Coldstream prove to hot to handle
The Shipyard slumped to a disappointing home defeat against Coldstream at Recreation Park as the visitors won as comfortably as the scoreline suggests. Paul Ferrier returned to the club during the week and joined the fit again Craig Hatton on the bench. Mark Hamilton was suspended after his red card last week and was replaced by Callum Bissett.
From the outset Coldstream were on top and Maz Melia had to be quick off his line to block from John Crawford in the fifth minute. The Shipyard hit back in the 10th minute when Ryan Rutherford set up Steven Dow who saw his powerful shot parried away by Mark Walters in the “Streamers” goal. Coldstream broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when John Crawford latched on to a long ball and rolled the ball beyond Melia. Shortly after a speculative effort from Jordan Ainslie hit the bar which the Shipyard defence cleared for a corner. From the corner Coldstream doubled their advantage as Sean Simpson rose and nodded the ball home from inside the six yard box. In the 25th minute Melia pulled off a fantastic save as he tipped a fierce drive over the bar. After half an hour Graeme Neish saw his shot deflected for a corner. As the half wore on the Shipyard had more possession of the ball but could not create anything clear cut.
Coldstream started the second half well and Dow had to look sharp to break up an attack inside his own box in the 46th minute. Within a minute Melia again saved well from Crawford who was causing the Shipyard all sorts of problems. Stuart Gray drove forward and set up Callum Bissett but he could not keep his shot down. In the 57th minute again Crawford had a chance after Gray slipped, however, Mark Brough managed to get back and deny him with a superb tackle. Any hopes the Shipyard had of getting back into the match disappeared in the 62nd minute when Mitchell Simpson smashed a fantastic shot into the top corner from the angle of the box. Ferrier came off the bench and immediately showed his ability when he found space and drilled a shot in that came back off the bar. The rebound fell to Rutherford but his shot went over the bar. Walters then produced a fine save to deny Stuart Gray when he acrobatically tipped his header over for a corner. A Dow shot from 18 yards was smothered by Walters as the Shipyard tried to get a goal back, though Melia again came to the Shipyard’s rescue with a fine save. Shaun Lamont saw his shot saved before Coldstream scored their fourth when Mitchell Simpson got his second when he prodded the ball past Melia. The Shipyard did get a consolation goal when Rutherford was fouled in the box and Mark Brough duly dispatched the penalty beyond Walters. Manager Whitehead was obviously disappointed and said “That is the poorest we have played all season, though in saying that we were up against a very good team today”.
Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Melia; Grubb; Brough; Gray; Whyte; Wilson (Drury); Bissett (Ferrier); Lamont; Rutherford; Neish (Hatton); Dow.
Coldstream: Walters; Ainslie; D. Cornish; Cannon; M. Cornish; S. Simpson; M. Simpson; Hebdon; Crawford; J. Simpson; Lambert. Subs: Wales; McLeod; McCrudden; Baxendale.
Referee: K. Maskell.