The Shipyard were on the end of a heavy defeat at Rosyth as nothing went their way as the injury hit squad was stretched to the limit. Mark Brough was added to the injury list after picking up a knock on Tuesday night. McCue replaced Brough and Lamont came in for James. Trialist Salters was the only substitute available.

In the 1^st minute Grieve launched the ball forward from the half way line that keeper Laing held under his crossbar. Lambie broke forward for Rosyth but his delivery was poor. Rosyth were on top as the Shipyard took time to settle and in the space of a couple of minutes Rosyth spurned good chances. Firstly, Wotherspoon shot wide from the edge of the box and then Penman hit the post after being set up by Lambie. In a rare foray into the Rosyth box the Shipyard were denied a penalty when Wilson was pushed over in the box. Rosyth broke the deadlock in the 25^th minute when Lee Wotherspoon got the break of the ball in the box and although Martin got a hand to his shot he could not keep it out. Rosyth scored again three minutes later with a fine goal when the ball was played wide to Lambie, he in turn played a first time ball into the box that Lee Wilson met 15yards out and dispatched  beyond Martin. The Shipyard could have been back in it a minute later when Wilson miss hit his shot after good work from Hamilton to set up the chance. The Shipyard ended the half on top and Dow was unlucky to see his 20yard effort bounce back off the bar. Gray was then just off target with a shot from the edge of the box.

Wilson’s free kick for Rosyth had Martin on his toes as the effort just cleared the bar. Dow then showed great tenacity to get in a cross that reached Gray, however, the Rosyth defence was quick to block his fierce shot. Williams then nodded a Wilson cross wide after a corner was only partially cleared. In the 51^st minute Penman dragged his shot wide after the ball was headed down to him. Another Rosyth goal came along a minute later when Martin could only push out a fierce shot and the ball fell kindly for Lee Wotherspoon to knock the ball home. The Shipyard continued to look for a goal and Hamilton saw his left foot shot drift wide. Whyte then went on a great run but as he reached the edge of the Rosyth box he was crowded out and dispossessed. There was a hugely controversial moment in the 62^nd minute when Wilson knocked the ball away from the Rosyth keeper and was then unceremoniously flattened. However, to everyone’s astonishment the referee awarded a corner. Wotherspoon completed his hat-trick in the 74^th minute when he outstripped the Shipyard defence and lobbed the ball over the advancing Martin. Substitute Stewart Mitchell completed the scoring with nine minutes remaining when he scored from around 12yards as the ball fell to him after a shot was blocked. Manager Billy Whitehead would not comment on the referee’s performance after the match as he did not want to get himself into trouble but said “We did not deserve to lose by that margin”.

Teams: Rosyth Civil Service: Laing; Harrison; Cooper; Bouglas; Perry; Richardson; Lambie; Wilson; Penman; Wotherspoon; Peoples. Subs: Mitchell; Jack; Curry.

Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; Grieve; McCue; Williams; Whyte; Russell; Hamilton (Salters); Gray; Lamont; Wilson; Dow.

Referee: R. Meikle.

Thanks,  Drew Beveridge.

Burntisland Shipyard AFC Player of the Year Awards Night Menu 

Potato and Leek Soup finished

With Chives and Cream

Chicken Liver Pate with Fruit Chutney and Toasted Brioche

Fan of Melon with Citrus and Passion Fruit Syrup

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Roasted British Beef, Buttered Potatoes, Panache of Vegetables

And Yorkshire pudding

Chicken and Haggis accompanied with Barley Risotto and

a Whiskey Cream

Poached Salmon with Spinach and Mushroom served with Hollandaise Sauce

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Poached Pear with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Strawberry and Pistachio Meringue with Chantilly Cream

Italian Tiramisu served with Langue’s du Chat Biscuit and Coffee Syrup

The Shipyard ended their home season with a deserved 3 – 1 victory over Lumphinnans at Recreation Park and in the process leapfrogged them in the league table. Paul Wilson was the star of the show, scoring two goals and winning the penalty for the third as the Shipyard were three up before the hour mark. With top scorer Paul Ferrier sidelined for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, Wilson stepped up to the plate and was ably assisted by Shipyard veteran Mark James.

