Haddington and Preston to lock horns for League Cup final spot
IN A LITTLE over a week’s time, the East of Scotland Football League’s (EOSFL) 2023-24 campaign will conclude with a League Cup final in which East Lothian involvement is guaranteed.
Preston Athletic and Haddington Athletic are set to meet in a semi-final tie at the Pennypit tomorrow evening (Friday) after both progressed from their quarter-final matchups.
Haddington were 4-0 winners at Millfield against Crossgates Primrose on Saturday, when Preston were in Fife for their final First Division fixture against relegated Oakley United and picked up three points with the only goal of the game – the Panners then travelled to West Lothian on Tuesday evening and posted an excellent 3-2 win at Whitburn Juniors to set up Friday’s exciting tie.
Dunbar United and Ormiston Primrose, meanwhile, wrapped things up until 2024-25 with disappointing league defeats – the Seasiders suffered their heaviest loss since February 2023 in going down 4-0 at Dundonald Bluebell, while Ormiston Primrose lost 2-0 at home to Edinburgh United, who had also triumphed in the reverse fixture last Wednesday evening, 3-1.
With league business done and dusted until the new season commences in late July, there are only a handful of fixtures remaining – whoever comes out on top in Friday’s League Cup semi-final will take on either Sauchie Juniors or Arniston Rangers in the final next weekend.
TRANENT
IT’S already nearly a month since Tranent’s second Lowland League campaign drew to a close with a 1-0 win over Celtic B at Foresters Park, since when things have been fairly quiet on the Belters front.
The news that Sean Murphy had transferred to Bonnyrigg Rose after five seasons with Tranent early in May is the only squad update made public so far besides a few contract extensions, while last week it was confirmed that Scott Mcnaughton, who had acted last season as assistant manager to Ian Little, had left the club.
Tranent’s Player of the Year event is set to take place tomorrow evening (Friday).
MUSSELBURGH ATHLETIC
ONE week after their final league outing resulted in a 1-0 defeat at Sauchie, EOSFL Premier Division runners-up Musselburgh held their Player of the Year awards evening on Saturday, at which six players were recognised – three from Burgh’s Development League squad and another three from the first team.
The under-20s’ awards went to Steven Burns (top goalscorer), Alex Bauld (coaches’ player of the year) and Sam Kilboy (players’ player of the year), while club captain Declan O’kane, Nathan Evans and Oban Anderson were the first-team players who were awarded trophies.
O’kane was recognised for having collected most man-of-the-match awards across the season, while Evans took home the top goalscorer award, having finished with two goals more than his regular strike partner Jordan Smith.
Anderson, signed a year ago from Tranent, received a double accolade as both supporters’ and players’ player of the year.
HADDINGTON ATHLETIC Haddington 4 Crossgates Primrose 0
HADDINGTON went into their final home fixture of 2023-24 in good form, having lost only two of their previous 12 fixtures, both by the odd goal, and hopeful of progress to the semifinals of the League Cup for a second season in succession.
Visitors Crossgates had been relegated to the EOSFL First Division by the Hi Hi’s 4-1 win at their Humbug Park home just 11 days earlier, though the fact they had gone on to put up a plucky fight at champions Broxburn Athletic in their concluding league fixture indicated that they could prove a stubborn obstacle to the competition’s last four.
Millfield boss Scott Bonar made just one change to the XI who had started in his team’s final league game at Dundonald Bluebell seven days earlier, Gabri Auriemma replacing Joe Tait and captaining the team.
On a fine afternoon in sunny conditions, Haddington looked the likelier outfit from the outset and had several early forays into the visitors’ penalty area without particularly threatening the home goal – in the 13th minute, however, they took the lead thanks to an excellent strike from Auriemma, who out of nothing beat Primrose keeper Jarrett from 25 yards out with a first-time effort on the halfvolley.
A Guy Mcgarry free-kick on 19 minutes from similar distance found the target but Jarrett gathered the ball comfortably – for all Haddington had most of the play, the visiting keeper was not unduly overworked in the first half.
Auriemma saw another effort from outside the box just clear the bar not far past the half
hour mark, then on 39 minutes Jarrett pulled off a great save to prevent Ross King doubling the home lead after a well-worked move on the left.
