Lanark leave it late to preserve unbeaten league record

Nov 27 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

LANARK United held onto their unbeaten league run by their fingertips as Paul Burns crashed home an equaliser against Renfrew with just three minutes remaining.

But United surrendered top spot in the Super League First Division as Largs Thistle moved to the summit beating Kilbirnie Ladeside 1-0.

Super sweeper Burns emerged from a Moor Park dressing room barracking by manager Tony McInally and said: “We must consider that two points lost, rather than a point gained. But with us being 1-0 down with a couple of minutes to go, we’ll take a draw.”

Pleased with his strike, Burns added: “I was just stepping out of defence as Kevin McDade was on the ball. There was plenty of space as I came forward and the only thing on my mind was to shoot.

“I was fortunate enough as the ball went through Paul Airth’s legs and I think the goalkeeper got a hand to it, but he couldn’t keep it out.”

Furious McInally blasted: “I thought we were very poor and sluggish – that’s the worst performance of the season by a long way.

“Credit to Renfrew as they came with a game plan and it worked.

“I thought we were an accident waiting to happen all day and it was only after we went a goal down that we raised our game to a tempo we should have been playing at from the start.”

Renfrew’s goal came in 78 minutes through midfielder Graham Mort.

Shotts Bon Accord, who were forced to make five line-up changes, allowed a two-goal lead to slip, but still considered it a useful point at Kilwinning.

Manager Duncan Sinclair said: “It went from sunshine to storm; the boys were fantastic in the first half, scored two, and it could have been four.

“Kilwinning made it physical and played it tighter in the second half we toiled a little – but again we missed two glaring chances to kill it off.

“They scored 12 minutes from time and a lapse of concentration let a guy in at the back post to equalise four minutes into injury time.”

Kevin Barr and John Boyack missed good early chances before a Brian Jack shot was deflected into the net.

Mark McKeever also missed a chance before Ross Jamieson notched Shotts’ second.