Shipyard cruise into cup final
The Shipyard played their last home game of the season and signed off with a resounding 5 – 1 win over Fair City, in the semi final of the Kingdom Challenge Cup. One nil up at half-time, three goals in the opening eleven minutes of the second half sealed the win and although Fair City pulled a goal back, an injury time goal from Neil Johnston took the Shipyard tally to Five. The suspended Whyte and T. Williams dropped out of the team to be replaced by Hutt and Grieve, with manager Billy Whitehead taking a place among the substitutes.
It was Fair City who could have opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when their striker failed to control a cross into the box and Chalmers was able to gather the ball. McCue had the first chance for the Shipyard when he chased onto a through ball, just beat the keeper to it but, saw his shot go narrowly wide. He tried his luck again from the edge of the box but his shot was well wide. In the 17th minute Small got his foot to a headed pass back, but he could not direct the ball on target. The Shipyard took the lead in the 24th minute when Steven McAndrew unleashed a ferocious shot from 25yards that left keeper Robson helpless in the Fair City goal. A couple of minutes later McCue done well on the bye line but his cross found no takers. Fair City had a chance when their forward burst through the middle of the Shipyard defence, however, Grieve got back to snuff out the danger. In the 39th minute a great one two between McCue and Leishman put the former through on goal but, Robson done well to block with his leg. The loose ball was knocked over the bar for a corner.
The Shipyard doubled their lead at the start of the second half when Small was fouled in the box within 45seconds and the referee pointed to the spot. Owen McCue did his usual job with the penalty. It was that man McCue again who scored the Shipyard’s third goal after 53minutes. He left several defenders in his wake as he ran into the box and coolly dispatched the ball past Robson for his 23rd goal of the season. Three minutes later it was 4 – 0 when Craig Hutt scored his first goal of the season, hooking the ball into the net, when it fell to him after Small saw his shot blocked by the keeper. Fair City hit back and made ground down the right but the fine cross was cleared by the Shipyard defence. A McCue corner saw Cook flash a header wide of goal in the 62nd minute before Whitehead started making substitutions, with all three being made inside a few minutes. In the final 10minutes Fair City had a spell of pressure and firstly sub McKay lobbed Chalmers but saw his shot just clear the bar. Then Peebles chased a long ball over the top and hooked the ball across goal, but McKay could not make good connection beyond the back post. City did score in the 88th minute when a cross from the left found its way to the far side of the box. Chalmers had to come out and challenge for the ball, he managed to punch clear, though the ball fell to Stephen McPhee who skilfully steered the ball into the vacant goal. Fittingly it was the Shipyard who had the final say when Neil Johnston took a pass from sub S. Hamilton, rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into the net to make it 5 – 1.
An obviously delighted Billy Whitehead said after the game” That was another great performance today. Again we played better against the wind and those three goals at the start of the second half killed it as a contest. We now have a final to look forward to and the players can go on their night out this evening and really enjoy themselves”.
Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Chalmers; McAndrew; Hutt; Grieve (Johnston); Cook; Small; M. Hamilton; Leishman; Russell; McCue (S. Hamilton); J. Williams (Dow). Unused Subs: Whitehead; Houston.
Fair City: Robson; Ballingall; Barnett; Ramsay; Simpson; Zaczek; Dudek; Grey; Peebles; Taylor; Beattie. Subs: McKay; McPhee; Blyth; Gormley; Nairn.
Referee: S. Roesner.