Shippy advance to next round of League Cup.

The Shipyard eased into the second round of the League Cup with a comfortable victory over Dalkeith Thistle at Recreation Park on Saturday. Following this victory, the Shippy can look forward to a visit from Stirling University EOS in the next round. Only the concession of a late consolation goal put a dampener on an otherwise impressive display against the hard-working visitors. Ben and Darrell Anthony both returned to the squad alongside the injury free Ross Lennie, however, Matty Miller was missing through illness.

Sam Glancy unleashed a venomous volley inside the first minute but it lacked the accuracy to trouble Jamie Newman in the visitor’s goal. Reece Brown then saw his angled drive drift wide before Newman cut out a cross from Darrell Anthony with Brown waiting to pounce. Newman was in action again in the 10^th minute as he threw up a hand to stop Anthony’s stinging shot. The Shipyard made the breakthrough their dominance deserved in the 29^th minute as Glancy smashed home a loose ball from outside the area. Dalkeith’s first real sight of goal came in the 38^th minute through Kenneth McMillan, however, his weak effort was never going to trouble Shippy keeper Michael Gibb. Ian Millar powered home a header from a Glancy free-kick in the 44^th minute but his joy was cut short by a marginal offside call.

Robbie Crawford failed to get a clean connection on a Brown cross three minutes into the second half before Dalkeith enjoyed a spell of pressure as a James McPartlin shot was deflected wide and Gibb cleared a dangerous cross from the foot of a Thistle forward. The Shipyard doubled their advantage in the 55^th minute when Crawford had the simple task of converting a Brown cross from close range. A dangerous ball into the box has Gibb scrambling and the Shippy keeper was relieved to see the ball hit the outside of the post before it was cleared. Brown saw a shot drift wide of the far post before he got the goal he deserved in the 65^th minute. He beat the offside trap and bore down on goal before he drilled the ball into the net with an angled strike from around sixteen yards. Gibb saved low from Thistle substitute Jack Fairgrieve as the game moved into the final quarter of an hour and Shipyard sub Ben Anthony was denied by Newman who pushed out his shot from a tight angle. There was a blemish to the Shipyard’s fine performance with the concession of an added time goal when possession was conceded to Dalkeith and the ball was played through to the unmarked forward who beat Gibb to make it 3-1.

Burntisland Shipyard: M. Gibb, R. O’Donnell, I. Millar, G. Ross, D. Hunter, S. Strang (R. Lennie), D. Allan, S. Glancy, R. Brown (B. Anthony), D. Anthony (J. Galloway), R. Crawford. Unused Subs: A. Watt, P. Bell, R. Connor.

Dalkeith Thistle: J. Newman, R. Aitchison (C. Leslie), R. Clelland, G. Kerr, S. Woods, J. Burrows, L. Linton (J. Fairgrieve), M. Fairnie, K. McMillan (A. Wilson), M. Bennett, J. McPartlin. Unused Subs: C. Burke, S. Dowie.

Referee: K. Brown.