Controversial defeat for Shipyard
The Shipyard turned in a desperate performance against Lumphinnans despite taking an early lead. It was not until the final minute that keeper Thomson was really tested again. M. Hamilton and Cook returned from suspension with Brown and Russell dropping out altogether.
On an a bright but cold evening it was the Shipyard who broke the deadlock with the first opportunity of the match in the 9th minute when Owen McCue received a pass at the edge of the box, he strode forward and placed a fine right foot shot beyond the keeper. There were very few openings being created by either side, though Lumphinnans were unlucky in the 21st minute when Adamson hit the post with a snapshot. After half an hour Lumphinnans No8 Sutherland was sent off for his second yellow card. What he had done to receive them no one was sure. The only other chance of note in the first half also fell to Lumphinnans with the ball pinging around the 6yard box before being cleared for a throw in.
Lumphinnans had the first chance of the second half when Duffy picked up a loose ball, but he hit his shot wide. In the 55th minute S. Hamilton set off on a run after receiving a pass from Grieve, he hit a shot that was blocked by his team mate Grieve after he had continued into the box. The rebound fell to Hamilton again but his shot was wayward. A good run from McAndrew set up a shooting chance for Leishman but, again the final effort was off target. In the 68th minute the ever dangerous Duffy saw a shot hit the side netting and as Lumphinnans continued to press he was in the thick of the action again, this time bringing out a good save from Scott Chalmers. From the corner it was Duffy again who had an effort, this time his shot from the edge of the box was over the bar. The Shipyard passed up a chance in the 75th minute when McCue’s free-kick found Leishman alone in the 6yard box but, he could not gather the ball and the danger was cleared. A minute later McAndrew again set up an opportunity, this time for Small, but his effort hit the side net. Lumphinnans drew level in the 89th minute in hugely controversial circumstances when the referee awarded them a corner when it appeared to be a throw in. From the corner a scramble ensued in the box and Chalmers touched the ball onto the bar. The ball was cleared away but the Referee deemed that the ball had crossed the line, much to the disgust of the Shipyard players. Andrew Stenhouse later claimed the credit for the goal. This must have shaken the Shipyard players out of their slumber as they almost regained the lead. Whyte saw his shot from the edge of the box turned round the post at full stretch from Thomson in the Lumphinnans goal. McCue also had an effort that was off target, but it was Lumphinnans who dramatically scored a probably deserved winner deep into added time, when Michael Duffy finally got the goal he deserved, when he rose unmarked at the front post to head home from another corner.
After the game a dejected Billy Whitehead said “that is the worst we have played in a long time. I think that after we scored the early goal they thought it was going to be easy. We hardly created anything all night”.
Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Chalmers; McAndrew; Whyte; Grieve; Cook; Small; M. Hamilton; Leishman; McCue; S. Hamilton (Johnston); J. Williams. Unused Subs: Hutt; Dow; Paul; Houston.
Lumphinnans United: B. Thomson; P. Cochrane; P. Thomson; A. Stenhouse; Robinson; Hay; N. Harvey; D. Sutherland; Adamson; S. Harvey; Duffy. Subs: Hardie; A. Cochrane; J. Stenhouse.
Referee: E Cunningham.