Troon Football Club

Recap

⚽️ Troon F.C. versus Renfrew ⚽️
Saturday 17th January 2026
WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 2pm

GILROY-INSPIRED TROON DIG DEEP TO SEE OFF DOGGED RENFREW AT PORTLAND PARK

Troon extended their lead at the summit of the WOSFL Premier Division with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Renfrew at Portland Park, as Jimmy Kirkwood’s side showed resilience and quality in equal measure to record their 18th win from 23 competitive matches this season.

Fresh from last weekend’s dramatic WOSFL Cup success over Beith, Troon were forced into two changes. Influential defender Jack Sherrie missed out with a muscle tweak, while striker Sam Jamieson was side-lined after the ankle injury that curtailed his involvement a week earlier. Stephen Bronsky and Callan Veitch were drafted into the starting XI, while new signing Lewis Allan was named among the substitutes for the first time.

Renfrew manager Jimmy Quigley also rang the changes, introducing Ryan Rutherford into the back line and pushing Kieran Healy into midfield. Aiden Malcolm and Ben Harwood were handed starts in a reshaped forward line as the visitors looked to upset the league leaders.

Before the match was a rousing minute’s applause in memory of Troon supporter Kenny Moir, better known as Boo Boo, who sadly fell ill & subsequently passed away on the way to the reverse fixture at Renfrew on the opening day of this season. A man very much missed.

The opening exchanges were competitive, with Renfrew well organised and Troon probing patiently. Controversy arrived midway through the first half when Kyle Gilroy pounced on a loose back pass, rounded the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into the net, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny the home side. The decision baffled players, supporters and management alike, with the Troon Manager booked for his animated protests on the touchline.

Troon continued to press and were unfortunate not to be ahead earlier, but justice of a sort was served five minutes before the interval. Gilroy again read the danger superbly, intercepted another slack pass and this time calmly rounded the goalkeeper to finish into an empty net. The move was almost identical to the earlier disallowed effort, making the initial decision all the more perplexing, but the Seasiders finally had the breakthrough their play deserved.

HALF-TIME: TROON F.C. 1-0 RENFREW

Kirkwood introduced new signing Lewis Allan at the break, handing the right-back his Troon debut in place of Luke Watt. The second half saw Renfrew increase their intensity, committing more bodies forward and forcing Troon onto the back foot at times. Yellow cards for Kieran Healy and Ryan Rutherford reflected the visitors’ growing frustration as they struggled to contain Troon’s movement.

Renfrew were rewarded on 78 minutes when a rare lapse in the Troon defence allowed Ben McLernan to nick possession, round Dale Burgess and slot into the unguarded net to level the scores and threaten an unexpected twist.

The response from the league leaders, however, was immediate and emphatic. Straight from the restart, Gilroy again proved the catalyst, harrying his opponent, bursting past two defenders and threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Dario Viviani. The winger’s pinpoint cross was met with a powerful header from Lewis Lovering, who restored Troon’s advantage and sent Portland Park into raptures.

Renfrew pushed for a second equaliser in the closing stages, but Troon held firm, with Calum Gow and Stephen Bronsky marshalling the defence superbly. Gow, later voted supporters’ Man of the Match by a considerable margin, was booked late on for delaying the restart as the home side expertly managed the final minutes.

FULL-TIME: TROON F.C. 2-1 RENFREW

It was a gritty, deserved victory for the Seasiders, built on defensive solidity and moments of real quality at key times. Renfrew played their part in an entertaining contest, but Troon once again showed why they sit proudly at the top of the table.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Calum Gow, as voted for in our Supporter’s WhatsApp group chat after full-time.

by Graeme McKenzie

 

To read the match preview, follow the link:
https://troonfootballclub.co.uk/renfrew-170126-preview/

⚽️ Shotts Bon Accord versus Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 24th January 2026
WOSFL Premier Division
Hannah Park, Shotts
Kick-off 1.30pm