Russell at the double for Shipyard
The Shipyard ended Rosyth’s faint hopes of the league title with a fine 3 – 1 victory at Recreation Park, coming from a goal down the Shipyard were level at half-time before two quick fire goals at the start of the second half sealed the win. Only the woodwork and a couple of good saves from McNab stopped the win being more emphatic. McAndrew, Cook and Russell came back into the starting eleven replacing Grieve, Hutt and Johnston.
Neither team created anything in the early stages to trouble the goalkeepers until Rosyth took the lead in the 15th minute. When the ball was cutback from the bye line, from a suspiciously offside position, Mark Britton was able to fire the ball into the net at the second attempt from around 8yards. A McCue free-kick a minute later, the Shipyard’s first attempt at goal, was easily gathered by McNab. McCue was in the action again shortly after chasing a through ball, but the strong wind took the ball away from him. On the half hour mark a good diagonal ball into the box from McAndrew was just out of the reach of Russell. Civil were next to go close when a dangerous ball was played across the front of the Shipyard goal. In the 35th minute a free-kick from Whyte found M. Hamilton in acres of space and McNab managed to stick out a leg and divert his downward header away for a corner. The Shipyard were level a minute later when Craig Russell, latched onto a Leishman header and from the edge of the box lobbed the ball over the keeper and into the net. Russell went close again when his headed effort flashed past the far post after he got on the end of a J. Williams cross. Just on halt-time Ferguson of Rosyth turned and shot from the edge of the box, but it did not trouble Chalmers.
The second half was barely two minutes old when the Shipyard took the lead when Josh Williams drilled the ball into the corner of the net after the ball broke to him some 10yards out. In the 49th minute it was 3 – 1 when Small crossed from the right to Craig Russell who bulleted his header into the net from close range. Chalmers was called into action in the 63rd minute to tip a long range drive over the bar. It was almost a hat-trick for Russell in the 65th minute when he received the ball after good work from J. Williams, however, his shot crashed back off the post with McNab helpless. Russell was trying hard to get that third goal and he maybe should have done better than put the ball over the bar from 16yards. Rosyth should have pulled a goal back in the 77th minute when Lambie was in on goal but, he delayed on the ball and his chance was gone. The ball broke to Ferguson but Cook was on hand to block a couple of yards out. McCue was next to pass up a good opportunity when McNab kicked the ball straight at him, but he also dithered and the chance was gone. In the 79th minute McNab pulled off a good save from a Whyte shot, pushing the ball round the post for a corner. Rosyth had a couple of late chances when firstly from a free-kick the ball was headed across the face of the Shipyard goal and secondly a dangerous ball into the 6yard box was headed over for a corner. On the 90 minute mark the Shipyard looked to have a stonewall penalty turned down when Small burst into the box and fell under the keepers challenge, however, the referee waved away the claims.
Billy Whitehead was a happy man after the game and said “We showed a great deal of spirit, togetherness and passion. There was some good movement and passing and the goals were all fine finishes”.
Teams: Burntisland Shipyard: Chalmers; McAndrew; Whyte; Williams; Cook; Small; M. Hamilton; Leishman; Russell ( S. Hamilton); McCue; J. Williams. Unused Subs: Dow; Johnston; Grieve; Houston.
Rosyth Civil Service: McNab; Cooper; Ramsay; Perry; Harrison; Guild; Lambie; Smart; Britton; K. Ferguson; Penman. Subs: Nairn; B. Ferguson; Curry.
Referee: J. Bell.