FOOTBALL: Ferguson's spot on to save day

LINFIELDremain in second place after this top-of-the table clash with 10-man Lisburn Distillery - but they left it late, very late. With three minutes to go, David Larmour was bundled over in the box - and Glenn Ferguson converted the penalty, to the relief of the Linfield faithful. Ferguson had been involved in an off-the-ball incident with Distillery full-back Paul Prenter on the hour mark. Referee Stephen Weatherall, dismissed Prenter for what he later described as a head-butt, a decision that incensed Whites boss Paul Kirk, who said that he was absolutely gutted as he claimed the ref had not seen that his player was more sinned against than sinning. "It's difficult with 11 men but when you go down to 10 it is even harder," he said. The Whites took the lead on 30 minutes when defender Paul Muir went forward, collected a cross just outside the area and cracked the ball into the corner of the net. It was a great strike, stunning the Blues and their boss David Jeffrey, who said: "I thought first half that we were certainly the better side. We had more goal-scoring opportunities. I am disappointed not to get the three points but with five minutes to go I was happy to get a point." Distillery piled on the pressure late on, and forced some great saves from Phil Matthews.

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