Cumbernauld Colts shine by shooting down Star

Unchanged from the team which defeated East Kilbride in their previous match, Colts started brightly in front of a decent crowd.

New loan signing Lewis Wilson set up Sean Brown but the striker pulled his shot wide from 10 yards.

Brown then saw a header apparently blocked by the hand of Star defender Lewis Todd, but Colts’ furious appeals were ignored.

Brown then had a header blocked by keeper Vinnie Parker before Lewis Sloan pulled a shot wide in aq rare Dalbeattie attack.

Colts’ first half dominance was rewarded just before the interval in spectacular fashion.

Wilson had a shot blocked, but the ball broke to Jonathan Black who rifled a tremendous angled shot from 25 yards into the far top corner off the inside of the post with Parker helpless.

Shortly after the interval the advantage was doubled when Black laid the ball into the path of Richie Kirwan who beat his man before drilling a low angled drive into the far bottom corner of the net with Parker at full stretch.

The second goal should have put Colts in command but the visitors responded well and a Jamie McHarrie snapshot went just wide.

And as the game entered the final quarter the visitors continued to look dangerous, but Fahey and Andy Ward had the back line well organised and any clear openings for Star were limited.

And Colts put the game beyond any doubt with just under 10 minutes remaining when Craig Murray netted the third a minute after being denied at close range by keeper Parker.

Kirwan and Murray had been thorns in the Star flesh for periods of the second half and the two men combined again on the edge of the box before the ball fell kindly for Murray who made no mistake with a beautifully placed volley.