Shock defeat likely ends Burgh’s hopes of lifting the league title
FORTUNES this past week for East Lothian clubs have been a little mixed – while four of the county’s senior clubs have tasted victory, there were also four defeats.
Lowland League Cup winners Tranent picked up just one point from a possible six in the wake of their trophy success, drawing 1-1 with Albion Rovers at Foresters Park last Wednesday evening before losing to the only goal at Linlithgow Rose on Saturday, while Musselburgh Athletic were on the wrong end of one of the season’s biggest upsets at Olivebank at the weekend as they went down by the odd goal in three in their East of Scotland Football League (EOSFL) Premier Division contest with bottom side Kinnoull.
Haddington Athletic enjoyed a 7-0 Millfield romp against Glenrothes, while Dunbar United, after a fine 3-2 win away to Hutchison Vale last Wednesday, were beaten by championselect Broxburn Athletic at New Countess Park on Tuesday evening, by two goals to one.
On Saturday, Preston Athletic were defeated for the fourth time this season by Arniston Rangers, who won 5-3 at the Pennypit, where on Tuesday evening the Panners bounced back with a 4-2 League Cup success against Kinnoull after extra time.
In the EOSFL Second Division, Ormiston Primrose claimed a vital three points with a 3-1 away win against Dalkeith Thistle on Saturday – they were scheduled to visit Peebles Rovers yesterday evening (Wednesday).
Tranent have Lowland League champions East Kilbride as guests at Foresters Park for their penultimate outing of 2023-24 on Saturday as the pair clash for the fifth time this season. There are away fixtures in the Premier Division for Musselburgh at Crossgates Primrose and Dunbar at Luncarty, with Haddington sidelined until Tuesday evening, when they host Dunbar in a League Cup thirdround derby. Preston are at Whitehill Welfare for a League Cup third-round tie, while Ormiston have St Andrews United as visitors in a delayed King Cup tie at the same stage.
Tuesday is a busy evening – besides the Haddington-dunbar derby, there are three league fixtures involving East Lothian teams. Musselburgh are at Penicuik Athletic, Preston host Kirkcaldy & Dysart, and Ormiston look to set about their backlog of fixtures with a visit from Tweedmouth Rangers.
TRANENT Tranent 1 Albion Rovers 1 Linlithgow Rose 1 Tranent 0
TRANENT’S first match as holders of the Lowland League Cup, won three days earlier in dramatic fashion following a successful penalty shootout against East Kilbride at Broadwood Stadium, saw them host another Lanarkshire outfit in Albion Rovers, paying their first ever visit to East Lothian.
The Coatbridge side occupy a mid-table spot as they adjust to life outside the SPFL after last May’s relegation, and had hosted the Belters twice earlier in the season – Rovers were 2-0 winners in an SPFL Trust Trophy tie in August but Ian Little’s men turned things around when they visited on league business six weeks later at the end of September.
With Foresters Park on the damp side, an afternoon pitch inspection was required to determine if the game could proceed.
Little made three changes to his cup-winning XI – in came Spencer Moreland, John Ward and Jamie Watson, replacing Dean
Brett, Scott Gray and Kallum Higginbotham.
A relatively quiet start saw the visitors create the best openings – they had a shot just wide on 12 minutes, five minutes before Broque Watson forced a save from their keeper at the other end.
Chances remained scarce until Tranent took the lead from the penalty spot with 36 minutes played, Broque Watson netting after he had been fouled in the box.
Prince levelled things for the Rovers just five minutes after the break and there would be no more scoring over the remainder of a relatively low-key evening.
On Saturday, Tranent travelled to Linlithgow Rose for their final away fixture of the campaign. The Rose succeeded Tranent as EOSFL champions in 2023 and had adapted reasonably well to fifth-tier life, sitting seventh with 10 points fewer than their visitors.
Boss Little made four changes to the Tranent starting XI but, within five minutes of kickoff, they found themselves a goal behind after Rose striker Sneddon opened the scoring from six yards out after a well-worked move.
Tranent had a let-off when a stray pass was intercepted in a dangerous position midway inside their own half, but the Linlithgow man could not make the most of it when he shot straight at keeper Kelby Mason.
Tranent came close to equalising on a few occasions but their luck was out – a goalline clearance denied them the leveller, then Brett’s effort just cleared the bar, while the Rose keeper was called into action a few times.
There was nothing much wrong with Tranent’s overall performance but they were unable to find the net – the same story prevailed across the afternoon, though there were a few near things around Mason’s goal too as Linlithgow looked to double their lead.
