Shippy lose despite Darrell Anthony hat-trick.
The Shipyard welcomed Lowland League opposition to Recreation Park in the shape of Civil Service Strollers for an East of Scotland Cup 3rd round tie. In what was expected to be a tough match for the Shippy, it certainly turned out that way, as the Edinburgh side raced into a two-goal lead and although the Shippy kept getting back into match Civil’s superiority eventually told and they pulled away in the final quarter of the game running out winners by six goals to three. Those that stayed away due to the poor weather missed a cracking cup tie with nine goals, including hat-tricks for the Shippy’s Darrell Anthony and the visitors Ross Guthrie. Scott Costello, Sandy Strang and Jack Wilson all returned following unavailability and there were also a start for Jordan Galloway. Ryan O’Donnell, Shaun Keatings and Scott Orrock dropped out as did the two trialist keepers from last week’s squad though Orrock was available to take his place on the bench. Nathan Feeley, Cammy Lewis and Craig Watt were still out injured.
The Shipyard were two goals down before they knew what had hit them and it was all too simple for Civil as Guthrie nodded home his first of the day from around six yards out and then he burst through the centre of the Shippy defence and beat Costello with a low shot. Barely four minutes had been played! At this point things looked very bleak for the Shipyard as Civil continued to dominate. However, The Shippy started to get a foothold in the match and by the half hour mark they were level as D. Anthony took the game by the scruff of the neck. In the 22nd minute he drove forward, held off a couple of challenges and fired the ball beyond keeper MacAllan Whyte. Six minutes later he repeated the feat with another solo effort, this time from the left-hand side, again powering away from the visitor’s defence. Civil got their noses back in front again after 36 minutes as Guthrie completed his hat-trick as he expertly glanced a header into the net from the corner of the six yard box. Costy pulled off a good save as he tipped an attempt over the bar and then Conrad Balatoni rattled the post with a firm header. Dazza then had an opportunity to complete his hat-trick as he beat Whyte to the ball at the edge of the box but from a narrowing angle, he pulled his shot across the face of the goal as a couple of Civil defenders got back on the line with the keeper stranded.
The returning Mark James replaced the injured Strang at half-time, slotting into his favoured midfield position. Unsurprisingly, the goals continued to flow in the second period and Civil restored their two-goal lead as Innes Lawson found space in the box and placed his shot well out of the reach of Costello with 58 minutes on the clock. Two minutes later that man Dazza was at it again as he got his third goal of the match with a simple tap in after a good move and cross down the Shippy right. Costy produced a double save in quick time to deny the visitors, however, they scored their fifth goal in the 68th minute when Jonathan Moffat rose unchallenged to head home. Civil finally put the game out of the Shipyard’s reach with eleven minutes remaining when they scored their sixth and fourth headed goal when Arnault Kasa was the man on target following a corner.
Manager Dave Costello was far from impressed after the match when he said “You just can’t start like that against any opposition let alone a team two leagues above us and losing four headed goals was criminal. That being said, we got back level thanks to some great stuff from Darrell and I’m sure he will be disappointed to score a hat-trick and finish on the losing side.”
Next week we are back in league action as we travel to the Fleet Grounds to face Rosyth FC. Kick-off is at 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; D. Thomson; L. Bell; L. Ross; I. Millar; S. Strang (M. James); J. Galloway (R. Wardlaw); D. Anthony; B. Anthony; S. Glancy; J. Wilson. Unused Sub: S. Orrock.
Civil Service Strollers: M. Whyte; D. Irving; M. Shaw; C. Balatoni; J. Moffat; M. Cunningham; R. Cole; R. Young; R. Guthrie; I. Lawson; L. Kennedy. Subs: E. Valentine; A. Faye; R. Clarke; A. Kasa; L. Duffy; D. Sylla; H. Girdwood.
Referee: S. Gill.