Shippy start league campaign with big win.
The Shipyard got their league campaign off to a flying start with an emphatic 4-0 win over Stirling University at Recreation Park on Friday night. Goals from Liam Taylor, Michael Gibb, Kris Murphy and Darrell Anthony had manager Lee Richardson in a joyous mood, and when he spoke after the match he said “That was night and day from Saturday’s performance at Livingston. Tonight, the boys played to a system they were asked to and as everyone could see, it worked. My three strikers all scored and I thought that we scored some fantastic goals.” He went on to say “I have to praise my defence too as they also did what was asked of them. Stirling posed us problems but we defended well and Ryan Couser was impressive in keeping a clean sheet.” Murphy, Blair Kerr and Club captain Iain Millar returned to the starting eleven with Ellis McQuade, Jordan Galloway and Cammy Lewis dropping out. Lewis was able to take a place on the bench as he had recovered from the injury he picked up last Saturday.
The match kicked off in front of a healthy crowd of 142, with several well-known ground hopper in attendance, looking to enjoy their fill of Friday night football. It didn’t take long for them to see some goal action as the Shippy took the lead in the 7th minute. Taylor received the ball just outside the box and he worked his way into the area then picked his spot with a composed finish from around sixteen yards. Gibb doubled the lead in the 19th minute when he gathered the ball eighteen yards out and smashed it into the bottom corner. The visitors were never out of it and Couser was forced into a couple of decent saves as the students got forward at every opportunity to try and get back into the match.
The second half started with the lights on amid the gathering gloom and it was the visitors who started the better though Couser was not overly stretched. The Shipyard increased their lead to three in the 61st minute when Murphy headed home from a corner. Despite the best efforts of the Stirling defence the big striker’s effort found its way over the line. The Shippy kept searching for more goals and a fourth arrived in the 87th minute. This time it was Anthony who scored as he drove in a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
There is midweek action on Wednesday as we travel Creamery Park to face Bathgate Thistle in league action. Kick-off for this one is at 7.15pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: R. Couser; D. Brockie; M. Robertson (K. Crielly); E. Bauld; I. Millar; D. Anthony; T. McAndrew (D. McBay); B. Kerr (J. Galloway); K. Murphy (K. Ritchie); M. Gibb; L. Taylor (C. Lewis). Unused Subs: M. Moodie & F. Russell.
Stirling University: S. McDermott; L. Stewart; J. Farrell; O. Hunter; A. Penman; B. Craig-Hislop; D. Mason Bone; R. Lennon; L. Danquah; C. Myles; J. Elliott. Subs: L. Dobson; B. Moule; C. Doan; C. Shiels.
Referee: K. Gibson.