Late Strang counter earns Shippy a point.
A late strike from substitute Sandy Strang earned the Shipyard a well-deserved point in a six-goal thriller at Paties Road Stadium on Saturday, however, there was still disappointment in the Shippy camp as they really should have left with all three points. Once again poor defending was the source of frustration as the hosts went in at the interval 3-1 ahead, that being said, credit has to go to the player as they showed great character in the second half and only the width of the post denied them victory. There was a debut for Darrell Anthony as he joined up with his brother Ben in the Shipyard starting eleven but that addition to the squad was tempered as Iain Millar was serving a one match suspension.
The Shippy took the lead with only two minutes on the clock as a Sam Glancy strike from the edge of the area beat United keeper Ash Tufail at his near post. Unfortunately for the visitors the lead only lasted six minutes as Brian Breen turned a Sonny Swanson shot into his own net. The Shipyard could have regained the lead in the 12th minute but Reece Brown shot wide of the open goal. The Shippy were hit with a sucker punch in the 21st minute as the hosts broke up the park and took the lead. Good play between Stephen Scott and Euan Lee created the chance and when the ball wasn’t cleared Scott was on hand to knock the ball home. The Shipyard were still on the front foot and in the ascendancy but could not find an equaliser and shortly before half-time there was close calls at both ends as firstly Scott missed a great chance for United and at the other end Tufail held a fierce Darrell Anthony shot. Deep in added time the Shipyard shot themselves in the foot as they needlessly conceded possession in their own half and Scott set up Shaun Meikle who slotted the ball home.
Manager Stuart Innes did not mince his words at the interval and it seemed to have the desired effect when Reece Brown went close on two occasions as firstly, he fired a shot across the face of goal and he was unlucky in the 51st minute to see his effort come back off the post. The pressure paid off as the Shippy were awarded a penalty in the 57th minute when Scott Hay fouled Ben Anthony in the box. The striker dusted himself down and confidently converted from the spot. Corey Robertson kept his team in the lead with a brilliant goal line clearance to deny Darrell Anthony. The Shipyard were well on top though United’s Scott had a rare chance for the hosts before the Shippy got their just rewards. In the 89th minute a dangerous cross was not properly cleared and when the ball broke to Strang he gleefully smashed the ball home to get his team level. Another five minutes and who knows what might have happened but ultimately it was the concession of poor goals that cost points again. Shortly after the final whistle some players clashed as they left the pitch and the outcome was that a red card was shown to Gavin Ross and it was very disappointing that he was singled out for punishment given the nature of the incident.
The Shipyard host Dunipace FC at Recreation Park on Saturday (25/01/20) with the match kicking off at 2.00pm.
Edinburgh United: A. Tufail, T. Black, C. Robertson, S. Hay (C. Henderson), R. Kerr, S. Meikle (J. Finnie), S. Miller (J. Smith), E. Lee, S. Swanson, D. McKinlay, S. Scott. Unused Subs: C. Hanratty, M. Maughan, C. Coppola.
Burntisland Shipyard: M. Gibb, R. O’Donnell, B. Breen, D. Hunter, G. Ross, S. Glancy, D. Allan (B. Hutchison), R. Lennie (S. Strang), B. Anthony, D. Anthony, R. Brown.
Referee: S. Wilson.