The Shipyard’s relegation worries deepened following another loss to a drop zone rival on Saturday, as this time they went down 3-0 to Whitehill Welfare at Ferguson Park. With the other teams in the dogfight at the bottom of the table picking up valuable points in recent weeks, a gap is now starting to open up and although there are plenty of points still available, the Shippy need wins sooner rather than later.
There was very little action to report in the opening thirty odd minutes other than a succession of yellow cards for Shippy players. In the 35th minute Darrell Anthony ran onto a great through ball as he outstripped the home defence and as he entered the box and shaped to shoot he was pushed to the ground by the last man defender. As everyone waited for the inevitable red card and penalty to be awarded, they were shocked to see the referee wave play on. It really was one of those wow! moments that are inexplicable. Some might say that’s what happens when you are down at the bottom but it was a decision that could have severe ramifications for the Shipyard’s season. Jonathan Devers went close for the hosts twice in quick succession as the half time whistle loomed.
Shaun Keatings shot wide as the Shipyard created the first chance of the second period and at the other end Scott Costello parried and gathered a fiercely driven shot. Whitehill were on top now and Costy held a Steven Thomson free-kick and then Ryan Weir drove into the box but could not put his shot on target. The hosts took the lead in the 56th minute when Adam Zajac flighted a great ball into the box and Tyler O’Neill’s well placed header went in off the post. The Shippy almost replied soon after when a Keatings corner was headed back across goal by Sandy Strang but Jack Wilson could not keep his attempt on target. Whitehill claimed for a penalty when Wilson blocked a strike at goal and this time the referee showed no hesitation in awarding a spot kick despite the Shippy appeals that a Whitehill player had handled in the build-up. Thomson smashed the resultant kick high into the net. The Shipyard should have pulled one back in the 67th minute following a corner but unfortunately Mark James could not prod his effort on target. Whitehill went three up when they were awarded yet another free-kick from another innocuous challenge and obviously yet another yellow card was produced. That being said Bryan Wilson excellently dispatched the set piece giving Costello no chance. A Jordan Galloway free-kick hit the wall and Anthony’s follow up was blocked and an acrobatic Keatings attempt was not too far away. In the closing minutes the Shipyard created another decent chance but Strang headed over from a good position. Manager Dave Costello was brief but to the point with his after-match comments when he said “Everyone seen what happened out there today. I don’t need to say anymore.”
We are back in action on Wednesday night when Kirkcaldy & Dysart visit Recreation Park. Kick off under the lights is at 7.30pm.
Whitehill Welfare: M. McIntosh; K. Austin; A. Zajac; B. Wilson; J. Shyngle; F. Connor; R. Weir; S. Thomson; K. Mitchell; J. Devers; J. Grotlin. Subs: C. McConnachie; R. Dowie; L. Collins; T. O’Neill; D. Garvey; A. McNeil.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; L. Ross (S. Strang); J. Wilson; R. O’Donnell; M. James; C. Watt; S. Keatings (R. MacAuley); D. Anthony (S. Orrock); R. Wardlaw (J. Galloway); S. Glancy; D. Thomson. Unused Sub: A. Brown.
The Shipyard lost to another relegation rival on Saturday, however, this time they made a fist of it and on another day might have come away with something to show for their efforts. Leith Athletic ran out 2-0 winners at Meadowbank Stadium thanks to two quickfire second half goals, one of them a penalty, and held onto their lead as the Shippy rallied and the visitors were unlucky to hit the woodwork three times in eight minutes as they fought to get back into the match. Unfortunately for the Shipyard there were several absentees from the squad with the usual injury, work commitments and unavailability being the reasons.
The hosts had the first opportunity in the 3rd minute after they found space down the left but when the shot came in it was pulled wide of the target. The Shipyard replied with a Shaun Keatings effort that he drove wide and he then fired over from the edge of the box. Rhys Wardlaw also shot wide and then the burly striker saw a shot held by Leith keeper Ben McGinley. At the other end Scott Costello saved well at point blank range and although the hosts were in and around the Shippy box on numerous occasions they were either over elaborate or hesitant when openings occurred. A driven shot was blocked by the Shipyard defence around the half hour mark before the best save of the match so far came from McGinley as he tipped over a fierce Sam Glancy drive.
