Out of the blue, or to put it more accurately the sky blue, Arthurlie snatched a 4-3 victory from the jaws of defeat against Rob Roy on Saturday.

Earlier, one could never have envisaged making this comment after Chris Mackie’s side had roared out of their Dunterlie blocks to all but blow the Rabs away in establishing a 2-0 lead with just 14 minutes on the clock thanks to a Marc McKenzie free kick counter and Michael Daly’s close range strike following a penalty box melee.

And further goals should and could have been added to the scoreline as the Barrhead outfit continued to wreak havoc going forward, most notably the powerful running McKenzie who was finding space almost at will to torment the Kirkintilloch backline .

A through pass on the half hour mark from team-mate Colin Spence set the striker, nicknamed Squib, running clear on goal.

But he elected to be too clever in attempting to chip Michael McKinven and only succeeded in directing a lame effort into the visiting goalkeeper’s arms.

That miss was being regretted minutes later as Spence felled Gavin Mackie with a tackle from behind at the other end of the pitch to bring referee Chris Graham to immediately point to the penalty spot.

But even the most diehard of watching Rob Roy supporters must have felt this was not going to be their day as Kevin Watt's tamely hit shot was deflected away by the feet of diving Barrhead No.1 Grant Hay to enable the Barrhead men’s 2-0 advantage to remain intact at the halfway stage.

Given how everything had appeared to be going in their favour over the opening 45 minutes, Arthurlie might be excused for a slightly sluggish restart.

However, what followed next was not far off a total collapse and little wonder that gaffer Mackie and assistants Jimmy Lindsay and Derek Frye were going near-apoplectic out on the touchline.

The Lie boss admitted: "I don’t know why the players do it to themselves - and me for that matter - but we simply imploded for 15-20 minutes and almost gifted the points to Rob Roy.

“It’s so frustrating as we had been excellent first half, with McKenzie in particular unplayable, and the last words I said to the guys was to keep things tight and give nothing away to encourage Maxi and his players over the next quarter of an hour.

“Thankfully, we had the spirit and character to get back into the game and I thought it was a truly wonderful header from Daly that pulled it out of the bag for us.”

The second period had kicked off with an attempted lob from the livewire McKenzie carrying high over the crossbar however there was to be a scoring payback for the visitors’ first attacking foray as Watt’s ball across goal was turned in by Shaun Fraser.

Quite remarkably the scores were tied at 2-2 just minutes later as Mackie received the ball 25 yards out from an innocuous shy on the right touchline and turned infield to leave his marker foir dead before firing home a glorious shot that beat Hay all ends up.

A now buoyant Rob Roy continued to dictate the tempo and not unsurprisingly they got their noses in front when Lee Gallagher let rip with a fierce 22 yard drive that beat Hay but not the upright.

However, the rebound fell into the path of Watt and he adroitly netted his side’s third goal to help atone for his penalty kick bloomer.

The visitors continued on the ascendancy and almost doubled their advantage when a Danny Boyle header from a free kick carried over the crossbar and this near thing acted to spark Arthurlie back into life as substitute Jordan Craig passed up a dream equalising opportunity after he headed over from close range when it looked easier to score.

The fuse was duly lit for a barnstorming finish in 75 minutes as Arthurlie winger Chris Lennon worked an opening down the right and fired over a low cross that Daly miskicked just a yard out.

But he was fortunate in having striking partner McKenzie waiting to pounce and fire home the loose ball to level matters at 3-3.

Former Pollok hitman Daly was not disappointed for long because in 82 minutes he rose unchallenged back post to meet a high right wing cross and direct a header back across goal that eluded McKinven’s grasp to find the net and secure a hard fought victory for him and his team-mates.

Midfield playmaker Spence said afterwards: “We were all over the place for a 20 minute spell and playing as if shell-shocked but I always believed if we could get things back to 3-3 then the game was ours for the taking.

“It was only fitting that Squib should be the man get our equalising goal as he was outstanding today though I do think he should be fined for his woeful attempt at trying to dink their keeper at 2-0."

Dejected Rabs gaffer Stewart Maxwell summed up his thoughts in saying: “I don’t think we deserved to lose and if there’s a lesson to be learned from today it’s that playing good football in this league is not everything.

“At 3-2, I thought we might go on to win by a few more goals but we just couldn’t get another score to put the game to bed.”

There was no shortage of comeback stories in other top-flight games with Auchinleck Talbot quartet Mark Shankland Calvin Kemp, Graham Wilson (pen) and Sean McIlroy netting four goals in the closing 15 minutes for a 4-1 victory over ten-man Hurlford United whose 1-0 lead had come from a Mark Roberts strike.

And counters from Finlay Frye, Johnny Allan o.g., and Ryan Nisbet helped Kilwinning Rangers run out 4-2 winners at home to Clydebank for whom Jordan Shelvey and Ross Forsyth goals had carved out a 2-1 advantage after Buffs frontman David Winters had bagged the opening goal at Abbey Park.

Beith raised more than a few eyebrows with a 5-0 triumph over Glenafton in which Archie McPherson(3) , Mark McLaughlin and Keir Milliken on target while Adam Forsyth scored the only goal of the game as Cumnock beat Pollok whose conquerors from last weekend, Kilbirnie Ladeside, were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in a 0-0 stalemate at home to Girvan.

WEEKEND RESULTS:

McBookie Com. Super Premier Division: Arthurlie 4 Rob Roy 3, Auchinleck Talbot 4 Hurlford Utd 1, Beith 5 Glenafton 0, Kilwinning Rangers 4 Clydebank 2, Cumnock 1 Pollok 0, Kilbirnie Ladeside 0 Girvan 0.

McBookie Com. Super First Division: Cumbernauld Utd 2 Renfrew3, Kello Rovers 0 Petershill 1, Kilsyth Rangers 2 Largs Thistle 2,Rutherglen Glencairn 2 Darvel 4, Larkhall Thistle 0 Cambuslang Rangers 2. Maryhill 1 Troon 7.

McBookie Com. Central First Division: Greenock 2 Yoker Athletic 2, Blantyre Vics 5 Glasgow Perthshire 4,Neilston 4 Forth Wanderers 2, Port Glasgow 0 Benburb 4, Wishaw 5 East Kilbride Thistle 1, Rossvale 3 Thorniewood Utd 2.

McBookie Com.Central Second Division: Bellshill Athletic 3 Vale of Clyde 1, Carluke Rovers 2 Ashfield 1, Gartcairn 0 Vale of Leven 5, Johnstone Burgh 4 Dunipace 1, Lanark Utd 2 Royal Albert 2, St Anthony's 7 Newmains Utd 1.

McBookie Com.Ayrshire District Division. Craigmark 8 Muirkirk 0, Maybole 9 Saltcoats Vics 0, Whitletts Vics 2 Ardeer Thistle 1.