Dunbar into cup final as Burgh tighten their grip on second spot
A MEMORABLE 4-1 semi-final victory over East of Scotland Football League (EOSFL) First Division leaders Dunipace in East Stirlingshire on Saturday earned Dunbar United a place in the East of Scotland (Qualifying) Cup final in which they will face Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts at a venue yet to be confirmed – it will be the Seasiders’ first final in senior football and a second for the county this season, with Tranent through to the Lowland League Cup final.
The Belters warmed up for their imminent double-header with East Kilbride with a good 2-1 league win away to Civil Service Strollers, while there was a third county success as Musselburgh Athletic kept up their winning run with the only goal of the game at home to Jeanfield Swifts strengthening their position in the EOSFL Premier Division.
Haddington Athletic picked up a point from a 2-2 Millfield draw with Dundonald Bluebell but there was defeat for Ormiston Primrose in the EOSFL Second Division as visitors Stirling University reserves scored three goals without reply. Preston Athletic had no fixture.
Tranent have the chance this Saturday to reach another cup final when they host East Kilbride at Foresters Park in a South Challenge Cup semi-final tie.
All the local clubs have cup ties at home – in the EOSFL League Cup second round, Musselburgh take on Sauchie Juniors, Haddington host Heriot-watt University, Dunbar have as guests Edinburgh United and Preston entertain Kinnoull; while in the King Cup, St Andrews United provide the opposition at Ormiston.
Dunbar and Preston have Tuesday-evening league outings to look forward to also, Dunbar at home to Dundonald Bluebell and Preston away at Vale of Leithen.
TRANENT Civil Service Strollers 1 Tranent 2
TRANENT’S 30th Lowland League fixture had them in north Edinburgh to take on Civil Service Strollers for the third time this season, seeking their first regulation-time victory in the series.
The Strollers were 1-0 winners at Foresters Park on Boxing Day, inflicting upon Tranent their first league defeat under Ian Little’s management after a long unbeaten run, then on February 20 in a League Cup tie, the teams had shared four goals equally at the same venue before Tranent won a penalty shootout.
The Belters knew, then, they would face a testing 90 minutes against mid-table Strollers, sat 12 points behind them in the league table.
A quiet opening period brought little incident of note, though the visitors had a slight edge and they began to up the pressure towards the first half’s midway point – Scott Mccrory-irving had a shot cleared on 16 minutes, then four minutes later provided a cross into the box which narrowly eluded Broque Watson.
With 23 minutes played, there was a close call at the other end as a volleyed Strollers effort went narrowly wide, then five minutes on, Tranent came close to the opener when Watson headed narrowly over the bar from Dean Brett’s inviting cross deep into the home penalty area.
The breakthrough came with 35 minutes on the clock, Watson and Kallum Higginbotham linking up well, moving the ball into the Strollers box – it fell into the path of Scott Gray, who fired his shot convincingly past the
home keeper. Gray’s goal had his team ahead by the narrowest margin at the break.
A brief hailstorm had thankfully died off before play resumed, and Tranent almost doubled their lead more or less straight from kickoff, Higginbotham setting up Watson one-onone with the Strollers keeper, but his shot was just wide.
Ten minutes later, Gray hit a volleyed effort on target but the keeper again was equal to it.
The busy Watson dragged a shot wide from a good position just past the hour mark before Cole for the hosts put a shot over the bar a couple of minutes later.
Strollers were level with 20 minutes remaining following a goalmouth scramble, Girdwood netting the equaliser to ensure a tense finish to the afternoon’s proceedings.
Tranent made four changes from the substitutes’ bench and, with four minutes remaining, one of the new men, Lennon Walker, came close with a speculative effort from outside the box. Then, in the 89th minute, another of the subs, Jamie Watson, took the credit for what would prove the winning goal, via a deflection off a home defender after the ball was delivered into the box.
The win left Tranent sitting in fourth position with four games left to play, 16 points behind East Kilbride, who needed just a point from their game at Strollers yesterday evening (Wednesday) to be crowned champions.