Lumphinnans had their usual array of ex-Shipyard players and the game got off to a fierce start with a couple of heavy tackle’s going in as both teams looked to gain the initiative. The first fifteen minutes were evenly matched as neither keeper was tested, however, that changed in the 16^th minute when Martin did well to gather a loose ball in the Shipyard box. He quickly launched an accurate ball up field to Paul Wilson who had sped away from the Lumphinnans defence. He took a touch to control the ball then fired a powerful shot across Davidson into the corner of the net. A couple of minutes later Brough delivered a quality ball into the box from a free-kick on the right, but a Shipyard player could not get on the end of it. Brown shot wide for Lumphinnans as they tried to get back into the match, but it was the shipyard that scored again in the 31^st minute when Jamesy rolled back the years and held off the Lumphinnans defender and set up Paul Wilson for his second goal as he shot home from 16yards. Dair had an opportunity for Lumphinnans in the 38^th minutes but he miss-hit his shot on the six yard line.

The Shipyard went 3 – 0 up in the 54^th minute from the penalty spot after Wilson was clipped in the box. After skipping past Hardie he was fouled by the next defender and the ref had no option but to point to the spot. Mark Brough confidently tucked the ball away. In the 65^th minute the Shipyard defence had to be on their toes to clear a free-kick that then fell to Dair whose shot from the edge of the box flew wide. Lumphinnans were enjoying their best spell of the match and were exerting a fair bit of pressure. A free-kick from N. Harvey was deflected for a corner and Hardie headed wide from the resultant kick. In the 81^st minute Andy Martin had to be sharp off his line to tackle Dair on the edge of his area. The Lumphinnans pressure paid off as Paul Cochrane headed home a corner with seven minutes left. The Shipyard then had a great chance to put the game to bed when substitute McCue latched onto a poor pass-back, bore down on goal, but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the far post. The Shipyard finished on top as a Williams shot was deflected wide for a corner and then Russell headed the corner wide at the near post as he got too much on the ball. After the match Billy Whitehead was very happy and said “we played very well tonight and got a deserved victory as we try to finish as high up the table as possible”.

Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; Grieve; Brough (Lamont); Williams; Whyte; Russell; Hamilton; Gray; James (McCue); Wilson; Dow.

Lumphinnans United: Davidson; Hardie; Cochrane; N. Harvey; McMillan; Miller; Lynas; Brown; Child; Dair; Thomson. Subs:  Stenhouse; Duffy; S. Harvey; Bratchie; Hay.

Referee: N. Martin.

The Shipyard were robbed of two points as the referee controversially ruled out what was a perfectly good goal and had to settle for a share of the spoils at Wallsgreen Park. Craig Russell rose to head the ball into the net from around twelve yards, however, the referee said she saw a push and disallowed the goal. Even the Bowhill players could not believe the decision. The only change to the Shipyard starting eleven from Tuesday saw Paul Wilson returning after injury.

The Shipyard were on top in the opening stages and pinned Bowhill back, forcing several corners. However, from a corner at the other end Bowhill took the lead when in attempting to clear the ball Tom Williams diverted the ball passed the helpless Andy Martin. Having previously been booked for allegedly diving in the box, Ferrier was tripped in the area and again went down. This looked like a penalty but play was waved on. After the disallowed goal in the 16^th minute, Ferrier saw an effort cleared off the line in the next minute. Whyte surged forward for the Shipyard in the 26^th minute and saw his shot parried by McFarlane in the Bowhill goals. The rebound fell to Grieve who saw his shot blocked. The Shipyard continued to press and dominate possession but Bowhill came closest in the 36^th minute when Martin had to look sharp to tip over a Craig McGuinness free-kick. Ferrier blasted wide from a good position after Dow threaded a pass through to him. In stoppage time Patterson shot over from the edge of the box.

The Shipyard equalised twelve minutes into the second half when Paul Wilson received a pass and shot from the edge of the box. Although McFarlane got a hand to the ball he could not keep it out. The Shipyard were almost ahead two minutes later when Ferrier played in Dow and his first time angled drive bounced back off the post. As Wilson got on the end of the loose ball it appeared a Bowhill hand blocked the shot, but again no penalty was awarded. In the 69^th Ferrier showed great skill on the edge of the Bowhill box and although he took a severe whack on the shin, which forced him off, he got his shot away, but could not angle it passed McFarlane. Again a penalty could have been given. In the 75^th minute Hamilton head flicked on a corner, but it lacked the power to trouble the keeper. Bowhill had a strong appeal for a penalty when it appeared the player was tripped, however, he also found himself in the book for diving. The Shipyard had an escape in the 79^th minute when Ritchie dallied in the box and missed the opportunity. The ball broke back to the edge of the area and the Shipyard were relieved to see the ball deflect for a corner. The following minute at the other end Wilson had a powerful shot held by McFarlane. In the 84th minute a scramble ensued in the Bowhill box as Shipyard players tried to get a vital touch and knock the ball home. Steven McAndrew did get his head to the ball and received a kick to the face for his troubles. Again the possibility of a penalty being given was ignored. The Shipyard were now down to ten men as all substitutes had been used and McAndrew was unable to continue. They still looked the more likely team to score, though with almost the last kick of the match Bowhill should have stolen it when Martin fumbled an innocuous looking shot and Hindley knocked it over the bar when it looked easier to score. After the match Billy Whitehead said “We played well enough to win the match comfortably and I still can’t believe that goal was disallowed. We had two or three good penalty claims too, but it was not to be our day”.

