Glendale Plastics League

Inverkeithing H.S. 0  Burntisland Shipyard. 4

The Shipyard recorded a much needed win against losing Fife Cup Semi-Finalists Inverkeithing at Ballast Bank. Although both sides were below strength, it was the Shipyard who dominated most of the game and some poor finishing was all that stopped the Shipyard from running up a huge score. Manager Whitehead was boosted by the return from injury of Cook, Brown and Muirhead but was missing Bristow, McCue and Ferguson among others.

In 4 minutes O’Hanlon had the first chance after some good build up but shot wide. 3 minutes later it was O’Hanlon again with a chance after receiving a pass from Johnston, his shot was stopped by the keeper Harley’s legs. From the resultant corner Millar had a free header but, put it over the bar. In the 9th minute Inverkeithing had their first chance when Hamilton was short with a headed passback, centre forward Satha gathered the ball but, his lobbed effort was over the bar. In 10 minutes O’Hanlon had another chance and shot wide again. In the 13th minute the goal that the Shipyard had been threatening arrived when after good passing from Hamilton and Millar, O’Hanlon miss kicked his shot but, it fell to the unmarked Neil Johnston at the back post and he knocked the ball over the line. The Shipyard were playing some good football and pinning Inverkeithing back. In 20 minutes Aitken played in a great free-kick from the left that Millar somehow put over from 3 yards out. Brown then had a shot at goal but fired over from 20 yards. In the 25th minute Chalmers was called into action to tip a great free-kick effort from around 30 yards over the bar. In the 31st minute O’Hanlon turned provider, setting up Huskie with a great chance but, Huskie delayed his shot and the defence closed down his attempt. Good interplay between Millar and Johnston set up the former for a shot at goal which sailed over the bar. Still it was the Shipyard doing all the attacking and in the 34th minute a good run and cross from Huskie set up Hamilton but, he headed wide. 2 minutes later Muirhead won the ball in midfield and passed to Johnston who made good ground down the wing. Muirhead continued his run into the box and when Johnston returned the ball to him, he suffered a nose bleed and went on to fluff two efforts at goal. The Shipyard suffered another injury blow when Cook fell awkwardly and damaged his knee, he was replaced by Allan. Despite all the pressure it was Inverkeithing who should have scored  after 40 minutes when Dey shot wide with the goal at his mercy. The last action of the first half saw Millar miss another chance when O’Hanlon and Brown set him up but he blazed his shot over.

The second half almost got off to a sensational start when from the kick-off Millar shot from the halfway line, only to see the Inverkeithing replacement keeper tip the ball onto the bar and over. From the corner the Shipyard increased their lead when Myles Allan rose at the back post to head in O’Hanlon’s corner kick. In 49 minutes a Muirhead free-kick was well held by the keeper. 3 minutes later O’Hanlon had another attempt, this time the keeper was made to work and saved his shot. Huskie was next to have a go and saw his shot from 12 yards well saved by the keeper. 2 minutes later saw Johnston have a shot at goal that the keeper saved with his legs, Hamilton’s follow-up shot was wide of the target.  More injury woe followed when Brown suffered a nasty shin injury coming off the worst in a 50/ 50 challenge and had to be replaced. Huskie then saw a header go over the bar before, great play between Hamilton and Millar saw the latter clean through on the keeper. In trying to round the keeper he was tripped and a penalty was awarded, to everone’s surprise the keeper was not sent off. This was to prove crucial as he pulled off a fantastic save from Millar’s kick. O’Hanlon was through on the keeper in the 80th minute and was once again thwarted, this time by the keepers legs. Greig O’Hanlon was not to be denied though as a minute later Johnston beat the offside trap to run through before passing to him for an easy tap-in. In the 85th Minute Neil Johnston completed the scoring when again beating the offside trap, this time he did not square the ball, instead rolling the ball passed the keeper and into the net. The Inverkeithing keeper was not happy with the offside decision and was sent off for his protests. This resulted in the original keeper (they swapped position at half-time) going back in goals. It was not to be Millar’s day in front of goal as he again was off target in the 89th minute hitting his shot over the bar. He did however, still produce a man of the match performance.

Teams: Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts: Harley; Urbaniak; Simpson; McGillvary; Wilson; Wardrop; Dodman; Jamieson; Satha; Appleby; Gordon. Subs: Dey and Hardie.

Burntisland Shipyard: Chalmers; Morris; Aitken; Muirhead; Cook (Allan); Brown (Dziennik); Hamilton; Millar; Johnston; O’Hanlon; Huskie.

Referee: J. Stokoe.