Cumbernauld 2 Renfrew 3: United pay price for errors

Shocking defensive lapses meant that the home team were two goals down after 20 minutes of this contest.

And although Andy Frame's side fought back to level the scores a fantastic strike minutes from the end gave the visitors the spoils.

The game got off to an explosive start when a great move straight from the kick off almost resulted in an United goal.

Davie Dickson and Jamie Kennedy combined well to give Robbie Winters a chance but the striker's header cleared the crossbar.

After end to end play it was Renfrew who took the lead in the sixth minute with a bizarre score.

United's Dave Hamilton unnecessarily fouled visiting forward Jamie Docherty near the right hand corner flag and received a yellow card. Docherty took the free-kick himself and unbelievably beat home goalkeeper Jordan Brown with a low shot from an oblique angle.

United hit back and Dylan McGuigan - returning to better form - set up Davie Dickson but the veteran midfielder missed the target.

A Kennedy effort went high and wide before Renfrew went further ahead after more poor defending from United.

A cross found Docherty unmarked in the box and the Renfrew man duly despatched a right foot shot past a helpless Brown to put United two behind.

Despite these setbacks the Cumbernauld men settled to pressurise the away team and a Paul Murphy header following a corner was not far away.

In the 30th minute, however, the United got their reward when, after another Tony Stevenson corner, Murphy, at the back post, reduced the arrears with an excellent headed goal.

United resumed after the interval on the offensive dominating play with Paddy McCabe and McGuigan in particular giving the Renfrew defence a lot of trouble with their mazy runs.

The home pressure was rewarded in the 55th minute with a terrific goal from young Kennedy. A great move involving four home players eventually reached the youngster who cut in from the left , leaving three men in his wake, to fire an unsaveable shot past Thomas McLeay in the away goal.

After another Murphy header had been cleared off the line and a Terry Hewitt 'goal' was adjudged offside it was Renfrew who got the all important winning counter.

The ball broke to substitute Kieron Maxwell some 25 yards out and the Renfrew man sent a wonderful shot past Brown in the Cumbernauld goal.