Shipyard lack cutting edge in narrow defeat.
Heriot Watt University left Recreation Park with all three points thanks to the only goal of the game scored by Anton Dowds and realistically the Shipyard can have no complaints as in a game of very few chances, the visitors created the more clear-cut opportunities and also looked more solid defensively. Throw in the fact that the students played for more than half an hour with ten men after Jackson Barker was shown a red card, then the Shipyard only have themselves to blame for losing this match.
There were home debuts for Ross Lennie and Sean Johnstone with latest signing Ryan Adamson taking his place in the Shippy goals for the first time. Five under 20’s were also included in the squad.
The Shipyard had a let off in the 7th minute when a miscued clearance from Adamson fell to the feet of Barker, however, his strike from 35yards drifted a couple of feet over the bar. The Shipyard replied when Brian Breen burst into the box but his powerful shot flew a couple of yards over. Dowds, as usual, was proving to be a handful and Adamson had to get down low to save his effort as he broke clear of the Shippy defence. A Tam Graham hitch kick attempt was on target but failed to trouble Callum Reid in the visitor’s goal. A fantastic Callum McAulay tackle on his own six-yard line saved a certain goal and ensured the match remained goalless at half-time.
A Johnstone shot flew over before the Shipyard were given a boost in the 56th minute when Barker received his marching orders after a poor tackle in the centre of the pitch. Any thoughts of capitalising on the extra man evaporated within three minutes when that man Dowds put his team in front. The big striker beat Adamson to a long through ball and produced a fine finish finding the net from the corner of the box. Ross Lennie went close for the Shipyard with his headed effort from a corner just off target. Although the Shipyard were seeing more of the ball Heriot Watt continued to create chances and a shot was dragged across the face of the goal before Dowds headed a free-kick wide. Shippy Substitute Ross Watt saw his strike from the edge of the box deflected wide in the 84th minute and in added time the same player saw his shot go agonisingly wide of the post with the keeper beaten.
Manager Grant Brough was desperately disappointed with the outcome when he said “We did not create enough opportunities for the strikers, especially when they went down to ten men”.
The Shipyard have a rearranged league fixture on Saturday when they travel to the borders to face Peebles Rovers. The kick off at Whitestone Park is 2pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: R. Adamson, R. Kinnaird (S. Powrie), B. Breen, R. Lennie, S. Strang, S. Glancy, C. Watt, C. McAulay (R. Watt), S. Johnstone, Jon. Galloway, T. Graham (B. Hamilton). Unused Subs: S. Malpas, D. Anderson, O. Ferry, Jor. Galloway.
Heriot Watt University: C. Reid, A. Snoddy, S. Munro, L. Hutchison, A. Quinn, R. Higgins, J. Barker, C. Lane, G. MacDonald (R. Manson), N. Laurenson A. Dowds. Unused Subs: M. McGovern, C. Ross, I. Diamantopoulos.
Referee: L. Pirie.