Teams: Bowhill Rovers: McFarlane; Comrie; C. McGuinness; Oliver; Kirkham; Gay; Doyle; Wright; Paterson; Byrne; Ritchie. Subs: Hindley; Ventors; S. McGuinness.

Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; Grieve (McCue); Brough; Williams; Whyte; Russell; Hamilton; Gray (McAndrew); Ferrier (Tasker); Wilson; Dow.

Referee: E. Cunningham.

What a difference a couple of days make as the Shipyard put in a vastly improved performance against title chasing Leven United. The 2 – 2 draw was probably a fair result as both team’s bemoaned missed chances and controversial decisions. Andy Martin recovered from the injury that forced him off on Saturday and it was no surprise that he pulled off yet another penalty save. It was almost two as he got a strong hand on another one.

The game got off to a sensational start as the Shipyard opened the scoring inside the first minute. Paul Ferrier charged down keeper Mitchell’s clearance and was able to gather the loose ball and roll it into the net. That lead was to be short lived as Nathan Austin equalised almost straight away when he showed good skill in the box and beat Martin with a low shot. Austin was causing the Shipyard defence problems with his pace and lobbed over from a good position. A Russell header was blocked by a Leven hand in the 11^th minute but the referee waved away claims for a Shipyard penalty. The Shipyard regained the lead in the 16^th minute when a Hamilton free-kick from the left was headed into the net by Paul Ferrier from around 10yards. The match was end to end and Austin blasted over after he got away from the Shipyard defence. Russell, playing in the midfield, played a great ball through to Ferrier but he saw his shot blocked by the keeper’s legs. Leven could have been back on level terms as Austin got on the end of a cross from the left however, his deft touch was still too heavy as it went over the bar. Leven put on a bit of pressure towards the end of the half and a couple of efforts were cleared away in the 39^th minute. Both Williams and Whyte then got in great blocks as Leven continued to press.

The second half was slower to start and it was not until the 52^nd minute that a chance was created. Russell let fly from 25yards but his powerful shot was straight at Mitchell. Four minutes later Mitchell was in action again as he cut out a cross that was heading for Ferrier at the back post. Leven were awarded a penalty in the 63^rd minute when Williams blocked a shot close to the line. The referee pointed to the spot though it looked inconclusive from the sidelines and Leven were then upset that the referee only showed Williams a yellow card. Steven Brown took the kick and although Martin got a hand to the ball he could not keep the powerfully struck shot out. Gray had a goal bound shot for the Shipyard blocked and Mitchell saved a shot from Wilson. In the 72^nd minute Ferrier burst through and dinked the ball over the keeper, although his effort was off target it fell kindly to Dow, who could not keep his composure and blasted wide. A minute later Ferrier then hit the outside of the post with a fierce drive from a tight angle. Austin looked like he was going to dribble through the Shipyard defence, however, Grieve got back and expertly ushered the ball out for a goal kick. Leven substitute Maxwell then headed over when free at a corner. Leven were awarded a second penalty in the 81^st minute when the ball was blasted off Grieve from close range. After long protests from the Shipyard players Brown stepped up again, only this time Andy Martin was able to dive on the ball as he comfortably saved the not so well hit shot. He must be close to double figures now in penalty saves this season. In the closing stages twice Ferrier had opportunities. Firstly, he was inches away from latching on to Wilson’s pass as the keeper just beat him to the ball and secondly he broke away but as he turned inside the defence was able to hold him up. He did get a shot away but it was weak and Mitchell gathered easily. Billy was a lot happier after the match and said “That was much more like it tonight. We could have won it and it would have been harsh if Andy had not saved the second penalty”.

Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; Grieve; Brough; Williams; Whyte; Russell; Hamilton; Gray; Ferrier; Connor (Wilson); Dow. Unused Subs: Tasker; Lamont; Whitehead.

