Depleted Shipyard earn fine win.
The Shipyard took all three points in their first ever visit to Duns new home at New Hawthorn Park thanks to 2-1 victory. It was a vastly depleted squad that travelled to the borders with no fewer than seven players missing but with the aid of a few trialists, the Shipyard were able to field a team strong enough to get the win. In a game with plenty of goalmouth action the visitors would have been disappointed to only score two goals against a somewhat slow and cumbersome Duns defence, albeit at the other end Barry Thomson pulled off a few good saves to ensure his side got the victory.
Indeed that man Thomson was called into action as early as the 3rd minute when he palmed away a close range header from huge Duns centre back Steve McHoul. The Shipyard fell behind to a counter attack goal in the 7th minute when Duns broke up the park and Jordan Lauder knocked the ball home from close range. As the game swung from end to end the visitors should have been level in the 11th minute when Dale Robertson headed straight at Duns keeper Paul Tansey from a Shaun Keatings cross. To make matters worse for the Shippy, JP McPhail sclaffed the rebound wide. Duns aerial high was causing the Shipyard defence concern and every corner that came in looked dangerous but the Shippy rear-guard held firm. Keatings and Robertson combined again in the 19th minute but the latter could not direct his left foot shot on target from around six yards out at the back post. The Shipyard got a deserved leveller on the half hour mark when B Trialist prodded a loose ball home from near the penalty spot. The same player almost scored a freak second goal three minutes later when he charged down a clearance from Tansey, only to see the ball drift wide of the far post. At the other end Conor Devaney shot into the side netting from a good position as Duns looked to regain the lead. McPhail should have put the Shipyard ahead on the stroke of half-time as he burst clear of the home defence but he shot straight at Tansey when he looked sure to score.
It was McPhail again who had a chance at the start of the second half but his effort from inside the box went narrowly over the bar. The Shippy went ahead in the 51st minute when B Trialist netted again. After robbing McHoul of possession he drove into the six yard box and coolly finished beyond Tansey. He should have completed his hat trick three minutes later but his point blank header was brilliantly saved by Tansey, his follow up header landed on the roof of the net. Dougie Brydon headed over for Duns as they exerted a fair bit of pressure on the Shipyard defence and a couple of minutes later the Shippy were happy to scramble a corner clear for another. Duns thought they were level when Devaney connected sweetly from outside the area but they looked on in agony as the ball hit the inside of the post and spun away to safety. Thomson saved well from Mike Robinson with ten minutes remaining and shortly after the Shipyard defence scrambled the ball out for a corner. Brydon headed wide as the visitors clung on though the Shipyard were not making use of the gaps in the Duns defence as they pushed men forward. B Trialist was again denied his hat trick as he got clear of the Duns defence and he chose the wrong option when the Shipyard were two on one with sub Jordan Mushet screaming for a pass. However, the Shipyard were able to see out the last few minutes and secure a hard fought victory.
Alex was naturally delighted with the win when he said “Given the amount of guys we had missing today and that fact that myself and Tommy were down as subs and we had a keeper as an outfield sub, show’s how stretched we were. However, all credit to the boys that came in to help out as they did a sterling job and I like everyone at the Club is proud of how we performed today”.
Next week see’s the team travel to the borders again, this time to visit Kelso United with the match kicking off at 3pm.
Duns: P. Tansey; M. Weatherburn; M. Stewart; S. McHoul; G. Windrum; D. Brydon; G. Wales; C. Devaney(J. Brydon); J. Lauder(S. Shennan); M. Robinson; G. Waddell(J. Ainslie).
Burntisland Shipyard: B. Thomson; C. Lowe; P. Bell; A. Trialist; T. Arthur; JP. McPhail; D. Robertson (J. Mushet); S. Keatings (C. Trialist); A. MacDonald; E. Henderson; B. Trialist.
Referee: R. Lee.