It is East Kilbride who provide Tranent’s opposition this Saturday at Foresters Park in the first of a major double-header – first up is the semi-final of the South Challenge Cup, with the winner up against either Cumbernauld Colts or Kirkintilloch Rob Roy in the final. Then next Sunday (April 7), the pair meet in the final of the Lowland League Cup at Cumbernauld.
In two meetings so far this season, each contestant has one win apiece – Tranent famously thrashed their visitors 7-0 in a Scottish Cup tie but were beaten 3-2 at K-park in the league
after leading 2-0 with 15 minutes left to play. Saturday’s outcome is not easily forecast.
MUSSELBURGH ATHLETIC Musselburgh 1 Jeanfield Swifts 0
MUSSELBURGH went into Saturday’s EOSFL Premier Division fixture with Jeanfield Swifts in excellent fettle, having moved into second spot in the table after collecting full points from their previous two fixtures, also at home against Hutchison Vale and Sauchie Juniors, both like Swifts very capable top-half teams.
Burgh held just a two-point advantage over their visitors, with the opportunity open to them, of course, to extend the gap and consolidate their league standing in the hope that long-time leaders Broxburn Athletic might just implode in the title run-in.
At a windy Olivebank, underfoot conditions added to the challenge facing both sets of players, each aware of the importance of the fixture and its outcome.
Burgh were without suspended top goalscorer Nathan Evans and, against good-quality opposition, they had to work hard from the outset in what proved a tense, closely contested affair. Conditions being as they were, the quality of the football on show was not of the highest standard but both teams battled gamely from the outset in what was never a less than intriguing 90 minutes.
Chances were at a premium but the vital breakthrough when it came favoured Musselburgh – they edged in front with seven minutes of the first half remaining when a free-kick was swung into the box from the left and Nicky Reid was able to take advantage when the ball fell to him on the edge of the six-yard box. Reid’s goal had his team ahead at the break, boosting them greatly ahead of another challenging 45 minutes.
Swifts came closest to an equaliser just five minutes into the second half but a fingertip save from Burgh keeper Daniel Laing prevented a goal and that would ultimately prove a pivotal point in proceedings.
The visitors did their utmost to try and find the equalising goal but Musselburgh were well-organised in all departments and dug deep to ensure they obtained the outcome they were after – this was no flowing end-to-end football classic but a battle of determination and grit, at the end of which the home team had passed their test with flying colours. Reid’s goal in the end was all that split the teams, with the three points gained giving Burgh a five-point advantage over Swifts in third.
With seven league games remaining, Burgh, with a game in hand, sit nine points behind Broxburn, whose confidence levels may just have dipped a little recently on the back of two successive defeats.
The odds are of course still stacked against a Musselburgh title but they will continue to look to pick up wins in the hope things might just turn in their favour.
This Saturday, attention turns to the League Cup and a second-round tie against Sauchie Juniors, who return to Olivebank less than a fortnight after losing 2-1 there on league business – at stake is a third-round tie at home to either Blackburn United or Bathgate Thistle.
HADDINGTON ATHLETIC Haddington 2 Dundonald Bluebell 2
HADDINGTON’S 25th EOSFL Premier Division outing was their first of the season against Dundonald Bluebell, the Millfield fixture rescheduled after being postponed back on December 2 due to a frost-bound pitch.
The sides had met as recently as February 3, however, when three Bluebell goals inside the first 15 minutes of the second half saw them overturn an interval deficit and secure Qualifying Cup progress with a 3-1 win.
After a welcome win seven days earlier against Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts ended a winless seven-game league run, Hi Hi’s boss Scott Bonar made just one enforced change to his starting XI, with Arran Ponton replacing Ross King at left-back after the first sendingoff of King’s career against Swifts for an injury-time handball offence.
With the teams sat next to one another in the middle of the league table, Bluebell ahead only on goal difference, though with fully five games in hand, a tight encounter was expected and that is what transpired.
Tom Davies had the afternoon’s first shot on goal in the fifth minute from just outside the Bluebell box but it flew high over the bar, with Bluebell’s first effort not long afterwards gathered safely by home keeper Dale Cornet.
