Arthurlie and Kilbirnie Ladeside shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Valefield Park on Saturday.

The Barrhead side could have been out of sight by half time, but again missed opportunities came back to haunt them.

Arthurlie started the game at a high tempo and bossed proceedings from the off. Eight minutes in a great ball over the top from Ryan Deas saw Gary Smith just failing to get on the end of it and the chance was cleared.

The hosts were next to try their luck when a free kick into the Lie area was only cleared to the edge of the box but Kyle Rafferty shot straight at Grant Hay.

It was Arthurlie who deservedly took the lead though after 25 minutes when Craig Palmer’s free kick on halfway was sent into the penalty area and it wasn’t dealt with by the home defence, allowing Smith to get a foot to the ball and directed it to Scott Gair who calmly side-footed past Hughes to finish with aplomb.

Arthurlie really had their tails up now and Hughes had to be alert to tip Deas’ long-range effort past the post on the half hour. Before Smith gathered on the right and although seemingly crowed out, he sent over a great ball that Ryan McGregor fired inches wide.

With a minute of the first half remaining Ladeside broke at pace with ex-Lie man Eddy McTernan racing through the centre of the field, however Jordan Leyden’s superb tackle stopped him.

With half time approaching there was a big talking point. As the ball was sent to the opposite side of the pitch, Ladeside’s Gray lashed out at Arthurlie’s McGregor, then when the two players faced up to each other the Ladeside player seemed to catch the Arthurlie man with his head, almost immediately only for the referee to blow for half time and ignore the flashpoint.

As the players trooped off there was a coming together between both sides that spilled into the dressing room and when the sides appeared for the second half they were both minus a man — McGregor for Arthurlie and Kilbirnie’s Haxton were red carded during the interval.

Into the second half and the hosts had the first opening on eight minutes but Meechan’s effort didn’t trouble Hay. Sixty seconds later the ball was at the other end and Hughes pulled off a great save to deny Smith.

There were 66 minutes gone when Kilbirnie grabbed the leveller as McElroy gathered on the edge of the box and sublimely sent a high curling ball looping over the head of Hay who looked to have been caught off guard by the effort.

Kilbirnie had scarcely deserved to be on level terms but the goal seemed to lift them and they went close again soon after through Brannon. 

It was now end-to-end stuff with the home side on top possession wise, for the first time in the game, but Arthurlie were hitting at pace on the break. 

With a couple of minutes left on the clock substitute Darren Gribben then squandered two chances. The first saw Hughes block well with his legs then almost immediately after the Lie forward shot just wide from a narrow angle.

Right on time the hosts could have nicked all three points though when McElroy beat two Lie defenders then shot narrowly wide.

Meechan received his second yellow late on as Kilbirnie were reduced to nine.

Arthurlie: Hay, Girvan, Palmer, Rushford, Gair, Nimmo, Deas, Leyden, Smith, McGregor, and Morrison.

Subs: Blakey, Convery, Turner, Gribben, and Macklin.