Ultimately, Sneddon’s early goal proved decisive. The goalscorer was dismissed late in the
game after collecting a second booking.
Tranent’s penultimate league fixture this Saturday sees them welcoming East Kilbride to Foresters Park for the third time this season, with their visitors having now clinched the title. The Belters are keen to end a relatively successful season on a high and, with each side having come out on top twice in the four meetings to date, would like to tip the balance in their favour.
MUSSELBURGH ATHLETIC Musselburgh Athletic 1 Kinnoull 2
MUSSELBURGH’S 24th EOSFL Premier Division fixture on Saturday saw them welcome Kinnoull to Olivebank.
Given they had lost only two of their previous 23 – both far back on August 1 and September 5 – while their Perth visitors had accrued a meagre five points following last May’s promotion and had occupied bottom spot all season, a home win seemed on the face of things more or less a sure outcome.
With Burgh eager to keep up a little pressure on long-time leaders Broxburn Athletic in the hope of a late falter from the West Lothian side, and Kinnoull destined for a prompt return to the First Division, the odds on a home win were decidedly short.
When Aiden Walsh gave Musselburgh an early lead in the fourth minute of the match, Olivebank spectators’ expectations naturally were positive. It was not to be, however, and despite a number of opportunities, Burgh went in at the interval just the one goal ahead.
Kinnoull, despite their poor league record, presented stuffy opposition, causing no little frustration in the home ranks.
The second half turned out to be as disappointing a 45 minutes as Burgh supporters have had to contend with in a while, as their favourites ultimately conceded all three points. Kinnoull appeared shorn of the gloom which has enveloped their playing fortunes throughout a very difficult campaign, and they shocked their hosts with a quickfire goal double from which Burgh never recovered. First Robertson drew the Perth men level with 58 minutes played, then barely two minutes later, keeper Daniel Laing was beaten again as Mackenzie edged them into a shock lead.
With half an hour remaining, there was still lots of time for Musselburgh to turn things around, but they just could not find the break they needed – their defeat was one of the biggest upsets in the EOSFL this season.
With Broxburn winning at Dunbar on Tuesday to extend their lead to 13 points, they now need just five more from their four remaining fixtures to clinch the title.
Realistically, the best Musselburgh can achieve now is the runners-up spot, but they will have to quickly bounce back from last week’s disappointment if they are to do so – they have two potentially testing away fixtures to contend with next. On Saturday, they are due in Fife to take on relegation-threatened Crossgates Primrose, then on Tuesday Penicuik Athletic await their presence – the Midlothian side will be hoping to atone for a 6-2 thumping at Olivebank early in the season.
HADDINGTON ATHLETIC Haddington Athletic 7 Glenrothes 0
A FORTNIGHT on from their previous outing, Haddington returned to action with an EOSFL Premier Division fixture against Glenrothes, paying their first league visit since the sides’ final meeting in Junior football in 2017/18.
When the teams met in Fife at the end of September, Gabri Auriemma gave the Hi His all three points with the game’s only goal – many anticipated another tight affair this time around, with the Glens battling to avoid relegation back to the First Division after just one season upstairs.
Haddington’s starting line-up showed two changes – in came Auriemma and youngster Brandyn Neil, the 17-year-old deployed in a midfield role, replacing absentee Gary Windram and Riley Haston, named among the substitutes. Glenrothes arrived short on numbers, with their management team forced to draft in a few of their under-20s.
The action kicked off in appalling weather conditions as an extremely heavy shower made things tricky for players.
There had not been many chances at either end when the course of events took an unexpected turn, Glenrothes defender Smart shown a red card with little more than quarter of an hour played – the referee, on his assistant’s say so, judged Smart guilty of a handling offence denying a goalscoring opportunity, though the incident took place just yards inside the visitors’ half, with Tom Davies potentially having a one-on-one.
Not long afterwards, Haddington edged in front, Auriemma producing a neat angled finish from deep inside the penalty area in the 21st minute after Ali Simpson played the ball into his path.
Haddington’s second goal came just past the half-hour mark, when the recently prolific Davies continued his scoring streak. The midseason signing from Arniston Rangers’ initial effort was blocked by Glens keeper Conner at his near post, but his second attempt found the net via the inside of the back post.
Haddington extended their advantage in the
fifth minute of the second half as left-back Ross King found the net for the first time in 14 months in some style. Conner had come off his line to deny Auriemma but the loose ball fell to King, who guided the ball into an empty net from nearly 30 yards.