The Shippy made a change at half-time as Jordan Galloway replace Robbie MacAuley. Leith created an opportunity in the 47th minute but Christopher Robertson drove the ball over and two minutes later Craig Watt acrobatically cleared the danger from inside the six yard box. Sandy Strang then replaced Wardlaw as the Shipyard shuffled their personnel. The hosts took the lead in the 65th minute when a deep cross from the right found Robbie King and the winger had time to control the ball and fire a left foot shot beyond Costello. Three minutes later Leith doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Scott Orrock was adjudged to have committed a foul on the lefthand side of the area. Kayne Paterson stepped up and converted the kick. The Shipyard heads didn’t go down as they took the game to Leith and the woodwork came to the hosts rescue on no fewer than three occasions. Firstly, Glancy drove forward and saw his dipping shot come back off the bar and three minutes later a sublime Galloway free kick hit the junction of post and bar with McGinley beaten. Then a wall that was no further than eight yards away blocked another Galloway set piece only for the ball to fall to Glancy who saw his strike hit the outside of the post and go behind. As the game entered the closing stages Leith were happy to counter and Costello saved well from King and in the 94th minute the big keeper tipped a free kick over the bar in what was the last meaningful action of the game.
Next week (15/4/23) we are on the road again as we travel to Ferguson Park, Rosewell to face Whitehill Welfare.
Leith Athletic: B. McGinley; D. Greatorex; J. Robertson; C. Hume; E. Farmer; C. Stewart; M. Barfoot; K. Paterson; S. Scott; C. Robertson; R. King. Subs: J. Scobie; M. Johnston; F. Williams; B. McNab; R. Carson; D. Burgess.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; L. Ross; D. Thomson; S. Orrock; R. MacAuley (J. Galloway); C. Watt; S. Keatings; D. Anthony; J. Wilson; S. Glancy; R. Wardlaw (S. Strang). Unused Subs: R. Connor & A. Brown.
The Shipyard produced what was undoubtably their worst performance of the season as Camelon cruised to an easy 0-2 win at a wet Recreation Park on Wednesday night. It was a rare fixture under the lights at the Shippy and despite the rain, a crowd of 132 turned up to take in the action. The ground staff had done a remarkable job in getting the pitch ready after it cut up badly just a few days earlier and a planned afternoon inspection was not required in the end as the forecasted rain never materialised. Manager Dave Costello named an unchanged starting eleven but Ben Anthony and Ryan O’Donnell dropped out of his squad due to work commitments.
The Camelon players were sharper, faster and more aggressive than their counterparts. Whether the exertions of the hard fought cup tie, that went to extra time last Saturday, took its toll on the Shippy players is the reason for such a flat performance is possible, however, given the importance of this basement battle league match, it was a disappointing night all round. Camelon keeper Jacob Welna never had a save to make as his defence in front of him kept the Shippy attack at bay all night.
The visitors were on the front foot from the off as they dominated proceedings and Scott Costello was forced into a smart save at his near post in the ninth minute and a headed effort from the resultant corner was not too far away. Costy then made an outstanding save from a fierce Jason Walton strike from the edge of the area. The Shipyard were dealt a major setback in the 24th minute when captain Iain Millar was forced off with a shoulder injury, a huge blow for both big Millzy and the team. Costello then had another decent save in the 39th minute but just as the Shippy looked like going in level at the interval Camelon scored in added time as James Finlay found space in the box and he hit the net from around ten yards out.
Camelon continued to dominate in the second period and they doubled their lead in the 61st minute. Jamie MacAllister beat his man out wide and drove towards the box and beat Costello with a shot across him and into the far corner of the net. The big Shippy keeper was happy to see a shot hit the underside of his crossbar and bounce into his arms as the visitors looked for a third in the closing stages, however, the Shippy were able to see out the game without any further damage being inflicted.
On Saturday (08/04/23) we travel to Meadowbank Stadium to face Leith Athletic with the match kicking off at 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; M. James; D. Thomson; S. Orrock (R. Wardlaw); I. Millar (L. Ross); C. Watt; S. Keatings; D. Anthony; J. Wilson; S. Glancy; S. Strang (R. MacAuley). Unused Subs: R. Connor; R. Crichton; J. Galloway; A. Brown.
Camelon: J. Welna; L. Paton; L. Taggart; S. White; D. Fitzpatrick; R. Glaikin; J. Walton; J. Finlay; K. Fotheringham; S. Day. Subs: K. Knox; J. Simpson; A. Rodgers; R. Wilson; C. Rodger; I. Smith; L. Duffy.
