A SHARES determination to avoid defeat at all costs ensured that Central First Division promotion challenging pair Maryhill and Dunipace failed to serve up a classic at Lochburn Park on Saturday.

Indeed, it was crucial interventions from referee Ross McLeod that provided the main talking points and ultimately dictated the course of this highly competitive but lacking in quality affair.

His decision to award a second-half penalty kick to Dunipace after judging home team defender Joe Beckley had handled an innocuous back-post header by Pace midfielder Andy Hunter allowed top marksman Gary Espener to expertly score from the spot to fire the visitors into a 2-1 lead.

And the young whistler went on to enrage Hill supporters further in the final minute when he ruled out Gary Callendar's headed goal was from an offside position.

In between times, he sent off Maryhill stopper Paul McLernon for a second yellow-card offence. However, defeated gaffer Michael Tolland did not take too dim a view of the man in the middle's performance in his after-match observations.

He said: "My only gripe of any substance is over the penalty kick shout, which I consider was a harsh punishment considering Joe had his back to the Dunipace player and was so close to him that he couldn't get out of the way of his header .

"The hands were down by his side and the ref did explain there is a very fine line between an unnatural position and otherwise, so the fact he still saw it as a penalty kick is a viewpoint I find disappointing.

"Our players felt aggrieved over a similar offence in the Dunipace box escaping unpunished and they are all adamant Gary's goal was onside. However, it is nigh on impossible for referees at this level to get everything right when they are having to operate without assistants.

"We have no complaints whatsoever over Paul's dismissal."

Maryhill had started with the look of a team intent on taking the spoils and their reward was a goal just 10 minutes in through Alan Orr.

His first-time angular shot found the net after Pace keeper Stefan McCurley had brilliantly parried away a fierce net bound shot from Justin Begg.

But the home team's celebrations were to be cut short as Dunipace's next attacking foray earned a corner kick taken by Bryan Grant and met by towering centre-back Craig Reid, who buried a powerful downward header beyond Grant Hay with the aid of a deflection.

Maryhill enjoyed the greater share of near things up to half time, but little was to be seen of them as an attacking force after the interval not least because tenacious Dunipace full-back Wayne Meikle blunted the threat of tall winger Willie Wells .

The 76th-minute penalty kick decision helped the result go Dunipace's way, but gaffer Craig McKinlay was far from happy with his side's overall display.

He said: "That was horrible out there and would get football stopped and I say that even though grinding out results and winning ugly goes with the territory when a team is challenging for promotion.

" I know my players possess far more quality than was on show today, but they allowed themselves to be sucked into a slog and almost paid the price in that first half.

"We improved after the interval to edge things and it's definitely a case of me being more pleased about the outcome than the performance."

In the Super First Division title stakes, Pollok reinforced their top dog credentials as Kieron McAleenan and Tam Hanlon scores sealed a 2-0 success against Kilsyth Rangers at the same time as closest challengers Rob Roy were dropping two points in a 0-0 stalemate with Neilston.

Cumbernauld United stayed third thanks to a Gavin Mackie brace and Gary Carroll goal helping achieve a 3-0 defeat of Thorniewood United, while Scott Anson and Kenny Marshall were the men who mattered as Shettleston got the better of Greenock by a 2-0 scoreline.

And far-flung Maybole reminded everyone that they are not out of the promotion running with a 7-3 crushing of Rutherglen Glencairn at the Ladywell Stadium.

Elsewhere, congratulations are in order for Ardrossan Winton Rovers, who were crowned Ayrshire District League champions as a result of Jordan Cairmie and Ryan Caddis counters ensuring the Winton ran out 2-0 winners over Darvel in their final league game.

Close challenging rivals Kilwinning Rangers, needing a Darvel triumph to pip Winton to the honours, defeated Lugar Boswell Thistle 5-0 with Ben Lewis (2), Dean Agnew (2) and Jamie Anderson on the mark.