THE fat lady was in full voice across the West of Scotland Football League at the weekend as most of the season’s remaining promotions and relegations were confirmed – and Ayrshire’s clubs were right at the heart of it.

Loch Park was the place to be on Friday night as Glenafton Athletic made sure of their Premier Division status for next season in some style with a 5-0 derby win at home to Cumnock.

Ollie Rowe’s header on the half-hour was all that separated the sides at the break, but the home side put their foot on the gas after the interval, with Hugh Kerr netting twice from the penalty spot and Michael Moffat and Alex McWaters also finding the net to confirm safety for Ryan Caddis’s men and end any faint hopes Arthurlie and Rob Roy had of beating the drop.

The weekend’s remaining top flight games were all played on Saturday, and all had only pride, positions and potentially player deals for next season at stake, though Auchinleck Talbot confirmed their status as ‘best of the rest’ after Connor Boyd’s goal secured a 1-0 win at Benburb and ensured a second-placed finish for the Beechwood Park men.

Ayr Advertiser: Auchinleck Talbot ensured a second-placed finish with a 1-0 win away to BenburbAuchinleck Talbot ensured a second-placed finish with a 1-0 win away to Benburb (Image: Craig McGhee/Auchinleck Talbot FC)

With the title already in the bag, Beith Juniors tumbled to a 5-0 defeat in their final game away to Junior Cup finalists Arthurlie, while Troon lost by the same score at home to third-placed St Cadoc’s – and Irvine Meadow saw their hopes of a defiant finish to a miserable campaign were well and truly torpedoed by a Hurlford United side who coasted to a 6-0 victory at Meadow Park.

Largs Thistle’s impressive end to the campaign, with eight wins from their last nine matches, concluded with a 3-0 win away to Rob Roy, Will Sewell taking his final goal tally for the season to 25 after David Ramsay’s opener midway through the first half as Stuart Davidson’s men secured a fifth-place finish.

Darvel’s runs to the finals of both the Junior Cup and the West of Scotland Cup mean their league campaign isn’t quite over yet, with midweek games at Troon and Glenafton still to come, but David Winters picked up his first win since taking temporary charge after the surprise departure of Tony McInally, with Ross Barbour and David Syme the men on target in the 2-1 win at home to Gartcairn.

In the First Division there was much more than pride to be played for at the Donald Dewar Stadium, where Maybole Juniors upset the odds, and put a bit of a dampener on Drumchapel United’s trophy celebrations, with a 1-0 win that ensured the Ladywell side’s status in the second tier for 2024-25.

Back-to-back home defeats to relegation rivals Cambuslang Rangers and ex-Cumnock boss Murdo MacKinnon’s new Johnstone Burgh side – the latter a result which confirmed the Keanie Park team’s promotion to the top flight – had left the Bole’s First Division future in considerable doubt, but Jake Graham’s early goal on Friday night was just enough to give Carlo Walker’s men the win they needed to survive and to condemn Cambuslang to the drop.

 

 

Kilwinning Rangers finished as the best of the Ayrshire bunch in the First Division standings after a 2-1 derby win at Kilbirnie Ladeside, with an own goal from the Blasties and a Mark Lamont curler putting the visitors in control before Ryan Connelly pulled one back late on as Buffs finished in seventh place and the hosts in 11th.

And Whitletts Vics, with relegation long since confirmed, signed off with a fighting 4-4 draw away to fourth-placed Ashfield, with Jordan Baird netting a double and Sean Ewart also on target for the Ayr side along with a David Leadbetter own goal.

A triumphant Second Division campaign for Ardrossan Winton Rovers, with promotion and the championship already in the bag, ended in fitting fashion with a 3-2 win away to Glasgow University as Gavin Friels’ men completed their season on 75 points, 10 ahead of their nearest rivals.

William Dawson’s penalty on the hour wasn’t enough to stave off a 2-1 defeat for Muirkirk in their final match away to Forth Wanderers, while East Ayrshire rivals Craigmark Burntonians and Bonnyton Thistle shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Station Park, with Jordan Ryan netting for the hosts and David Blyth for the visitors..

The result of the derby clash was largely academic, although that came as more than a slight relief for the home side in particular, who had been gearing up for a final day crunch match in their battle to beat the trop – only for defeats on Friday night for Wishaw and Glasgow Perthshire to confirm the Dalmellington men were safe from the drop.

One remaining relegation place has yet to be decided in the Third Division, with two Ayrshire sides still at risk of the drop – though Ardeer Thistle need just one point from their last two games to confirm survival after an impressive 6-3 derby win at Dalry Thistle on Friday night, with Stewart Morgan and David Henry bagging two goals apiece and Jack Gibbons and Greg Kean also on target.

Girvan’s scheduled final game at home to Kilsyth Athletic had to be called off after a bereavement; the game will now be played this Saturday, with the Hamilton Park side knowing a win will secure their place in the fourth tier at the expense of Port Glasgow, who finish their campaign away to Dalry.

 

 

Dougie Macduff’s last home match after three years in the hotseat at Irvine Vics ended in a 1-1 draw on Friday against Finnart, with Kyro Crawford’s second-half leveller taking his tally for the season to 11 goals.

Kello Rovers, though, said goodbye to the Third Division with a 3-1 defeat at home to Lesmahagow, with the result at Nithside Park enough to confirm promotion for the visitors.

Champagne corks were also popping at Rosebank Park after Lugar Boswell Thistle confirmed promotion from the Fourth Division thanks to a 1-0 win over champions Glenvale.

The Jaggy Bunnets needed two points from their last two matches to achieve their aim, and Conan Mackin’s strike just before the break confirmed success with a game to go – setting up the prospect of a party atmosphere at this Saturday’s final match at home to Royal Albert.

 

 

The remaining WoSFL fixtures for Ayrshire’s clubs are as follows.

Monday, May 13

Premier Division: Troon v Darvel (KO 7.30pm).

Wednesday, May 15

Premier Division: Glenafton v Darvel (7.30pm).

Third Division: Ardeer v Lesmahagow (7.30pm).

Saturday, May 18 (all 2pm)

First Division – Rutherglen Glencairn v Maybole.

Third Division – Ardeer v Lanark United, Dalry v Port Glasgow, Girvan v Kilsyth Athletic, Lesmahagow v Irvine Vics.

Fourth Division: Lugar v Royal Albert.