Teenager Haston was introduced to the action shortly afterwards and ought to have made it 4-0 but shot straight at Conner from a good position – within two minutes, he had redeemed himself somewhat with a searching crossfield pass which found Davies on the left – his shot beat the Glens keeper, who ought really to have done better.
Haston passed up on two more good chances before his team went five up on 76 minutes when Davies completed his first Hi Hi’s hattrick, but the 18-year-old got his name on the scoresheet with 10 minutes left with a freekick hit low from distance through the beleaguered Conner. Davies rounded things off with his fourth and Haddington’s seventh a couple of minutes later – several chances to net an eighth were not taken.
Haddington focus currently is on their next match, Tuesday’s League Cup third-round tie at home to Dunbar United. At stake is a quarter-final at home to Crossgates Primrose on May 18. Having lost all four county derbies in the Premier Division this season, there is a real desire at Millfield to redress the balance.
Hutchison Vale 2 Dunbar United 3 Dunbar United 1 Broxburn Athletic 2
HAVING negotiated their way unbeaten through their nine previous fixtures since a 1-0 Challenge Cup defeat at the hands of Cumbernauld Colts on January 20, Dunbar were in confident mood ahead of last Wednesday evening’s EOSFL Premier Division affair against third-placed Hutchison Vale.
Conditions at Ainslie Park were far from ideal, with driving rain and strong winds.
The Seasiders found themselves a goal behind when their Capital hosts opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Morrison, but they recovered quickly and might have had a penalty five minutes later when Michael Barfoot appeared to be impeded.
On 19 minutes, only brilliant goalkeeping from Vale custodian Meek denied Kyle Somers the equaliser, the keeper somehow managing to touch his goal-bound header onto the bar. From the corner, a goal-line clearance initially kept Dunbar out but Bob Berry headed in the equaliser from the rebound.
Viola should have restored the home lead minutes later but, with only United keeper Sean Brennan to beat, blazed his shot wildly off target, and the visitors took advantage when they went in front on 37 minutes – from a free-kick for a foul on top scorer Taylor Hendry just outside the box, Barfoot found Hendry, who stroked the ball into the net.
Conditions were no better after the break, with the Seasiders now playing with the wind at their backs, and their opponents drew level on 58 minutes, Wringe netting from eight yards after Brennan had parried the ball into his path from a fierce 20-yard strike.
Dunbar boss Kevin Haynes made a triple change from the bench and, with 18 minutes remaining, Liam Gregory was unfortunate to see a shot come back off the post with Meek
beaten. Six minutes later, however, Gregory linked up well with Gordon Harris on the left before the latter’s cross was met at the near post by Hendry, who restored the Dunbar lead.
Dylan Tait almost doubled the advantage in injury time but the Seasiders were more than satisfied with a fine 3-2 win against strong opposition in very challenging conditions.
On Tuesday evening, Broxburn Athletic visited New Countess Park hoping to avenge the 3-0 defeat inflicted upon them at their Albyn Park base by Dunbar, the first of only two league defeats all season for a team who, following second-placed Musselburgh’s shock weekend defeat at Kinnoull’s hands, were closer to clinching the title.
A fairly cagey first half brought little goalmouth excitement. Not long past the half-hour mark, Hendry shot over the bar with only Broxburn’s keeper to beat, then on 38 minutes the visitors had the ball in the Seasiders’ net following a free-kick but the referee chalked the ‘goal’ off for an infringement.
Sean Stewart struck the Broxburn crossbar from fully 30 yards seconds before the referee’s whistle signalled half-time.
Once more, weather conditions deteriorated as the second half got under way, driving rain and hail making things difficult. Brennan in the home goal did well on several occasions but he was beaten just past the hour mark when the unmarked Douglas hooked the ball into the net. Two minutes later, home skipper Grant Thomson headed inches wide from a Barfoot free-kick, then Nimmo spurned a great chance to double the Broxburn lead when shooting wide with just Brennan to beat.
Hendry, then Harris, came close to a home leveller, before Brennan kept Dunbar in the game with a great save from Brass.
Four minutes from time, though, Broxburn’s lead doubled, Millar snapping up a headed chance from close range after Brennan stopped a swerving 30-yard free kick from former Tranent and Haddington midfielder Alassan Jones. Brandon Archibald pulled back a consolation goal in the 90th minute but Dunbar’s unbeaten run came to an end.