Leven United: Mitchell; Russell; Thomson; Dickson; Lamont; K. Murray; S. Murray; Rowbotham; Austin; Wilkie; Brown. Subs: Maxwell; Urquhart; Lornie.

Referee: G. MacDonald.

Cupar had this game sewn up by half-time as the Shipyard gifted them four goals through some horrendous defending, in what was an overall woeful performance. As usual there was a few call offs due to one reason or another which left Billy Whitehead with only thirteen players to pick from. After all the recent heavy rain the pitch was in reasonable condition for the match.

A Wilson free-kick in the second minute caused a bit of panic in the Cupar box but, they managed to scramble the ball away. The Shipyard fell behind in the 11^th minute when a corner from the right was not attacked at the front post and the Cupar player was able to knock the ball over the line from close range. Three minutes later it was 2 – 0 when Cupar scored an identical goal, this time it was Barry Sibanda who scored from close range. Andy Martin, who took a knock early on, produced a fantastic save to deny Cupar in the 25^th minute with the defence then somehow managing to clear the ball. The Shipyard got back into the match in the 27^th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Paul Wilson was upended in the box. Mark Brough converted the kick sending McEwan the wrong way. Brough was then in the thick of the action at the other end when he did well to block Boylan as he bore down on goal. Ferrier did well to get through a couple of tackles as he tried to engineer a shooting chance, however, he was crowded out. Cupar took three goals to one lead when Cook attempted a back pass, but only succeeded in finding Sibanda, who strode forward and lashed the ball beyond Martin. The Shipyard conceded another poor goal just before half-time when Williams dithered on the ball and conceded possession to Sibanda who completed his hat-trick with a well struck shot.

Martin did not re-appear for the second half as the knee injury he picked was troubling him. He was replaced in goals by Stuart Gray. Gray’s first piece of action was to pick the ball out of the net after Michael Reilly gathered a deep cross in plenty of space and was able to pick his spot. Substitute Tasker had chance just seconds after coming on, but after being set up by Ferrier he could not get a shot away. Gray pulled off a good save in the 70^th minute when he parried the ball away and Brough was on hand to clear the rebound off the line. Sibanda scored his fourth and Cupar’s sixth when he received the ball from a throw-in in the centre of the box and hooked the ball into the net giving Gray no chance. Reilly completed the scoring for Cupar in the 80^th minute with a great finish from 15yards. Manager Whitehead was very disappointed after the game saying “ Cupar came here up for it, looking to win the tie and did everything well. We simply never turned up”.

Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Martin (Gray); Grieve; Brough; Williams; Whyte; Wilson; Hamilton; Cook (Tasker); Ferrier; Russell; Dow.

Cupar Hearts: McEwan; Fraser; Kane; McInroy; Nicoll; Sibanda; Boylan; Honeyman; O’Leary; Crawford; Reilly. Subs: Anderson; Gilfillan; Perez.

Referee: D. Campbell.

With your match reporter sunning himself in Malta (It,s 22 degrees if you’re interested) it is a shortened match report for you today. The Shipyard proved  to strong for a young and inexperienced Kettle team as they eased to a comfortable 3 – 0 win at Kettle Park. Ferrier returned from injury and Gear was available again as they both lined up and scored against their former team. Cook was also back from injury, however, McCue was still sidelined.The Shipyard started well and passed the ball around, with Hamilton and Lamont prominent in the good build up play. The Shipyard opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Paul Ferrier made a run to the near post and headed in from a corner. It was 2 – 0 in the 20th minute when Kenny Gear got put through and from a tight angle fired his shot into the net. There were some heavy tackles going in and although not malicious, they were probably mis-timed and the referee decided to caution the players in question. The Shipyard sealed the game in the 60th minute when substitute Russell’s effort was blocked by the keeper, however the ball broke to Paul Ferrier who cheekily back-heeled the ball into the net. Ferrier was later sent off for a second caution as tempers flared due to some of the afore mentioned tackles that were being made. Kettle were also reduced to 10 men later in the game. Billy Whitehead was pleased after the match and said “We showed a far better attitude tonight and played a lot better football and won easily in the end”.

Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; McAndrew; Brough; Whyte; Gray; Gear (Russell); Hamilton (Tasker); Cook (Dow); Ferrier; Lamont; Wilson. Unused Sub: Grieve.

Refereee: D. Wilson.