There were few chances at either end but Haddington’s goal was threatened just before the 20-minute mark by a Bluebell free-kick taken just a few yards inside the Hi Hi’s half – the ball bounced awkwardly in front of Cornet, who had to turn it over the crossbar.
The goalkeeper, however, was beaten on 23 minutes when his clearance came back off a defender into the path of an opposition player, who quickly slipped the ball to Lumsden in space to finish confidently from just a few yards out.
The lead, though, would last less than two minutes – the Fifers could not clear their lines when a free-kick on the right was delivered into the box, allowing Corey Robertson the chance to cross: the cross presented uncertain Bluebell keeper Clark with problems near his front post and he could only push the ball
away into the path of Davies, who took full advantage.
A Dundonald free-kick in the 32nd minute was not far off target but it was Haddington who went in with a 2-1 lead at half-time after Guy Mcgarry found the net in the 40th minute, the ball slipped into his path by Davies, allowing him to round Clark and stroke the ball into the empty net.
Hesitant defending handed Bluebell a couple of chances to equalise just before half-time but the home goal survived.
The second half was barely five minutes old when the visitors drew level, Lumsden finding the net for the second time with a sharp finish from a ball played in from the right.
Just a couple of minutes later, Mcgarry was contentiously deemed offside when through one-on-one with the Bluebell keeper, then the visitors had a chance shortly afterwards which saw the ball just clear the bar.
Dundonald had the better of the second half play overall and there were a few anxious moments in the home goalmouth, with Cornet called into meaningful action more than once.
Their last chance of regulation time needed better than a low shot hit harmlessly in the home keeper’s direction, and moments later, with the game in its 90th minute, Haddington almost grabbed the three points but the ball was cleared off the line after coming off a defender’s heel, after Gary Windram did well keeping the ball in play on the left byeline.
Further Bluebell pressure over almost six minutes of injury time failed to yield the winner they desired and so a point apiece was the end outcome – on the basis of the second half’s balance of play, Haddington could be happier about this than their visitors.
Heriot-watt University are the visitors this week as Millfield hosts a match for the fifth successive Saturday, this time in the EOSFL League Cup. Promoted from the Second Division last May, the students are holding their own in the First Division and currently sit sixth in the table – they will provide difficult opposition as Haddington look to set up a third-round tie at home to either Dunbar United or Edinburgh United.
DUNBAR UNITED Dunipace 1 Dunbar United 4
UNBEATEN in seven outings since exiting the South Challenge Cup at Cumbernauld Colts’ hands on January 20, Dunbar were naturally in confident mood ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying Cup semi-final in Stirlingshire against EOSFL First Division leaders Dunipace, though conscious, of course, that their hosts themselves had been in excellent form in recent times and were sure to present a testing obstacle on the route to the final.
Seasiders’ boss Kevin Haynes made three changes to the team which had started the 1-1 draw away at Jeanfield Swifts seven days earlier – in came Liam Gregory, James Redpath and Brandon Archibald in place of Willis Hare, Ben Bathgate and Sean Stewart.
Strong winds prevailed at kick-off and, after winning the coin toss, Dunbar skipper Grant Thomson elected to play against the wind in the first half.
Dunipace started very positively and gave their visitors no time to settle before taking the lead in only the fourth minute, Kelly finishing
well from a cross played into the box.
Recovering quickly from this early setback, Dunbar had a chance through top scorer Taylor Hendry but home keeper Kane saved well with his legs, before Kyle Somers shot high over the bar.
Ten minutes later, Somers interlinked neatly with Michael Barfoot to set Brandon Archibald up for a superb curling shot which was deflected out of play for a corner.
Sean Brennan in the Dunbar goal earned his corn with a couple of important saves as Dunipace sought a second goal, while at the other end Somers again shot over the bar with the goal in his sights.
The equaliser came in the 27th minute when a searching ball from Barfoot found Gregory out on the right and he cut in before unleashing a fantastic shot into the top corner.