On Saturday, the Seasiders travel north of Perth to take on a Luncarty side pushing hard
to prevent an immediate return to the First Division both teams left behind with promotion last May, then on Tuesday evening they have a much shorter journey when they visit Haddington Athletic for a League Cup third-round tie – a home fixture with Crossgates Primrose in the last eight is the winner’s prize.
PRESTON ATHLETIC Preston Athletic 3 Arniston Rangers 5 Preston Athletic 4 Kinnoull 2 (aet)
PRESTON moved into the final third of their EOSFL First Division campaign on Saturday with a visit from Arniston Rangers, against whom they had already suffered defeat three times this season, despite the Gorebridge outfit sitting below them in the table having only come up from the Second Division last season.
Preston had early chances through Liam Mcintosh and Jack Gillan. It was Arniston, however, who claimed first blood on the quarter-hour mark, Burrows beating keeper Robbie Stirling with an audacious overhead kick.
Preston were level on 28 minutes through Ano Subasic, who had only to tap the ball into an empty net after great work by Buster Briggs. Arniston then went in front again on 38 minutes with a header from Moore, but a breathless first half ended with the teams level after Preston responded immediately – Briggs headed home a Michael Mcfarlane cross.
Brittle defending proved Preston’s undoing in the second half as their visitors completed a clean sweep of 2023-24 victories over them. Former Preston midfielder Mikey Hamilton punished the first instance of unwise hesitation in the penalty area in the 51st minute, then eight minutes later another lapse allowed Burrows to double the Arniston advantage.
Twenty minutes from time, a great save from Rangers custodian Anderson denied Briggs a goal from a brilliant volley on the turn – play then switched quickly to the opposite end and Hamilton made the score 5-2. Briggs rounded off the afternoon’s scoring with a Preston penalty near the end.
The Panners had a quick opportunity to bounce back when on Tuesday they hosted Kinnoull in a League Cup second-round tie.
With 10 minutes played, Preston opened the scoring when Liam Mccathie’s cross was diverted into his own net by an unfortunate Kinnoull defender. The teams would, though, end the first half on level terms, the visitors’ Mackenzie netting the equaliser on 38 minutes.
Briggs restored the home lead with another penalty early in the second half and it might have been 3-1 on the hour but Ben Weekes’ headed effort came back off the bar.
Kinnoull were reduced to 10 men with a quarter of an hour left after Bernard’s bad challenge on Subasic was punished with a red card, but with four minutes remaining they equalised from the penalty spot and so extra time was called for to decide the victors.
Weekes claimed the final touch for Preston’s third goal five minutes into the first half of extra time, and Gillan’s calm finish five minutes into the second half secured his team a third-round tie away to Whitehill Welfare this Saturday, following which they have another league fixture on Tuesday evening at home to Kirkcaldy & Dysart.
ORMISTON PRIMROSE Dalkeith Thistle 1 Ormiston Primrose 3
AFTER all the weather and waterlogging tribulations they have endured over the past few months, Ormiston now have embarked on a busy period as they look to begin catching up on their inevitable fixture backlog.
Of the three teams in the EOSFL Second Division drop zone at present, their picture before Saturday’s visit to Dalkeith Thistle looked the brightest. Realistically, their target is to overhaul fourth-bottom Tweedmouth Rangers – Primrose boss Richie Weir is sure to have tried to instil in his team the belief that they can repeat their achievement last season in maintaining a Second Division presence.
Weather conditions at King’s Park were dreadful, with a howling gale and driving horizontal rain making things decidedly challenging. Playing against the wind, Ormiston took the lead in the 17th minute when Chris Hogg’s corner was headed back across the face of goal by Guy Kerr and in stepped Zac Scally to head home from close range.
The lead, though, lasted barely three minutes, Thistle centre-half Lennie levelling in not dissimilar circumstances.
There was never a lot in it but Ormiston crucially regained the lead midway through the second half when Scally side-footed home their second following good play on the left.
Then, in the 89th minute, after the ball had ricocheted around the Thistle penalty area, it fell to Pol Adrian in a promising position – the youngster’s effort trundled over the line to ensure a priceless three points for his team.
After yesterday evening’s visit to Peebles Rovers, bringing to a close the second third of the league campaign, Ormiston are in cup action this Saturday when First Division title challengers St Andrews United visit for a King Cup third-round tie.
Then on Tuesday evening, Tweedmouth Rangers are due to visit New Recreation Park for a league fixture potentially crucial in both sides’ battle to avoid Third Division football in 2024-25.