ALL THE JUNIOR FOOTBALL ACTION
Campbell inspires Blackburn to hit four
It was a perfect weekend for West Lothian’s three East of Scotland teams as they all grabbed maximum points.
Blackburn United clinched just their second league victory of their maiden senior campaign with a fine away win at Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.
Elsewhere, Broxburn Athletic kept up their perfect start to life in Conference C with a 3-1 home triumph over Heriot Watt University and it was easy street for Linlithgow Rose thanks to a convincing 5-0 victory in front of their home fans against Preston Athletic.
United have struggled in the early stages of the season but they controlled their clash at Inverkeithing from first whistle to last.
They squandered several chances to take the lead before eventually getting themselves in front on the 20-minute mark when Craig Young was on hand at the back post to tap home after Scott Wright miss-hit a Danny Campbell pass across the face of goal.
Hillfield Swifts created their first chance of the contest after half an hour when Michael Browne had to be alert to clear the ball off the line.
The visitors doubled their lead before the interval when the always dangerous Campbell raced on to a looping pass over the top from Young to delicately lift the ball over the onrushing keeper and into the net.
The third arrived in the early stages of the second half as United’s dominance began to be accurately reflected in the scoreline with Richie Hutton’s glancing header nestling in the net.
Swifts did pull one back against the run of play just before the hour-mark when John Francis headed home from a corner-kick.
However, normal service soon resumed with United enjoying the majority of the play. They were frustrated in their efforts to net a fourth,
though, until injury-time when Wright was hauled to the ground inside the box, with Young stroking the spot-kick home to round off the scoring.
Broxburn Athletic made it six league wins from six at home to Heriot Watt University.
They got off to a perfect start, sitting 2-0 up at after 20 minutes thanks to goals from Gordon Donaldson and Ross Nimmo.
Conor Kelly passed up a glorious chance to put the game beyond doubt just five minutes into the second half when he was brought down in the box, then saw his penalty attempt saved by Calum Reid.
He would get his name on the scoresheet on 71 minutes, though, when he raced on to a Nimmo pass before rounding the keeper.
The students grabbed a consolation goal three minutes later when awarded a penalty of their own which Aidan Quinn dispatched.
Linlithgow Rose also raced out to an early two- goal lead at home to Preston Athletic, with Gary Thom and Tommy Coyne finding the net inside the opening 15 minutes.
Kevin Watt and Iain Gray grabbed goals in first-half injury-time before a late Coyne strike ended the scoring.
All three teams face away fixtures this weekend with United travelling to Stirling University in a Conference C clash, while it’s SFA South Region Challenge Cup third round action for both Broxburn and Linlithgow.
It’s an enticing clash for Athletic as they travel to Perth to face Jeanfield Swifts in a clash that pits Conference C’s top two sides against each other, while the Rose travel to Tranent.