The Shipyard exited the League Cup in the cruellest of fashions as they lost 4-3 on penalties to Kirkcaldy & Dysart at Recreation Park on Saturday. After finishing 0-0 over ninety minutes and 1-1 after extra time the tie had to be decided from the spot and it was the visitors who prevailed. There was very little between the teams over the 120 minutes so it was no surprise how the match was ultimately decided. Although Kirkcaldy had more of the possession it was the Shippy who had the better chances and with a bit of luck would have won the tie in ninety minutes. The pitch passed a morning inspection; however, it was obvious that underfoot conditions would deteriorate as the match progressed, with an extra thirty minutes certainly not helping matters and that was probably the reason for what was a poor game with very little chances created.
The Shipyard team is starting to have a more settled look about it now and there was only one change from the last outing with Sam Glancy returning in place of Rhys Wardlaw. Young Rhys was joined on the bench by Ben Anthony who had been missing recently due to work commitments.
There was very little to entertain the crowd in the opening 35 minutes until Scott Costello was brave at the feet of a Kirkcaldy forward and a couple of minutes later a quickly taken free-kick caused concern in the Shippy back line. The Shipyard created the best chance of the match so far as not long before half-time good interplay between Dan Thomson and Sam Glancy sent Jack Wilson through on goal. The big striker looked certain to score and would have been disappointed as keeper Dion Gear saved his shot with an outstretched leg.
The game got a bit more lively in the second half with a few meaty challenges being put in as both teams upped the ante as they looked to get the initiative. The introduction of Wardlaw and B. Anthony signalled the Shippy’s intent and the changes almost paid immediate dividends when Wardlaw used his strength to get away from his marker and his powerful long range strike smashed of the inside of the post and agonisingly spun away from goal. A few minutes later the same man broke clear down the left and his low cross was just out of the reach of the inrushing Wilson. Big Jack then saw a shot on the turn go wide of the target as the Shippy enjoyed their best spell of the match. The visitors came back into the match and Costy saved well from Ryan McEwan before Mark Wilkie curled a free kick over the bar. A combination of a defender and Costy seemed to block an attempt by sub Owen Andrew as the ninety minutes ended goalless.
Wilkie ballooned an effort over seven minutes into extra time before the visitors took the lead. Jay Bridgeford burst down the left and his deep cross was converted by the unmarked Rab Kinnaird at the back post and although Costy got fingertips to the ball he couldn’t keep it out. The lead only lasted three minutes as the Shipyard equalised from the penalty spot through Wilson after he had been fouled in the box. In a lightening break Bridgeford broke clear and his driven shot came back off the post. As extra time drew to a close Wardlaw shot straight at Gear and the keeper then saved a Glancy free kick to ensure the game went to penalties. In the shootout, Anthony and Wilson were successful for the Shippy and likewise McEwan and Lewis Anderson for Kirkcaldy. Wardlaw saw his shot saved and Craig Brand hit the post for the visitors. Gear saved again, this time from Thomson and John Smith gave his team the advantage as he converted. Glancy tucked away under the pressure of having to score and with Andrew having the chance to seal it, his poorly struck kick was saved by Costello. Sudden death saw Raymond Crichton hit the outside of the post giving Kinnaird the chance to win it and he remained calm and tucked away his kick to put Kirkcaldy through to the next round where they will face Rosyth later this month.
Shipyard manager Dave Costello said “There was nothing in it really, though I thought we had the better chances and could have won it. I am proud of my players as they battled hard on a very difficult pitch. When it goes to penalties anyone can win it and ultimately, it was not to be our day.”
We are due to face Camelon on Wednesday night (05/04/2023) in a rearranged league match with the kick-off being at 7.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; M. James (R. O’Donnell); D. Thomson; S. Orrock (R. Crichton); I. Millar; C. Watt (R. MacAulay); S. Keating (B. Anthony); D. Anthony (R. Wardlaw); J. Wilson; S. Strang (L. Ross); S. Glancy. Unused Sub: R. Connor.
Kirkcaldy & Dysart: D. Gear; R. McEwan; J. Nouri; R. Cooper; T. McKenzie; D. Falconer; J. Smith; J. Bridgeford; C. Hannah; M. Wilkie; C. Brand. Subs: L. Anderson; O. Andrew; S. Donald; C. Finnie; R. Kinnaird; R. Wilson.
The Shipyard secured a massive three points on Saturday as they came from behind to beat third placed Newtongrange Star 2-1 at Recreation Park. It was a vital win given the result at Dunbar, as Coldstream also picked up a valuable three points, making next week’s meeting at the Shippy vital for both teams. That being said, there are eight clubs involved in a relegation battle, where everyone from Leith Athletic down will be concerned about their position.
