Shipyard record fine victory.
Most people would no doubt have been surprised by this result but if the truth be told, the only surprise was that the margin of the Shippy’s victory was only 1-0. It should definitely have been two, the Shipyard were denied a perfectly good goal by the assistant’s flag, and it might have been three or four given the chances that went a begging. The Shipyard arrived at Saughton Enclosure with a depleted squad with Ross Lennie and Scott Powrie out injured following the Bo’ness game. Dean Anderson, Rab Kinnaird, Callum McAulay, Tom Graham and JP McPhail were also missing for various reasons.
Lothian were on top in terms of possession in the first half hour but neither keeper had been called into action other than when Shippy keeper Ryan Adamson held an in-swinging free-kick from Rees Smith. The Shipyard took the lead in the 32nd minute through Johnny Galloway when the young midfielder gathered a fine pass inside the Lothian box. Although Kevan Swain blocked his first effort Galloway was able to knock the loose ball into the unguarded goal. It should have been 2-0 three minutes later when Johnny Galloway again knocked the ball in after Robbie Crawford’s excellent strike came back off the post. However, the Shippy joy was short-lived when the assistant unbelievably flagged for offside, though Galloway was clearly onside when the initial shot was struck. The Shipyard had a penalty claim turned down in the 38th minute and again it was Johnny Galloway who was giving the hosts problems. Galloway was in the thick of the action once more with a slide rule pass that set up Reece Brown but the striker shot wide from a good position.
Johnny Galloway scored the Shippy winner.
The Shipyard continued to press at the start of the second half and Brown maybe should have been more selfish and took on the shot rather than squaring the ball into the box where Lothian were able to clear the danger. A Reece Bernard effort was held by Swain as the Shippy continued to take the game to the hosts. Stuart Cooper missed a decent opportunity for Lothian when he could not find the target from close range following a corner, while at the other end Brown saw his fierce shot saved at the expense of a corner. Another Shipyard corner in the 73rd minute was begging to be knocked home as the ball travelled all the way across the face of goal. Lothian made a double substitution with 15 minutes remaining as they changed both strikers in an effort to put some pressure on the Shipyard defence. The changes had an effect as the home team pushed for an equaliser and started creating chances. Smith headed over though it looked like Adamson may have got a touch on the ball. Connor McDonald had a couple of attempts in the closing minutes but on both occasions, he could not find the target.
The Shipyard were able to see out the remaining minutes without further ado and in the process deservedly gathered their first three league points of the season at a venue that has never been kind to the Shipyard in the past. Saturday (06/10/2018) see’s the Shippy on the road again with Forester Park, Tranent being the destination for a League Conference B match against Tranent Juniors.
Lothian Thistle HV: K. Swain, D. Moore, R. Smith, S. Cooper, G. Munro, C. McGregor, L. O’Donnell, K. Brown, O. Ali (R. Hutchison), M. Smith (F. Mendes), C. McDonald. Unused Subs: K. Wilson, S. Wringe, C. O’Brien, C. Begbie, R. Dixon.
Burntisland Shipyard: R. Adamson, C. Simpson, S. Glancy, R. O’Donnell, P. Bell (A. Trialist), S. Strang, Jor. Galloway, R. Bernard, R. Brown, Jon. Galloway. Unused Subs: B. Trialist, S. Innes, M. Jarrett.
Referee: I. Snedden.