Gregory had the chance to send his team in at half-time with the lead but, with almost 45 minutes played, Kane did well to pull off a save and ensure it stayed all square.
Two minutes after play resumed, Dunipace might have restored their lead but Thomson on the line blocked Anderson’s side-footed effort from close range.
Five minutes later, Dunbar were ahead in unusual circumstances, Hendry gifted a goal after Kane slipped when looking to deal with a passback – the keeper subsequently had to go off injured.
Hendry minutes later volleyed the ball past Kane’s replacement following a Redpath freekick but was judged to have been in an offside position.
Gregory shot just wide following a nice flowing Dunbar move but, on 65 minutes, the visitors’ lead was extended when Hendry found the net from the edge of the box, the ball falling kindly for him after Barfoot’s progress was blocked by a tackle.
Thirteen minutes from time, Hendry ought to have had his hat-trick but somehow scooped his shot over the bar when set up by Redpath – in the end, though, Dunbar progressed to their first cup final since June 2000 with a three-goal winning margin, substitute
Bathgate claiming their fourth in the second minute of injury time.
In the other semi-final, relegation-threatened Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts shocked favourites Broxburn Athletic with a 2-1 win in West Lothian.
Dunbar, by virtue of a superior Premier Division standing, will be strongly fancied by many to win the trophy, but Swifts’ semi-final win proves they cannot be taken lightly.
This week’s focus is on an EOSFL League Cup second-round tie against Edinburgh United at New Countess Park – the Capital outfit are in a sticky position near the bottom of the Second Division table and so Dunbar start firm favourites to secure an away tie against either Haddington Athletic or Heriot-watt University in the third round.
PRESTON ATHLETIC
WHILE the majority of their contemporaries have had at least five competitive fixtures across the month of March, Preston have been sidelined for much of the time.
Their only Saturday action to date took place four weeks ago when they were 4-1 winners at Newburgh in an EOSFL League Cup firstround tie – they had no fixture allocated on March 9, saw a home game against Kirkcaldy & Dysart called off due to a waterlogged pitch a fortnight ago, then again had no fixture allocated the weekend past.
They did manage a 4-2 midweek home win against Vale of Leithen on March 19, and they are set to fulfil the reverse fixture with a visit to Innerleithen on Tuesday.
All being well, they will fulfil their League Cup second-round tie at home to Kinnoull on Saturday, a tie which on the face of things gives them a reasonable chance of reaching the third round. The visitors were promoted from the First Division last May but have found the going exceptionally tough upstairs and, having accrued a meagre five points, are near-certainties to be facing Preston on league business again in 2024-25.
Tuesday’s league game then presents the opportunity to add another three points to their league tally in the hope of at least ensuring a top-half finish – the Vale look increasingly likely to go through their entire campaign without securing a solitary league point, but Preston will tread suitably warily.
Ormiston Primrose 0 Stirling University reserves 3
DESPITE the time of the season, Saturday’s was only Ormiston’s seventh home league fixture of 15 in the EOSFL Second Division – this, of course, is due to the lengthy spell from October onwards during which their New Recreation Park pitch saw many games called off due to waterlogging.
Their results over recent weeks have been broadly encouraging – in their last outing eight days earlier, they had led Armadale Thistle in West Lothian for much of the game before going down to two late goals, their performance giving cause for hope they could compete against the students of Stirling University reverses.
Memorably, they had won the reverse fixture at Stenhousemuir on the opening day of the season 5-4 – with their fight against the drop to the Third Division likely to intensify in the weeks ahead, they went into Saturday’s match hopeful of adding to their points tally, conscious of their visitors’ inconsistency.
However, it was ultimately not to be, their guests running out 3-0 winners in the end.
Ormiston are set this Saturday to host First Division high-fliers St Andrews United in the third round of the King Cup, the competition contested by EOSFL clubs outside the Premier Division.
With the Saints in the hunt for a second successive promotion, they will be strong favourites to progress in most eyes, but recent seasons’ contests between the teams have for the most part been reasonably close.