Thankfully the pitch passed a morning inspection with the goalmouth at the Meadowfield end giving cause for concern but with the forecasted rain not materialising, everything was set fair for what turned out to be an enthralling contest, where effort was more evident than flair. The Shipyard side showed one change from the last outing against Stoneyburn with Sandy Strang replacing the unavailable Sam Glancy.
Rhys Wardlaw scores the Shippy’s first goal.
The Shippy were behind as early as the fifth minute when the visitors were awarded a penalty when the referee deemed that Craig Watt had fouled his opponent as he attempted to clear the ball. It was by no means a stonewaller, however, the official had made his decision and pointed to the spot. Liam McIntosh gave Scott Costello no chance as he fired the ball into the corner of the net. The Shipyard were level after fifteen minutes in what was their first attempt at goal when Rhys Wardlaw showed great strength to hold off two defenders and although his shot was not struck cleanly, Star keeper Liam McCathie, despite a valiant effort, could not keep it out of the net. Nitten had a great chance to regain the lead in the 21st minute but Costello saved the low shot well with his legs. There was little in the way of goalmouth action until the final few minutes of the half when Costello produced a double save with some from help from Scott Orrock to deny the visitors again. The Shippy defence were standing strong and Costy tipped a strike over the bar, though it looked like it was going over anyway.
Jack Wilson scores the Shippy’s second.
The Shipyard took the lead four minutes into the second half with a well worked set piece. A corner from the left was headed back across goal by Mark James and Jack Wilson was on hand to nod the ball home despite the best efforts of the Star defence to keep it out and it was quite clear the big striker’s effort had crossed the line. The Shipyard came under a whole lot of pressure as the match wore on with the visitor’s dominating possession and keeping the Shippy pinned back, albeit Costy was not having to make many saves as his defence stood firm and repelled everything that Nitten threw at them, with the main source being high balls played into the box by right back Michael Jones which was food and drink for big Millzy and co.
Everyone will be pleased to know that Big Jack’s clearance in the second half, which disappeared over the houses, that the ball was found in the burn behind the Jubilee before it headed out to sea.
Manager Dave Costello was all smiles after the game when he said “Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Everyone gave me what I was looking for and left nothing out there. There were some outstanding performances but it would be a little unfair to single out anyone in particular but obviously I was extremely pleased with the defensive aspect of their play.”
Next Saturday (25/03/2023) we welcome Coldstream to Recreation Park for what will be a vital game at the bottom end of the table. With both teams confident following their important wins this weekend it should be a cracker, with hopefully a big crowd in to the back the team.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; M. James; D. Thomson; S. Orrock; I. Millar; C. Watt; S. Keatings (L. Ross); D. Anthony; R. Wardlaw (R. Crichton); J. Wilson; S. Strang. Unused Subs: A. Brown; R. MacAulay; R. O’Donnell.
Newtongrange Star: L. McCathie; L. Peden; R. Ferguson; S. Tait; S. Conlon; A. Neilson; L. McIntosh; A. Muir; C. Robertson; A. Elliot; M. Jones. Subs: A. Hamilton; S. Hay; D. Ballantyne; L. Imrie; N. Rendall.
The Shipyard cruised into the second round of the League Cup after seeing off Stoneyburn with a 5-0 victory at Recreation Park on Saturday. The only real surprise was it took until the 45th minute for the Shippy to open the scoring. With Ben Anthony unavailable it opened the door for recent arrival Rhys Wardlaw to get his chance and he grabbed it with both hands as he netted twice in the closing minutes, much to the delight of the home contingent in the crowd. We now have a mouth-watering tie to look forward to against Kirkcaldy & Dysart following their win against Jeanfield Swifts in Perth. The match is scheduled for April 1st with the Shippy being at home once more.
After an uneventful opening quarter of an hour the game sprung into life with the Shipyard going very close to opening the scoring, firstly when Darrell Anthony was denied by a stunning save from Stoneyburn keeper Ben Sinclair and then when the same man’s follow up came back off the bar. Sinclair then blocked a Wardlaw shot after the ball fell kindly for the youngster just inside the area. In the 33rd minute an Iain Millar long throw reached Anthony and he might have done better than head over from around six yards out. Wardlaw dragged a shot wide in the 38th minute and he was denied by another Sinclair save shortly after. The Shippy broke the deadlock in the 45th minute when the ball was only partially cleared and Sam Glancy smashed the ball high into the net from distance. The visitors claimed the ball had gone out of play in the build-up, however, the general feeling was that the ball was still in play.
