Christmas came early for Arthurlie as they dug deep for a crucial 2-1 win over Cumnock on Saturday.

But the Nock will feel assistant referee Michael White played Santa to Lie by awarding a late goal to substitute Gary Smith.

Just under 10 minutes were left to play at a rain-soaked Dunterlie when Alan Muir slipped taking a corner.

The comedy error contributed to a low-driven cross that Smith deflected goalwards at the front post. Nock keeper Ally Semple scrambled low and appeared to smother the ball on his line.

Smith and his team-mates claimed the ball had crossed what was an almost mud- obliterated line. Semple and Co insisted otherwise, but whistler Derek Crothers' mind was made up for him by his flag-bearing assistant signalling for a goal.

A furious posse of Cumnock players chased White down for an impromptu exchange of views. That culminated in the ref showing a red card to Ayrshire stopper Ryan Kennedy who stormed off protesting.

He said: "The ball was not completely in and how the linesman can see differently through a whole ruck of bodies defies belief.

"At the very least he's unsighted and cannot be sure so in that case he should not have awarded a goal."

Just three minutes later Kennedy's physically dominating presence was noticeably missing when Lie frontman Paul Stewart raced clear down the right to fire over a low-driven cross that Smith met with an outstretched leg to steer past Semple and clinch a 2-1 success.

There was a fair share of relief tinged with delight in the Barrhead cheers greeting both goals - for a long time it had looked like the spoils were Ayrshire-bound on the back of a valiant Cumnock rearguard action.

The visitors had taken the lead after only four minutes when a Chris McKnight through-ball released 17-year-old striker Ryan Nisbett. He showed the Arthurlie defence a clean pair of heels to cleverly despatch a low shot beyond goalkeeper Mikey White.

Loan signing Nisbett's pace caused a few more scares for the Arthurlie back line but in truth the match was predominantly played out in and around the Cumock penalty box where the defiance, commitment and sheer will to win shown by Kennedy, Kieron Woods and former Arthurlie players James Lundie and Stevie Crawford repelled wave after wave of home attacks.

They were ever so close to reaping a reward until that late corner-kick drama as Nock boss John McKeown pointed out afterwards.

He said: "The decision denied us three points, but the difference between us getting one point and nothing was big Ryan's dismissal because Arthurlie would never have scored their second goal if he'd stayed on the pitch.

"I feel sorry for the players as they gave everything and their effort was a tenfold improvement on last week ."

Arthurlie's latest triumph moved them up to sixth from top in the standings. They are just three points adrift of a Petershill side that succumbed to a 2-0 Portland Park defeat against Troon, whose youthful winger Dale Moore scored both goals.

The Peasy stumble was capitalised upon by Glenafton, up to fourth place after Cammy Marlow got two and Aaaron Connolly and former Bankie ace Adam Strachan were on target in a 4-1 win over Clydebank, whose lone counter was netted by Jamie Campbell.

Still storming out in front are long-time league leaders Irvine Meadow, who recovered from falling behind to a Sean McKenna strike for second-placed Beith to win 4-2 for their tenth straight league win.

Ryan Deas got two and Willie Sawyers and Gary McCann were on the Medda scoresheet. Paul Frize supplied Beith's other score.