Injuries continue to pile up as Shippy lose.
The Shipyard’s injury woes continued at the Oriam as loanee Declan Turner (knee) and Mikey Gibb (hamstring) both joined the lengthening queue for the treatment table. Add in CJ. Thomson temporarily leaving the field with a bloodied nose and Kai Beard coming off after not recovering from a head knock and you get the extent of the Shippy’s woes in the 4-1 defeat to Edinburgh College. The Shipyard were the architects of their own downfall as some sloppy defending gifted the college their first three goals and an unfortunate own goal only rubbed salt into the wound.
Cole Miller was called into action early on as the dived to push a shot round the post as the hosts started the game on the front foot. The young goalie was beaten a minute later when Blair Ramage was given all the time and space he needed to head home a cross from the left-hand side. Harris Kay saw his free kick from 25 yards drift wide of the target in the 21st minute. Lee Richardson was forced to make an early change to the formation and it seemed to work as the Shippy were able to get on the ball a bit more though it was still the hosts that created the clearer chances. A ball across the face of goal was deflected out for a corner and in the 25th minute Kyle Robertson failed to control a cross when in a decent position. Kris Murphy found space in the box but the big strikers shot was straight at keeper Brandyn Bain. Edinburgh went two ahead in the 36th minute and it was calamitous as far as the Shippy were concerned when a long punt up the park was not dealt with and Ramage easily converted his second of the game. CJ. Thomson saw his low drive held before the Shipyard pulled a goal back in the 41st minute. A corner fell to Ethan Bauld and the big defender lashed the ball into the net from around 15 yards. Unfortunately for the Shippy they conceded again on the stroke of half-time when the College winger had acres of space to gather the ball and pick out his teammate in the centre of goal and Robertson made no mistake from eight yards.
Miller saved a shot from distance in the 48th minute before Beard left the field and not long after Turner had to be helped off after he was the victim of a late challenge near the halfway line as he broke forward. Young Miller was doing all he could to keep his team in it and he saved well low down from a Ramage header. Dan Thomson and Evan Stanfield linked well but the former was unable to get is powerful attempt on target from a tight angle. The Shipyard conceded a fourth with ten minutes remaining thanks to an unfortunate own goal. A cross from the right beat Miller but hit the far post, however, trialist Owen Greenlaw was unable to keep the ball out despite his valiant attempt to do so. Gibb had a couple of chances before his injury as his looping header drifted over the bar and he went even closer when his shot was parried up in the air by the keeper and looked to be heading over the line until a last ditch clearance from a defender kept the ball out.
On Wednesday evening we face Newburgh Juniors at Recreation Park with the match kicking off at 7.30pm.
Edinburgh College: B. Bain; M. Snedden; L. Alexander; K. Robertson; S. El Yamani; B. Ramage; L. Graham; G. Yau; K. McPherson; A. Sloan; S. Murray. Subs: J. Caddow; G. Balde; M. Robertson; C. Gaff.
Burntisland Shipyard: C. Miller; D. Turner (O. Greenlaw); E. McQuade; E. Bauld; M. Gibb; H. Kay; E. Stanfield (C. Palmer); K. Beard (C. Lewis); K. Murphy; CJ. Thomson; D. Thomson. Unused Sub: L. Malone.
Referee: R. Kay.