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Whitburn dumped at home in cup tie
Armadale Thistle caused an East Region League Cup upset with a spirited victory away at neighbours Whitburn.
In a scrappy affair in front of a decent crowd at Central Park, the Jags netted twice in the second half thanks to neat finishes from Sam Collumbine and Colin Allison – which meant an injurytime goal from Whitburn captain Gary Brass was no more than a consolation.
The victory gives Thistle, managed by former Whitburn gaffer Derek Strickland, the early advantage as they sit atop a Section I table that also features Harthill Royal.
It wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory with neither side playing pretty football, while both fluffed their lines at the crucial moment in a particularly disjointed first half.
The hosts did create a terrific early chance to take the lead on seven minutes when Andy McQuillan collided with Armadale keeper Dylan Rooney – but Brass was unable to turn the rebound home.
At the other end, Allison burst through the Burnie defence but fired straight at Daniel Russell, who made another smart save midway through the first half from a Callum Roberston free-kick.
Whitburn midfielder Ross Gunn tried his luck with a half-volley from just outside the box before a rare, neat flowing passage of play almost broke the deadlock.
Brass fed McQuillan, whose header found Gunn with the midfielder’s cross then teeing up McQuillan, only for the striker to fire over.
Whitburn full-back Seb Tinning’s deliveries were causing problems with both McQuillan and Brass unable to find the net before Allison went close with a long range effort before the break.
The visitors passed up two great
chances to take the lead in the early moments of the second half but Collumbine blazed over, before Liam Kane screwed his attempt wide of the post.
Fortunately for the away side, they wouldn’t be made to pay for missing those chances as they got their noses in front on the hour mark when Collumbine was afforded too much room inside the box and duly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Allison almost doubled their lead but his instinctive swipe at the ball went wide from close range.
Two minutes later, though, he would make it 2-0 in much the same fashion as Collumbine’s goal as he turned inside the box and slotted the ball into the same corner as his team-mate 10 minutes earlier.
Far from wrapping things up, Jason Bolam’s side finally clicked into gear after a disappointing second half but they were unable to properly test Rooney, who was hobbled by a prior injury, despite controlling possession in the latter stages.
They would get a breakthrough when Brass pounced on a loose ball inside the box to fire home, but arriving in the second minute of injury-time, it was too little, too late.
The Burnie, who have adapted well to life in the Superleague following a shaky start, will be aiming to get back to winning ways this weekend with a home league clash against Carnoustie.
Strickland’s side will be hoping to put a dent in Pumpherston’s charge to the East Premier League title when the top two sides in the division meet at Recreation Park in another away day derby for the Jags. Both games kick-off at 1.45pm.