Rhys Wardlaw scores the Shippy’s third goal.
A bit of confusion in the home defence led to Scott Costello picking up a Craig Watt pass back with the referee awarding an indirect free-kick, however, the Shippy wall stood firm and blocked Dean McConnell’s shot. At the other end a Shaun Keatings effort was blocked a couple of yards from goal but the second Shipyard goal arrived a minute later. Following another long throw in the ball dropped for Mark James and he volleyed the ball into the ground and it flew into the net giving Sinclair no chance. Glancy was looking for another spectacular strike and his effort from thirty yards plus, was not far away at all. The Shippy made it three nil in the 81st minute when Watt’s raking long ball found Wardlaw and the big striker showed great strength and composure to find the net. Keatings had been in the thick of the action and was taking a bit of abuse from the visitors both verbally and physically. After he was unceremoniously brought down near the touchline, he answered the abuse in exceptional fashion as he curled a delightful free kick into the top corner from a good 35 yards given the angle he was at. The Shipyard were rampant now and within seconds they went nap as Wardlaw scored his second, smashing the ball into the net from inside the area, doing his confidence the world of good into the bargain. Manager Dave Costello said after the match “We were a bit wasteful in the first half having created some good openings but in the second we took our chances and I am delighted for young Rhys.” He went on to say “We rarely looked like conceding; in fact, I don’t think Scott had a save of note to make throughout the ninety minutes.”
Mark James’ volley finds the net.
Next week (11/03/2023) it’s back to league action as we travel to face Kennoway Star Hearts at Treaton Park with the game kicking off at 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; M. James; D. Thomson; S. Orrock; I. Millar; C. Watt; S. Keatings; D. Anthony (R. Macauley); R. Wardlaw; S. Glancy; J. Wilson. Unused Subs: A. Brown; R. Crichton; D. Pierce.
Stoneyburn: B. Sinclair; L. McGuigan; M. Spiers; D. McConnell; J. Sharpe; D. Hendry; J. Brady; D. Anderson; B. Magee; A. Arthur; B. Ferris. Subs: L. McKee; C. Gallacher; B. Wardrope; G. Calvey; T. Spiers; C. Shaw; C. Stone.
The Shipyard came from behind to claim a vital three points in their bid to climb away from the relegation zone as they beat Kennoway Star Hearts 2-1 at Recreation Park. A goal at the start and one at the end of the second half sealed the points for the Shippy in what was a tough bruising encounter between two teams desperate for the points. Shaun Keatings returned to the starting eleven replacing the unavailable Ryan O’Donnell in the only change from last week, though there were a couple of positional changes in the defence.
Unsurprisingly, there was not a lot of good football on show as both teams were nervous given the precarious position, they find themselves in. Also, the pitch was not ideal for free flowing football given the condition it was in. The first piece of meaningful action came in the 17th minute when Shippy keeper Scott Costello dived to his left to push away an angled shot. The Shipyard players thought Jack Wilson was fouled when he challenged Kennoway keeper Kyle Moran for a high ball outside the box, however, play continued and Sam Glancy saw his shot held by the keeper. A great pass from Sandy Strang sent Ben Anthony sprinting down the righthand side and when his cross came in Wilson could not direct his shot on target. The big striker then headed over from an Iain Millar long throw as the Shippy threatened. The visitors had created a couple of chances of their own, mainly due to some slack play in the home defence. The visitors took the lead a minute before half-time when the ball was played into Kyle Stark and he took the ball round his man before firing a shot from the edge of the box into the net. Although Costello got his hand to the ball the strike was too powerful for him to keep it out.
Darrell Anthony nets late winner.Big Jack and Darrell are off to celebrate.Darrell is mobbed by his teammates.
The Shippy were back on level terms two minutes into the second period when substitute Darrell Anthony played a ball down the channel to his brother Ben who broke clear, then cut back inside the defender and smashed a low shot into the bottom corner. Benji then had another chance two minutes later but this time Moran was able to stop his shot from a tight angle. In the 63rd minute a Glancy corner was flicked on at the near post by Wilson but no Shippy player could get on the end of the inviting ball across the six yard line. There were half hearted appeals from the Shipyard players when it seemed Moran has pushed Wilson as the keeper came out trying to win a high ball played into the area. Kennoway then spurned a great chance to regain the lead in the 82nd minute when substitute Jake Grady raced through and although he looked offside, he was allowed to continue and Costello was forced into a decent save from a not too well struck shot. A glorious chance fell to Darrell Anthony as the game entered the 90th minute when he gathered a ball played into the box, he turned and shot but from around ten yards he couldn’t get the ball on target as it flew over. However, the Shippy midfielder was not to be denied as he netted the winner two minutes into added time. Benji gathered a long ball played down the right and played in a low cross the Darrell gleefully knock high into the net from close range in the centre of the goals, much to the delight of the Shipyard players, management and fans.
