Kilsyth slide continues as leaders Largs take victory

On a cold, blustery afternoon Rangers suffered their fifth defeat on the trot and now drop into seventh spot in the league table, going behind Yoker on goal difference.

Keith Hogg’s men haven’t won a league match since a 2-0 success at Yoker on October 17 and once again they were let down by simple defensive mistakes and a lack of penetration up front.

And unless results improve soon a drop into the Central District league could become a real threat.

Rangers had to face the wind and driving rain in the first 45 minutes and not surprisingly it was Largs who made all the early running.

Initially they seldom tested Rangers stand-in keeper Prior though, Andy Carlin being unavailable for this game.

But almost twenty minutes in though the inevitable breakthrough by Largs did come,

Chris Reid was caught out of position and Willie McClure was allowed to put over a good cross onto the head of Kevin Struthers who headed in a great goal, although he was injured in the process and had to go off for some treatment.

Rangers did start to come into the game from this point and Gary Livingstone and Danny O’Neill were showing up well and creating a few chances.

Joe Barclay was unlucky in a goalmouth scramble with the ball being cleared off the line.

But almost on half-time Livingstone was fouled just inside the penalty area and Barclay scored from the spot to send Rangers in level.

The conditions had improved somewhat for the restart and Rangers opened the second half well, pinning Largs back into their own half for the opening quarter of an hour.

Damon Welsh had a good chance with a free-kick and Nicky Prentice was desperately unlucky not to get a foot to a cross right in front of goal.

But a breakaway down the right resulted in Struthers getting his second goal of the day.

And only three minutes later Alan Frizzell also made a great break and made it 3-1 for the league leaders to more or less end of the game as a contest.

At this point Rangers brought on Brian Carrigan for David Waters but, being a long way from match fitness, he made little impact.

Largs also made changes, taking off Struthers and bringing on livewire striker James Marks who posed a few questiond for the Rangers defence.

Their were no more goals though. Largs remain clear leaders of the division and looking good prospects for promotion, but Rangers have to look at the other end of the table and start picking up points, starting with the home game against Grenock this coming Saturday.

Greenock are just one place below Kilsyth in the table, two points behind but with a game in hand.

Kilsyth: Prior, Reid, Waters, Doyle, Hamilton, Welsh, Livingstone, K McBride, Barclay, O’Neill, Prentice. Subs. Hughes, Nash, Pearson, Carrigan, Hogg.