edge of the box, with the goalkeeper unable to pick up the loose ball outside the area. As the defender avoided the collision, the ball found its way back to Eguagie, who had an empty net to aim at before the goalkeeper brought him down with a sliding challenge.
Referee Lewis Barnie brandished a yellow card, presumably for Dylan Brown, but it was the young striker who was astonishingly booked instead.
The Buffs’ physicality continued to frustrate the Rovers after Eguagie threatened again. The striker’s shirt was pulled on the left-hand side as the visitors continued to find some joy in that area. Eguagie was involved again moments later, running through on goal before trying to square the ball to his arriving teammates, but nobody could get on the end of it.
On the cusp of half-time, the Buffs made their earlier pressure pay. Goalkeeper Brown’s long ball over the top found Lewis Morrison, with the striker taking the ball brilliantly before getting his shot away between the Wee Rovers centre-halves. The effort took a deflection and found the bottom-left corner, putting Kilwinning Rangers ahead.
Saunders’ side were rocked after the hosts took the lead, with the Buffs almost making it three in injury time. Morrison looked to take advantage of Tamosevicius with a chipped effort, but the ball ended high and wide.
The Buffs kept the pressure on, with Rodden’s dangerous cross well cleared by Chris Neeson. Kilwinning Rangers’ further pressure paid off moments later when Wilson found the net after a lovely through ball from Rodden, extending the Buffs’ advantage.
Saunders turned to his bench before the second half got underway, introducing Devan McColl in place of Innes Clark.
The Buffs maintained their pressure from the first half, with Dolan’s sliding challenge putting the ball into the air before a long-range effort sailed over the Albion Rovers goal.
The second half then became a scrappy affair, with the hosts seemingly comfortable with their two-goal advantage.
Neeson found himself in the book before Leo Clark replaced Hunter, and the Rovers finally got their foot on the ball for a spell 20 minutes into the second half. The visitors won a corner which was cleared before the Buffs hit on the counter, only to be flagged for offside.
Owen Ronald replaced Brown, who went down with an injury before the corner.
It was not long before Kilwinning Rangers regained the front foot. Dangerous balls forward and crosses continued to put the Wee Rovers under pressure, with a Buffs corner in the 72nd minute causing a number of problems.
McMillan’s headed clearance was headed back into the box, where Moses was there to clear. The ball was played back in and picked up by Morrison, whose attempts to shoot were repeatedly blocked. The striker did well to create space before flashing the ball across goal, where Wilson managed to squeeze a shot between the legs of a defender. The effort deflected just millimetres past the post.
Saunders rolled the dice, making his final substitutions in an attempt to rescue something from the game. Tony Garth and Dean Rhappozzoh replaced Eguagie and McMillan, while Buffs manager Chris Strain made a triple substitution to shore up his side.
The fresh legs did little to change the game, with Kilwinning Rangers looking comfortable and remaining the more dangerous side while holding the visitors to half chances as the game drew to a close.
Albion Rovers had a late consolation ruled out. A deep free-kick from Duncan was nodded on by Garth into the path of Moses, who took the ball down superbly before finding the net. However, the assistant referee had already raised his flag for what appeared to be a marginal offside.
A difficult away trip to Buffs Park ended in defeat for Albion Rovers, who took the lead against the run of play before the dangerous duo of Morrison and Wilson produced moments of quality to turn the game around before half-time.
Albion Rovers host Auchinleck Talbot at the Reigart Stadium on Saturday, the second game of a quadruple-header against Ayrshire sides, as the Wee Rovers look to build on the encouraging moments from their opening games despite a difficult start to the season.
Kilwinning Rangers: D. Brown (GK), MacKintosh, O’Neill (C), McLean (Love, 75), Rodden (McLevy, 82), Lewis, Lockhart (McWilliams, 75), Scullion (Frize, 60), Monti, Wilson, Morrison (Gray, 75).
Subs: Coutts, Friels.
ALBION ROVERS: Tamosevicius (GK), Neeson, I. Clark (McColl, 45), Moses, Dolan, Hunter (L. Clark, 55), McLaughlin, Duncan(C), N. Brown (Ronald, 67), McMillan (Rhappozzoh, 75), Eguagie (Garth, 75).
Subs: Page, Lumsden.
