Shippy ease to comfortable win.
The Shipyard returned to action after a long layoff as they welcomed Lochgelly Albert to Recreation Park on Saturday and the home support in the crowd of 142 went home happy with the Shippy recording a comfortable 3-0 win. It was a match packed full of incidents with goals, penalties and red cards to keep the crowd entertained on a fine January afternoon. There was even a partial floodlight failure in the closing stages, though, thankfully the natural light was sufficient enough to see the game through to a conclusion.
There was a welcome return to the team for Lee Henderson who had been out since the end of July with a broken arm and new loan signing Luke Mahady took a place on the bench from where he made his Shipyard debut.
The Shipyard had a chance in the 5th minute when Jack Wilson got on the end of a Craig Watt free-kick, however, his header lacked the direction to trouble Albert keeper Gregor Brown. Darrell Anthony curled an effort wide as the home team dominated the early proceedings. The Shipyard had a penalty claim for handball ignored before a fine move in the 18th minute almost broke the deadlock. D. Anthony passed to Wilson who then laid the ball into the path of B. Anthony and the latter’s shot was finger tipped to safety by keeper Brown. Lochgelly were dealt a blow in the 21st minute when they were reduced to ten men. Local lad Joe Meldrum received a second yellow card when he pulled back Sam Glancy as the Shippy midfielder drove forward. Brown pulled off two great saves around the half hour mark as he denied Wilson and Henderson in quick succession as the Shippy piled the pressure on. Dean Hunter headed a Shaun Keatings effort over his own bar in the 34th minute but the Shipyard were not to be denied as they took the lead two minutes later when Wilson bundled the ball home having beaten Brown to the loose ball.
The second half got off to a sensational start as the Shippy were awarded a penalty after Hunter was adjudged to have fouled Iain Millar as a corner was delivered into the box. Having already been cautioned Hunter received a second yellow leaving his team to see out the remaining forty minutes with nine men. To make their task even more difficult Wilson smashed home the spot kick to put the Shipyard two ahead. Credit must go to Lochgelly as they did not fold and maintained their shape and discipline and limited the Shippy to very few opportunities, though, they rarely troubled Scott Costello in the Shipyard goals. B. Anthony was unlucky to see his drive brilliantly tipped onto the bar and over by Brown, however, Benji got his goal a few minutes later as he fired the ball home after a Glancy shot had been parried out to him.
Next Saturday (22/01/2022) we travel to Oriam for a re-arranged league match against Heriot Watt University after the original match was postponed due to snow. Kick-off at the John Brydson Arena is at 3pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; M. Miller (M. James); L. Henderson (D. Thomson); S. Orrock; I. Millar; C. Watt; S. Keatings (J. Galloway); D. Anthony (S. Strang); B. Anthony; J. Wilson (L. Mahady); S. Glancy. Unused Subs: M. Douglas & J. Thomson.
Lochgelly Albert: G. Brown; J. Meldrum; A. Couper; D. Hunter; L. Woods; G. Allan; S. Stark; P. Armour; L. Celentano; C. Murdoch; L. McDuff. Subs: C. Bennell; C. Dignan; S. Houston; S. McGuff; M. Woods.
Referee: K. Brown.