Shippy sink Dunipace with late winner.
Jonny Galloway converted a 93rd minute penalty to hand the Shipyard a most welcome and long overdue three points as Dunipace were beaten 3-2 at Recreation Park on Saturday. Having been two up midway through the first half the Shippy were pegged back to two each at the start of the second period and as both teams slugged it out in search of a winner, Galloway’s strike proved to be decisive and the timing of it ensured there was no way back for the visitors. Recent signing Scott Hynd missed out through a hamstring injury but the Shipyard squad was boosted by the addition of an experienced trialist striker who started the match.
Like last week the deadlock was broken in the first few seconds, however, it was the Shippy who struck the first blow as Andy Watt and Trialist combined to set up Rab Kinnaird who took a touch before slamming the ball beyond Dunipace keeper Dylan Maclean to hand his team a dream start. Despite falling behind, Dunipace were putting pressure on the Shipyard defence and might have been disappointed they were not level given the chances they were creating. The Shipyard were more clinical and doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Watt kept up his fine scoring run as he headed home from a corner to make it five goals in six appearances for the Shippy. Ryan Adamson held a headed effort from the visitors Steven Dymock before Robbie Crawford went agonisingly close with his angled left foot strike going narrowly wide. Adamson had Jordan Galloway to thank as he cleared the ball off the line after the keeper had taken the sting off a shot. The goal that Dunipace had been threatening arrived in the 41st minute when Greg McPherson outpaced the Shipyard defence and calmly placed the ball past Adamson.
The Shipyard trialist did not reappear for the second half following a nasty foot injury sustained earlier and he was replaced by Reece Brown. The Shippy were stunned inside three minutes of the restart as McPherson produced another good finish and suddenly it was all square with forty odd minutes remaining. The game was becoming a bit stop start now as the referee seemed to be in his pocket for a yellow card every few minutes, some justified, some not and some maybe could have been a different colour. Adamson held a headed attempt from Aiden Stevenson in the 62nd minute and at the other end Watt’s shot was deflected into the arms of Maclean. The Shipyard survived a huge scare in the 72nd minute as the ref never blew for what looked an obvious offside and the three Dunipace forwards somehow fluffed their lines as a Shippy defender got a foot to the ball to concede a corner. There was a controversial moment in the 79th minute when Maclean raced from his goal and cynically took out Crawford at the corner of the box with the Shippy demanding a penalty and a red card with the Dunipace contingent relieved to see only a yellow and a free-kick at the edge of the area awarded. The Shipyard were now on top and looking the more likely and a sublime through ball from Reece Bernard almost found Brown, however, Maclean was alert to the danger and smothered the ball. Dunipace centre back Craig Hughes headed into the hands of Adamson in the second minute of added time and the visitors were to rue that miss as the Shippy grabbed a dramatic winner in the 93rd minute. Bernard played a great ball to Crawford who cut inside his marker before he was unceremoniously brought to the ground leaving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Once the dust had settled Jonny Galloway sent Maclean the wrong way as he coolly stroked the ball home amid jubilant scenes.
Next Saturday the shipyard travel to New Dundas Park to face runaway conference leaders Bonnyrigg Rose in what is sure to be a tough test for the shippy boys. Kick-off is 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: R. Adamson, Jor. Galloway, S. Glancy, R. Lennie, S. Strang, B. Hutchison, R. Crawford, Jon. Galloway, A. Watt (R. Bernard), R. Kinnaird (C. McAulay), A. Trialist (R. Brown). Unused Subs: M. Jarrett, R. O’Donnell, C. Simpson.
Dunipace: D. Maclean, C. Murphy, M. Galloway, R. Shanks, C. Hughes, S. McHaffie, G. McPherson, G. Wright (C. Paton), S. Dymock (K. Stevenson), A. Stevenson, M. Stowe. Unused Subs: J. Allan, Graeme McMillan, Gary McMillan.
Referee: D. Cormack.