Students second–half Tsunami swamps Shipyard.
The Shipyard’s woes continued on Saturday as they went down 9-0 to top of the table Heriot Watt University, as the new management team started to seek a solution to this season’s problems with more trialists coming into the squad. Central defender Marc Black and keeper Marcus Taylor were both missing, having picked up injuries in last week’s game but there were able replacements in the form of Connor Allison and Cammy Lambie, who was to put in a great performance in the Shipyard goal, despite the loss of 9 goals.
The students started brightly but the honours were soon even as the Shipyard’s as Sean Cusick, Yannis Iliopoulos and Donald Hyslop started combining well and causing problems. It took until the 21st minute for Heriot Watt to create their first real chance but Jamie Forsyth’s shot was well over the bar. At the other end Iliopoulos put his effort high after finding some space and Ewan Fotheringham had a great opportunity but was thwarted by Callum Reid in the Uni goal. A corner in the 42 minute gave the students the lead when Chris Donnelly popped up to head home.
At half time, the Shipyard management team must have been pleased with the team’s performance as they had perhaps more than matched their top of the table opponents. That was all, unfortunately, to change, as Heriot Watt started to dominate proceedings.
A fairly harmless cross into the box in the 54th minute was missed by several Shipyard defenders and Adam Breen stepped in to hammer the ball home for the students second. Goals followed fairly regularly thereafter as the Shipyard side’s fragile confidence began to wane. Donnelly made it 3 – 0 in the 57th minute and further goals from Breen, Donnelly and substitute Elliot Sutherland made it 6 – 0. In the 78th minute Connor Allison was sent off for a second yellow after handling in the box. Breen’s success from the penalty spot made it 7 – 0 and Allison’s sending off made the Shipyard’s defensive task even greater as they sought to avoid another double digit score-line. Breen added another goal in the 85th minute with left back Scott Munro hitting the Uni’s ninth, minutes later.
The Shipyard Management Team were understandably perplexed by the contrasting performances of the first and second halves but were quick to restate their determination to continue to get things right by improving the squad and its fitness and confidence levels in the coming weeks.
Coldstream visit Recreation Park this Saturday for a league fixture, kick off 2pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: C. Lambie, K. Ford, G. Buckley (C. Kirk), J. McNab (S. Doyle), C. Allison, C. McAleavey, D. Hyslop, A. Hynd, E. Fotheringham, Y. Iliopolous, S. Cusick.
Heriot Watt: Reid, Dargo, Munro, Woolven, Kerr, Watt, Forsyth, Higgins, Donnelly, Breen, Laurensen, Subs Ross, Dowds, Sutherland, Lane, Saunders