By Stefan Coutts
Pollok…2 v Beith…2
Beith boss Johnny Millar applauded his side as they battled back from two down to salvage a point at Tony McInally’s Fortress Newlandsfield and keep their title hopes alive.
Bryan Wharton and Stuart McCann gave the hosts a two goal cushion but when they lost Grant Evans to a second yellow on 81 minutes the tide turned.
Millar opted for six up front and went for the kill with Darren Christie halving the deficit with a stunner, and deep into injury time Lok failed to clear their lines with Paul Frize bundling over the line to share the spoils.
He said: “At 2-0 down we took a gamble and threw men forward with Darren Christie scoring a screamer to get it to 2-1 then we got everyone in the box and it eventually came.
“I knew the boys would give their all but I thought we were out of time but at the end of the day we got the goal that counted so we gambled and we got away with the point.”
Both sides probed with Lok believing they had a good penalty shout on 11 minutes that whistler Stephen Graham waved away after Ryan Docherty looked to have fouled Stefan McCluskey in the box.
Lok nearly opened soon after with McCluskey providing a bit of magic from nothing to rattle the post with Beith keeper Stephen Grindlay slow to react as it rebounded away.
But the goals broke out after the break with Christie clattering McCluskey in the box and ref Graham pointing to the spot with Wharton slotting home on the hour mark.
The hosts looked to have wrapped up the game on 74 minutes as Paul Byrne switched to Stuart McCann who collected and rifled through the legs of the keeper.
It was nearly three as Gary McCann rounded Stephen Grindlay and aimed goalward only for Conner McGlinchey to clear off the line and to prove pivotal in the result.
Lok’s Evans hit the showers for an early bath, and on 86 minutes Christie turned from sinner to saint with a sublime effort from the edge of the box to throw Beith a lifeline which they took with aplomb.
And deep into injury time Lok failed to clear and Frize was the quickest to react and poke home to take a point back down to North Ayrshire.
Raging Lok gaffer Tony McInally said: “I thought we were the better team for 85 minutes but that result is a sickener and a sore one for us to take.”
Pollok: Johnson, Evans (B56, R81), Byrne, Wharton (B90), Sideserf, Sean, G McCann (Rowan 82), Young, S McCann (Little 82), Forde (B58, Hepburn 77), McCluskey
Subs not used: Brash, Gormley
Beith: Grindlay, McGlinchey, N Docherty, R Docherty, MacDonald, Martin (Bradley 66), Christie, Frize, McLean (McPherson 75), Collins, Burke (Wilson 68)
Subs not used: Reid, Milliken
Ref: Stephen Graham
Att: 581
GMS MoTM: Bryan Wharton (Pollok FC)