After the match manager Dave Costello said “Obviously I am happy with the win. That has happened to us on occasions when we have conceded late on to lose the match. I think on the balance of play we deserved to win as we created a few decent opportunities.”
Next Saturday (18/02/2023) we travel to Warout Stadium to face Glenrothes in a league match. Kick-off is at the usual time of 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; D. Thomson; L. Ross; M. James (D. Anthony); I. Millar; C. Watt; S. Keatings (J. Galloway); S. Strang (C. Lewis); B. Anthony; J. Wilson; S. Glancy. Unused Subs: A. Brown; R. MacAulay; D. Pierce; S. Orrock.
Kennoway Star Hearts: K. Moran; J. Watson; W. Romanis; G. Allan; L. Young; A. Higgins; H. Kay; R. McGill; D. Walker; D. Nugent; K. Stark. Subs: R. Lemetti; J. McLelland; M. Black; L. Gartshore; J. Grady; B. Mair.
The Shipyard were knocked out of the King Cup after they went down 1-0 to Armadale Thistle at Recreation Park. A goal in the 67th minute from Tomas Murphy was all that separated the teams in a game of few chances, though no-one could fault the teams for their endeavour as both were fully committed to the battle. The Shippy missed the drive of Darrell Anthony in the middle of the park as he missed out through illness, and Cammy Lewis was also under the weather and he too was forced to sit out the match. Mark James and Ben Anthony returned to the starting eleven with Darrell and Shaun Keatings dropping out.
The Shipyard almost got off to a dream start with less than a minute on the clock as a Sam Glancy drive was well saved at the expense of a corner. Glancy nearly had another attempt on goal following a good run by Anthony, however, the Dale defence quickly closed the Shippy man down and blocked his shot. Scott Costello was called into action in the 18th minute when he had to dive low to his left to save an angled drive. Craig Watt was in the right place to clear the ball off the line after a corner was delivered into the box and the headed attempt beat Costello.
Dan Thomson and Sam Glancy in the midfield battle.
The big Shippy keeper made a similar save to his earlier one in the 50th minute and although the loose ball was turned into the net the player was clearly offside. The Shipyard were dealt a blow in the 65th minute when Sandy Strang was sent off. Why he was shown a yellow card for his challenge was anyone’s guess but having been correctly cautioned earlier on, he had to go. It only took Armadale two minutes to capitalise on the extra man as Murphy drove forward a fired in a shot that flashed passed Costello at his near post. The Shippy spurned a great chance to equalise with seven minutes remaining as a mishit Anthony shot fell to Iain Millar but from around six yards the big man couldn’t get any power into his right foot attempt and Armadale keeper Andrew Murphy gathered easily.
Manager Dave Costello spoke after the match and said “There was not a lot in it and obviously Sandy’s red card changed things. It was a decision that baffled me to be honest, with my counterpart from Armadale agreeing it was never a booking.” He went on to add “I thought we played well, never giving them too many sights of goal with Jamesy and Big Millzy on their game, while Sam and Rooney were tenacious in the middle of the park. We just didn’t create enough chances for it to go our way.”
Next Saturday we face Kennoway Star Hearts in a hugely vital league match here in Burntisland with the kick-off being at 2.30pm.
Burntisland Shipyard: S. Costello; L. Ross (R. MacAuley0; R. O’Donnell; M. James; I. Millar; C. Watt; D. Thomson (S. Keatings); S. Glancy; B. Anthony; J. Wilson; S. Strang. Unused Subs: R. Connor; A. Brown; D. Pierce.
Armadale Thistle: A. Murphy; D. Jacobs; T. Murphy; S. Watson; S. Hunter; JJ. Henderson; S. McLeod; R. MacLennan; R. Feeney; C. Strickland; J. Fairley. Subs: M. Allan; S. Dalziel; G. Forrest; S. Horn; C. Leiper; R. MacIndoe; L. McGuigan.