The Shipyard scrapped a narrow 1 – 0 win in what was a poor match played in difficult conditions on a very narrow pitch at Loch Leven Campus. That match was moved to this venue with the Myre still being plagued by drainage problems. The Shipyard are suffering a bit of an injury crisis at the moment with Cook, Grieve and Small all missing out today. A further blow was dealt when Ferrier broke down in the warm up and had to pull out. Things got worse with both Russell and McCue limping off during the match. Andy Martin returned in goals from his suspension which allowed Stuart Gray to return outfield.

With intermittent hail showers in the area the players of both teams found it difficult to settle and the first real action of the match did not arrive until the 8^th minute when a Lamont header from a McCue corner was tipped away by Rushford in the Kinross goal. Rushford was called into action a minute later as he comfortably held Russell’s effort. A ball played into the Shipyard box created a bit of panic that Gray managed to clear for a corner although the ref awarded a goal kick. Martin held a free kick from the left hand corner of the box as Kinross enjoyed a spell of pressure. Kinross had another chance in the 28^th minute however, the headed effort was wide. The Shipyard had three attempts in the closing stages of the half but, Wilson twice missed the target and Lamont shot straight at the keeper.

The action picked up at the start of the second half as Wilson showed great feet at the edge of the Kinross area. He found space to fire in a fierce shot that was tipped over by Rushford at the expense of a corner. It was Andy Martin’s turn a minute later to show his keeping skills as he saved well from Burnett’s powerful shot. A Kinross free-kick into the six yard box caused alarm in the Shipyard defence, but no-one could get a touch. In the 65^th minute a Dow cross/shot had to be pushed away to safety by Rushford. Kinross then had another opportunity however, Martin held McIntyre’s shot. The Shipyard opened the scoring with twenty minutes remaining when Mark Hamilton scored his seventh of the season, with the ball going in direct from his corner at the near post. Three minutes later the ball was in the Kinross net again, only for the referee to blow for offside when Tasker knocked the ball in after Rushford pulled off a fantastic save from Gray’s pile driver. Tasker then got cautioned after becoming involved in a fracas after he was elbowed in the face. A few minutes later he was cautioned again after the referee deemed his challenge on keeper Rushford was dangerous and he was sent packing. Kinross then sensed an opportunity and pushed forward and McLean should have done better with a free-kick from the edge of the box. Kinross went very close in the 86^th minute when fullback Clark rattled the bar from a full 25yards. Martin fisted away a late cross to safety in what was Kinross’ last chance of the match. Manager Whitehead was furious after the match and said “That was as poor as we have played all season we cannot afford any more performances like that if we want a high placed finish in the league”.

Teams: Kinross: Rushford; Wardlaw; Clark; McAleavey; Gray; Graham; Small; McLean; Lindsay; McIntyre; Burnett. Subs: Siddique; Thackery; Greenhorn; Mackay; Watt.

Burntisland Shipyard: Martin; McAndrew; Brough; Whyte; Gray; Wilson; Hamilton; Lamont; Dow; Russell (Tasker); McCue (Whitehead).

Referee: S. Rosner.

An error strewn, lacklustre display by the Shipyard gift wrapped the points for Rosyth as they strode to a comfortable 4 – 1 win. Although short of several players it was no excuse for a very poor performance. Andy Martin was serving the last of his three match ban and the Shipyard were dealt a further blow with top scorer Paul Ferrier out injured.

Rosyth started on the front foot and Wilson flashed an early effort just wide of goal. A cross from Lambie in the 5^th minute was just out of reach of the Rosyth forwards as they looked for an early lead. The opening goal came in the 10^th minute and it had a bit of good fortune about it, as Lee Wotherspoon’s speculative lofted ball into the box eluded Gray and dropped in just under the bar. Cooper connected with a deep free-kick at the back post but could not get his first time shot on target. The Shipyard were struggling to get out of their own half at this stage as Rosyth were totally dominant and Brough had to bail out Gray as he hesitated in going for the ball. Lambie got to the ball first but Brough was able to hook the ball off the line. In the 23^rd minute Rosyth doubled their lead when Garry Penman was left all alone around the penalty spot and had time to control the ball before picking his spot beyond Gray. A third goal arrived in the 26^th minute and it was another disaster for the Shipyard defence as Cook and Gray got into a tangle, leaving the ball for each other and Stewart Mitchell was given the easy task of rolling the ball into the net. The Shipyard did manage to steady the ship up until the interval though they never managed an attempt at goal.

