Quality strikes sink Eastvale
The Shipyard finished off their league season with a stylish victory over an Eastvale team who finished the match with nine men and had seven players yellow carded. They let their frustrations get the better of them when they had no answer to the football the being played by the Shipyard. Billy Whitehead made a couple of changes from the last match with Grieve and M. Hamilton dropping out, to be replaced by Whyte and T. Williams.
There was very little in the way of goalmouth action until the 12th minute when Craig Russell received a pass inside the Eastvale box, but the ball got stuck between his feet and then keeper Kinnear was out quick to block with his legs. Russell was not to be denied and he opened the scoring rounding off a great move in the 14th minute that saw Leishman and McCue work the ball down the left. When McCue crossed Russell was on hand to bullet a header into the net. Eastvale started to exert a bit of pressure and it paid off after 22 minutes when Chalmers had to come rushing out of his box to head clear, the ball fell to Kirk and he had all the time and space required to send the ball over the retreating shipyard defence and into the net. Eastvale then took the lead in the 28th minute with a fantastic strike from Cramb. When the ball was chested down to him he unleashed a powerful drive from 25yards that gave Chalmers no chance. Small set up Russell again a few minutes later but Kinnear was out quick to block. The Shipyard drew level in the 35th minute through an Owen McCue penalty, awarded after a J. Williams cross was handled in the box. T. Williams shot wide for the Shipyard and at the other end Whyte done well to get in the way of a goal bound shot. Eastvale had a good opportunity in the 42nd minute when Cramb broke free of the Shipyard defence, but Chalmers was on hand to block his shot and the ball was cleared for a corner. Right on the stroke of half-time T. Williams headed just over from a McCue corner.
Scott Chalmers was the first keeper called into action in the second half when he held a curling shot from the left hand side. In the 57th minute a break from the Shipyard saw McCue play a one-two with Russell but his shot lacked the power to trouble the keeper. In the 61st minute Chalmers pulled off a tremendous save from Kirk, diving low to his right to turn the ball away for a corner. Eastvale had another chance in the 66th minute when a corner found its way to the back post, however, the free header drifted wide. A minute later the Shipyard went 3 – 2 ahead with a superbly worked goal. T. Williams, McCue and Small all linked to set up Shaun Leishman who took the pass, rounded the keeper and stroked the ball into the net. The Shipyard had their tails up now and Kinnear held a close range Cook header from a McCue corner. Small then burst down the right wing and passed to Russell whose left foot shot was held by the keeper. In the 74th minute a McCue shot tested Kinnear before the Shipyard scored another wonderful goal in the 77th minute to tie up the match. McCue and Small again were involved, this time setting up Steven McAndrew who smashed the ball across the keeper and into the far corner from the edge of the box. The match turned sour after this and Eastvale had two players sent off at the same time in the closing stages, for arguing with the referee about a decision that did not go their way. After the game manager Whitehead was delighted with the result and said “The quality of the goals we are scoring at the moment, not just tonight, is superb. Again we showed great character to come from behind and we deserved to win the match”.
Teams: Eastvale: Kinnear; Westwood; Laing; McLeish; Halley; Beaumont; Gillies; Forrester; Cramb; Craigie; Kirk. Subs: Smith; Peters.
Burntisland Shipyard: Chalmers; McAndrew; Hutt; Cook; Whyte; Small; T. Williams; Leishman; Russell (M. Hamilton); McCue; J. Williams (Dow). Unused Subs: S. Hamilton; Houston.
Referee: C Carrick.