Shotts stung late yet again as Troon draw keeps side in relegation zone
Shotts boss John McKeown watched his side concede yet another late equaliser on Saturday - but admitted the concession to Troon wasn't as sore as last week's late leveller by Cumnock.
The Bonny are battling away at the bottom end of the West of Scotland Premier Division and sit just a point from safety after a 1-1 draw at home to Troon.
The visitors netted in the 89th minute after Ally Martin's first-half penalty had Shotts on course to move out of the relegation zone for the third time in their last four games, only to concede a costly goal.
A 1-1 draw at Cumnock last week was extremely painful with their equaliser coming in stoppage time, but McKeown admitted this week's didn't sting as much.
He said: 'It was a wee bit different from the Cumnock game because I think Troon were chapping at the door.
'The goal was coming and they probably deserved it. They hot the crossbar a couple of times, had a wee penalty claim denied and we got a wee bit of fortune in the build-up to our goal, where there was probably a foul, so If I am being brutally honest, it wasn't as sore as recent ones.
'I thought we were maybe going to get away with and hang on for a massive three points, but Troon are an excellent side. They are probably one of the best teams we've played this season - they are right up there with Clydebank and Johnstone Burgh.
'I felt in the second half against Cumnock, we'd done enough to get the three points. On Saturday, I think if there was another five minutes played, Troon could have gone on to win it.
'But three points were well within our grasp so it is disappointing again.
'That is just the nature of this league. It is not a fluke when it starts to happen so often, it is just that these teams we are up against are so good that they tire you out, they have you sitting deeper and defending for your life until the final whistle.
'Last season [in the First Division] we were doing that to teams, hounding their boxes and scoring late on.
'This season we are on the receiving end, but we've got five games to go - four of them at home - so we just have to stay positive.
'We are taking points off of excellent sides with big resources, constantly, so we just need to stick at it.'
Shotts now have a double-header this week with Johnstone Burgh visiting tonight followed by a trip to Hurlford on Saturday.
McKeown added: 'We were very unfortunate not to take a point at Burgh the other week there [in a 2-1 loss]. They were down to 10 men and we have an effort cleared off the line, then they go and score at the end after a handball in the build-up.
'It is another cup final for us and we have to approach the game as if our lives depend on it.'
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