Troon Football Club

Recap

⚽️ Renfrew 1-2 Troon F.C. ⚽️
Saturday 26th July 2025
WOSFL Premier Division
McKenna Park, Govan
Kick-off 2pm

Late Drama Sees Troon Edge Opening Day Battle

Troon opened their league campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Renfrew at McKenna Park this afternoon, with a late strike from Dario Viviani sealing the points in a competitive encounter full of incident and intensity.

The first half was a fairly even affair, with both sides enjoying spells of possession. Renfrew had the first clear chance of the match after 15 minutes when Ben Harwood slipped in Cammy Kerr, but the forward could only fire straight at Troon goalkeeper Dale Burgess when through on goal.

Troon responded strongly and took the lead in the 23rd minute. Leyton Dunlop whipped a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and Dean Fulton timed his run perfectly to slide in at the back post, opening the scoring with a tidy finish.

However, Troon’s celebrations were quickly tempered as they lost striker Sam Jamieson to a nasty-looking ankle injury in the build-up to the goal. The forward was replaced by youngster Evan Ferguson.

Almost straight from the restart, Renfrew capitalised on a defensive error to draw level. Ben McLernan harried the Troon back line into a mistake, and after a neat pass from Aiden Malcolm, Sean Fyfe showed composure to slot home and make it 1–1.

That goal gave Renfrew a lift, and they finished the half with a couple of half-chances, but neither side could find a second before the interval, with the scoreline a fair reflection of the opening 45 minutes.

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

The second half saw Troon step things up and assert greater control of the midfield battle. On the hour mark, they came close to restoring their lead when a well-struck free-kick forced Renfrew keeper Danny McLeay into a superb save, tipping the ball onto the bar and away to safety.

Substitutions followed for both sides as the tempo remained high. Renfrew’s James Ferguson passed up a glorious chance in the 74th minute, miscuing a close-range effort after excellent work by Harwood. It was a miss that would prove costly.

With the game ticking towards full-time, Troon’s pressure finally told in the 87th minute. A high ball into the box was nodded down by substitute Lewis Lovering, and Dario Viviani pounced to drill the ball low into the net and put the visitors back in front.

Just moments later, Troon had a chance to kill the game off when McLeay clattered Lovering inside the box. Referee Stuart Broadfoot pointed to the spot & showed the keeper a yellow card for his reckless challenge. Viviani stepped up looking to double his tally, but McLeay made amends, diving low to his right to produce a fantastic save.

Renfrew’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time, with Sean Fyfe booked for simulation as the hosts searched desperately for a second equaliser.

In the end, Troon held firm to secure all three points – a gritty and determined display that sets the tone for the season ahead. Renfrew, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to take something from the match, but showed enough to suggest they’ll be no pushovers this campaign.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Dario Viviani

NEXT UP: St. Cadoc’s at home on Wednesday night – the first league match at Portland Park this season.

by Graeme McKenzie

To read the match preview, follow the link:
https://troonfootballclub.co.uk/renfrew-260725-preview/

⚽️ Troon F.C. versus St. Cadoc’s ⚽️
Wednesday 30th July 2025
WOSFL Premier Division
Portland Park, Troon
Kick-off 7.30pm