Big win for the Shippy as it gets tight at the bottom of the league.
The Shipyard secured the victory required to keep their season alive and did so in fine fashion with a deserved 2-0 win over Lochore Welfare at Central Park on Saturday. A fantastic long-range strike from Jordan Galloway and a penalty from Jack Wilson was the difference between the teams, though in all honesty the Shippy could and should have had another couple given the good chances they created. There was a spirited determination and fight about the Shippy to win the battle first, and they did that, allowing them to produce the quality to get the three points needed. Scott Costello and Ben Anthony were suspended, Craig Watt and Raymond Crichton were injured while Sam Glancy and Ryan O’Donnell were unavailable.
There was a rare start for Cammy Lewis and he almost made his presence felt within five minutes as his shot was blocked following a good turn in the box. Ewan Sutherland shot wide from the edge of the area as the Welfare had their first attempt in the 13th minute. Lochore keeper Dale Wotherspoon did well to block a Rhys Wardlaw shot at the expense of a corner, however, there was nothing he could do to stop the Shippy taking the lead in the 24th minute. Galloway gathered the ball in the centre of the field and drove forward before driving the ball in off the post to send the large Shipyard support into raptures. The hosts enjoyed a decent spell of pressure around the half hour mark though Mikey Couser in the Shippy goals was not seriously troubled. More good work from Lewis created another chance for the Shipyard but Dan Thomson’s shot was blocked by Wotherspoon. Just on the half-time whistle the visitors struggled to clear the ball out their area and on the back of that a Lochore penalty claim was waved away by the referee after a coming together in the box.
Lewis and Wardlaw had been linking well and they combined again on the hour mark but a combination of the keeper and a defender denied Wardlaw. Lochore appealed for a penalty again, this time for handball, with twenty minutes remaining but once again the referee wasn’t interested. A deep cross had Couser back pedalling and he was relieved to see the ball drift over his crossbar. The Shipyard were awarded a penalty with seven minutes remaining when Wotherspoon upended substitute Robbie MacAulay just inside the box. Although a Welfare defender seemed to dispossess the Shippy man the keeper clearly took him out as he threw himself at the ball. Wilson stepped up and smashed the ball home to give his team an important two goal advantage. A Joe Kirby free kick that flew wide was Lochore’s last opportunity as the Shippy comfortably saw out the final few minutes to secure the vital three points. We now have the Shippy, Lochore and Coldstream all locked on 28 points with the Shipyard having the best goal difference and currently out of the relegation zone by virtue of that. However, Lochore have a game in hand against title contenders Kinnoull, in Perth, on Tuesday night and a win for the Welfare could change everything once again.
On Saturday we welcome Rosyth Juniors to Burntisland while Coldstream and Lochore face off in the borders at the same time. It promises to be a nail biting climax to the season with two of the three teams mentioned joining Kennoway in the second division. Kick-off on Saturday is at 2.30pm.
Lochore Welfare: D. Wotherspoon, C. Bell (S. Cusick); E. Anderson; M. Christie; P. Thomson; L. Donaldson; J. Dawson; E. Sutherland; J. Kirby; L. Thomson; G. Page (C. Murray). Unused Subs: S. Warrender & J. Crowe.
Burntisland Shipyard: M. Couser; M. James; J. Wilson; L. Ross; I. Millar; S. Orrock (S. Strang); D. Thomson; D. Anthony; R. Wardlaw (R. MacAuley); C. Lewis; J. Galloway (S. Keatings). Unused Subs: A. Brown & D. Pierce.
Referee: S. Gill.