In a friendly, well-spirited match, the visitors had the better of the opening exchanges, with Joseph Lynas blasting over from close range and Gavin Hepworth going close with a header. However, it was the Ayrshire side that took the lead as a shot from the left took an awkward bounce and deceived Graeme Farmer in the FPC goal.
The lead could have been doubled just before the break as Michael Anderson was adjudged to have used a hand to control an inswinging corner kick. The big striker stepped up but Farmer could only watch as the ball went past his right hand post. The 'keeper did go the right way and claims he would have saved it had it been on target, but we can take that with a pinch of salt.
Into the second half, the Corner came out with all guns blazing in search of an equaliser. Joseph Lynas was guilty of some poor finishing but also did well to hit the inside of the post under pressure from a defender.
The turning point of the game came when Lynas was sent clean through on the goalkeeper. The stopper came charging out of his area and, as the ball was knocked past him, he clatterred the FPC forward. The ball rolled on to Ross Clark who tapped it into the empty net. However, the referee chose not to award the goal, or give the goalie his marching orders. Instead, the visitors were merely given a freekick, which the offending keeper did well to save.
The inevitable equaliser came shortly afterwards when Lynas was rewarded for his persistence as he guided his shot past the goalkeeper from an angle. The Corner then began the push for the winner, with Chris Miller particularly guilty of scorning a chance with only a defender between himself and the goal. Michael Anderson again went close with a free kick, but then disaster struck.
With just a few minutes remaining, fatigue began to show in the FPC ranks. The home side broke away from a corner and exposed the tired legs of the visitors to steal the winner, with the big striker doing well to head home to finish the move.
The sucker punch clearly took the wind out of the Corner sails and they left Ayrshire feeling deflated, but they look forward to gaining some revenge when the sides meet again in a fortnight.
Team: Farmer; Hepworth, Ramage, Boyd; Anderson, O'Neill, Miller, Galloway, Clark; Lynas, Lang