THEIR club has been used to success, so it's understandable Irvine Meadow fans can get a bit grumpy when things don't go according to plan.

So the mumps and moans from the Ayrshire fans were far from a surprise after Saturday's 2-0 defeat against Petershill in Glasgow.

They arrived in Springburn hoping to lay down a marker for a third consecutive Super Premier title triumph.

But at the end they were left baffled as their team showed flaws nobody – least of all manager Chris Strain – imagined they possessed.

It was painful for Medda followers to watch Peasy trio Paul Woods, Ryan Craig and Stewart Maxwell deliver the midfield balance and quality so sadly bereft in the visitors' armoury.

Delighted Peasy co-gaffer Scott Smith said: "The fact they went with a three-man defence had us thinking we could test them with Stephen McGladrigan's pace and that's how it panned out.

"Woodsy will grab the headlines for scoring one and setting up the other. However, he wouldn't get the chance to shine were it not for guys like Maxi doing the hard graft."

Meadow started well without coming close to troubling a Peasy backline marshalled by Ryan Jordan.

So it must have been a boost to their breakthrough hopes when the former Medda stopper looked to have twisted an ankle midway through the first half.

But moments later he was all smiles when Petershill took the lead from a penalty kick awarded when McGladrigan was brought down by Mark Campbell.

Woods slotted his spot kick under the diving Michael Wardrope for his fourth penalty score from four attempts this season.

Jordan was replaced by Kenny Hadden during the interval, but the rejigged backline were not put under any pressure as their midfield took control.

Campbell was yet again the fall guy as, pushing forward from the back, he was dispossessed by Woods who passed to Craig before running goalwards to receive his team mate's return pass with only Wardrope to beat.

Woods waltzed round the advancing keeper before squaring the ball for Craig to net from point-blank range.

Woods said: "Today is another great result for us, but nothing more because we know that it's where we are at the end of the season that counts."

Ayrshire boss Strain said acknowledged his side's lack of a scoring threat despite prolonged moputs of pressure.

He said: "I'm not convinced it was a penalty kick given Mark only collided with McGladrigan because he ran across his path and turned a bad ball into a good one.

"But their second goal was a bad mistake and we need to learn lessons."

Petershill's victory keeps them third top of the standings, two points behind Rob Roy, who ran out 4-0 winners against Beith through Ian Diack (2), Chic Connolly and Kevin Bradley goals and a further point adrift of table-toppers Auchinlck Talbot.

David Gormley, Bryan Young (2) and Willie Lyle netted in their 4-0 defeat of a Pollok side forced to play 45 minutes with 10 men after Paul Lovering was sent packing.

Ashfield also hit four, but did things the hard way in coming back from 2-0 behind to Kevin Hamill and Gary McMenamin goals for Cumnock to run out 4-2 victors with strikes by Paul Maxwell, Chris Hall, Shaun Fraser and Gary McCann.

The dismissals of Ashfield's Mark Thompson and Nock winger Gary McMenamin had both sides reduced to 10 men, while Glenafton had Craig Potter sent off when going down 2-1 at home against Arthurlie, for whom Paul Stewart and Caolan McAleer were on the mark.

Penalty kicks were the order of the day Hannah Park where Shotts Bon Accord and Clydebank played out a 1-1 draw. Bankies opener came from a Chris Wilson spot kick and Andy Scott responded. There's a new leader atop the Super First Division after Kello Rovers were held 1-1 by Maybole, allowing Hurlford United to go top thanks to Ryan Nimmo and Ian Fulton goals in a 2-0 triumph over Kilsyth Rangers.