Brough had the first attempt for the Shipyard with a free-kick in the 47^th minute but he was way off target. Rosyth promptly went up the park and scored a fourth goal when Mitchell burst down the left-hand side and squared for Garry Penman to knock the ball home from close range. Wilson showed good skill on the edge of the Rosyth box but he was then crowded out by the defence. The Shipyard were making a better fist of things now and a Brough ball into the box found Small unmarked in the centre of goal. Small head flicked the ball on but it drifted just wide of the post. A well struck drive from Lamont had Laing diving full stretch to turn the ball away. And from the resultant corner the Shipyard were awarded a penalty when Russell was held as he tried to jump for the ball. Mark Brough coolly sent the keeper the wrong way and rolled the ball into the corner of the net. Chances for both teams dried up as the game drifted towards a conclusion with Rosyth missing one good scoring opportunity and Whyte producing an excellent tackle to deny another. A McCue free-kick was not too far off target for the Shipyard as the action drew to a close. Manager Whitehead was naturally disappointed and lamented about his teams display saying “We did not match Rosyth at all in the first half and we hardly strung two passes together. We were punished for some basic errors and we must do better”.

Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Gray; McAndrew; Brough; Cook (Small); Whyte; Grieve (Russell); Hamilton; Lamont (McCue); Gear; Dow; Wilson.

Rosyth Civil Service: Laing; Harrison; Cooper; Bouglas; Perry; Penman; Lambie; Wilson; Mitchell; Wotherspoon; Peoples. Subs: Nairn; Richardson; Shepherd.

Referee: A. Spalding.

A first half hat-trick from Paul Ferrier ensured the points were staying at Recreation Park as the Shipyard dominated for most of the match and put Saturday’s poor performance behind them. As usual with a midweek fixture, getting enough bodies was the problem and the Shipyard had veteran Mark James as one of only two substitutes. Gray continued in goal and Gear made his first start for the club whilst Lamont started in the midfield.

As referee Neil Martin Blew for kick-off, that seemed to be the cue for the downpour to start and once the hailstones abated it was only heavy rain the players had to deal with. Lamont and Grieve both had early attempts at goal that did not trouble Clements in the Hearts goal. However, he was helpless in the 10^th minute when Paul Ferrier received a pass from Hamilton and lobbed the outrushing Clements for a fine goal. The Shipyard defence got into a bit of difficulty from a hearts corner, though they managed to scramble the ball away. In the 20^th minute Hamilton set up Dow inside the box, who saw his first time shot slip wide. Ferrier shot wide after making himself some space in the box and in the 30^th minute Gear might have opened his Shipyard account, but dragged his shot wide when through on the keeper. It was one way traffic at this stage and it was no surprise when the Shipyard scored again. Paul Ferrier received the ball midway inside the Hearts half and strode forward before smashing the ball low past Clements. A minute later it was 3 – 0 as Paul Ferrier completed his hat-trick with a cool finish after being set up by Hamilton again. Mark Hamilton had been pulling the strings throughout the half but in the 40^th minute it was his turn to find the net when his left foot strike from the edge of the box found the corner of the net. Hearts rallied briefly towards the end of the half and Gray had to be sharp off his line to avert the danger and then McConnell shot across the face of goal.

The Shipyard went nap in the 49^th minute when Gordon Grieve kept up his good scoring run when he knocked Ferrier’s cut back into the net from close in. Stuart Gray caused panic in the Shipyard ranks when he came out of his area and tried to dribble past a couple of Hearts forwards only to be dispossessed. Hearts could not make good of the opportunity though and the ball was cleared for a corner. The Shipyard were playing some good football with some fine one touch passing on the slick surface as they went in search of more goals. Hamilton tried his luck from close on 30yards only to see his shot flash wide. Dow showed some great skill as he beat a couple of defenders on the by-line and saw his shot beaten away by Clements. Small had a good chance in the 79^th minute when he got onto a through ball but he shot straight at the keeper. Hearts scored a consolation goal with three minutes remaining when the ball was worked out to Martin McConnell whose fine strike gave Gray no chance. The last chance of the match also fell to Hearts but Gray saved well from Williamson’s well hit shot. Manager Whitehead was full of praise for his players and said “We played very well tonight in what were difficult conditions and I thought there were some fine individual performances”.

Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Gray; Grieve; Brough; Cook; Whyte; Wilson; Hamilton; Lamont (Small); Ferrier (James); Gear; Dow.

Star Hearts: Clements; G. Wilson; Reid; Brown; Tierney; Lessells; Laurie; Williamson; Kirk; McConnell; Laidlaw. Subs: Goodsir; Braid; A. Wilson; Foy

Referee: N. Martin.