West of Scotland League
Division 1
Saturday 15th March 2025
Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01
Kilwinning Rangers 4 Kilbirnie Ladeside 1, attendance 385
26’ 1-0
30’ 2-0
56’ 3-0
85’ 4-0
90’ + 2, 4-1
@ Buffs Park
Kilwinning Community Sports Club
Pennyburn Road
Kilwinning
KA13 6LF
£8 Admission
No Programme.
The day started with a trip to the nearest tyre centre, following the discovery of the puncture I’d suffered at Ellesmere Port Town last night. Thankfully, the first garage I headed for was already open when I arrived just after 8 o’clock and half an hour later I was on the road and heading for Scotland, the damage having been repaired and no need to buy a brand new tyre. When I last saw Kilwinning Rangers play a home game, back in June 2001, they beat Hurlford United 4-0 in an Ayrshire Super Cup Semi Final, played at their former Abbey Park ground. That now lies derelict, awaiting to be built upon and they vacated that for their new Buffs Park home, here at Kilwinning Community Sports Club in 2019. I’d actually seen a game here previously too, as I’d done a Kilmarnock U19 game here in 2006, which was played on one of the outer pitches.
Buffs Park is impressive for a new build. It is floodlit and spectator access is on all four sides. There is cover on three of those, whilst a base is already laid between the dugouts on the clubhouse side of the ground that looks like becoming another covered area, perhaps with seats, as they are the only thing lacking here now. There is plenty of car parking and there’s even a club shop, selling a variety of souvenirs. The usual fayre was available at the tea bar, although annoyingly, it is out of sight of the pitch, so not really much use whilst the match is in progress, although there were plenty who didn’t seem too bothered about that!
Kilwinning are one of the big names in the West of Scotland League, having won the Scottish Junior F.A. Cup twice, as well as twice being runners up and came into this sitting top of the league table, five points clear of second placed Rutherglen Glencairn, so look a good bet to return back to the top division which they are more accustomed to. Kilbirnie were ninth and as it’s just nine miles north of Kilwinning, had a decent following here, many displaying their club colours and it was good to see a crowd edging towards 400 here.
It was closer than the scoreline suggests, with the main difference between the two teams being the deadly delivery of ‘long throw specialist’ Jack MacCalman, which Kilbirnie just couldn’t deal with and I expect that’s the case for most opposition teams who come up against it. Kilwinning opened the scoring from one of his throw ins after twenty six minutes, heading in from 10 yards and they doubled their lead four minutes later, when a ball over the top was finished with an unstoppable shot across the ‘keeper that flew into the far corner. Eleven minutes into the second half it was 3-0. This time, a throw in from right near the corner flag was headed in powerfully at the far post and their fourth goal came with five minutes left. This time the long throw came from right in front of the dugouts and was met with a header from six yards that found the far corner. At least Kilbirnie managed to pull one back in stoppage time, with a 25 yarder that swerved viciously in front of the ‘keeper, but Kilwinning were well deserved winners.
I might even be back at Kilwinning Community Sports Club for a third visit one day, as fellow West of Scotland club Eglinton play on the 3G pitch here, behind the right hand goal end of Buffs Park when looking out from the clubhouse.