Crossgates had a great chance to draw level just a couple of minutes later but their striker deep inside the penalty area could not make proper contact when an inviting ball was delivered from the left towards the back post – a real let-off for the hosts.
Tom Davies shot over the bar from a promising position on the right of the area with the half coming to a close, when he had other options – at the break, Haddington led by just the one goal, despite having had most of the play.
Another near-thing for Crossgates just three minutes after the break gave Haddington a little food for thought, and the Fifers were again probing in the home goalmouth a few minutes later before a quick counterattack resulted in a second Hi Hi’s goal – Mcgarry played the ball out to Davies on the right and the midseason signing did well to get past his man to the byeline and deliver low across goal for the incoming Mcgarry to touch home from six yards.
Just five minutes later, a corner from the left led to Seamus Russell claiming his first goal of the season, at the second time of asking from the edge of the six-yard box after failing to make a proper connection initially, and with the tie now as good as over, Haddington saw out the remaining half hour comfortably.
Robbie Peffers rounded off the day’s scoring with the Hi Hi’s fourth in the 67th minute, receiving the ball in the centre circle before advancing and exchanging passes with Auriemma on the left, then smashing a shot into the roof of the net from that side of the sixyard box.
It was a pleasing-enough performance and result for Haddington considering that most of the playing squad had spent the first half of the week on a post-season break in Benidorm.
They now look forward to a League Cup semi-final tie against county rivals Preston Athletic away from home this Friday evening, when they will hope to go one better than last season, when a 1-0 Millfield defeat at the hands of eventual winners Bo’ness Athletic ended their trophy hopes – they will travel, though, fully aware of the threat posed by a Preston side high on confidence after their fine semi-final victory at Whitburn.
DUNBAR UNITED Dundonald Bluebell 4 Dunbar United 0
DUNBAR rounded off a successful 2023-24 campaign in which most expectations had been exceeded with participation in the only EOSFL Premier Division fixture played on Saturday, held over past the scheduled end of the league season seven days earlier on account of hosts Dundonald Bluebell’s fixture backlog caused by multiple waterloggings at Moorside Park over the winter months.
Guaranteed to finish in fourth place in the table regardless of the outcome, Kevin Haynes’ men were handicapped by the absence of no fewer than 10 first-team players who had booked holidays or made other arrangements in the expectation that the season would have been over. Two of the Seasiders’ Development League youngsters started, Jake Henderson and Thomas Allan, while another three of their under-20 team-mates were named as substitutes.
Dundonald had posted 2-2 draws against Haddington Athletic and Jeanfield Swifts within the previous seven days, while Dunbar had a week earlier enjoyed a 5-0 romp in Perth against bottom side Kinnoull.
The Moorside Park playing surface was in poor shape following a mishap on the part of the Bluebell groundsman, fiery and not conducive to good football.
Conditions were calm under Fife sunshine as the game was preceded by a guard of honour for retiring Bluebell goalkeeper Lennox before his final game.
In a low-key match with nothing much at stake, Ben Bathgate had Dunbar’s first real chance in the 10th minute after Brandon Archibald set him up, but Lennox saved well.
Dundonald, from a dangerous free-kick four minutes later, might have opened the scoring but a ball across the face of goal found no takers, then for the visitors Darren Handling was denied his third goal in three outings only by the crossbar, after good play by 16-year-old debutant Allan allowed Bathgate to set up the chance for the long-serving midfielder.
Allan’s young colleague Henderson in goal did well to keep out a threatening long-range effort, then saw Sibanda head the ball against his crossbar as the Bluebell probed for the opener.
A chance for Bathgate in the 26th minute saw him hit the side netting, but five minutes later, Dunbar found themselves behind when Sibanda forced the ball over the line following a long throw-in into the box, despite Henderson’s best efforts.
Home keeper Lennox brought off another good save to prevent Handling from equalising and at half-time Dundonald held the lead by the narrowest possible margin, with all to play for after the break.
Bathgate found himself with a chance to equalise immediately when play resumed but
Lennox stood up well and made the save with his legs. The veteran keeper then denied Archibald, who a little later shot just wide after players had hesitated momentarily in the mistaken expectation that the referee would point to the penalty spot following what looked a clear handball.
A raft of substitutions on both sides around the hour mark changed the game’s flow, and midway through the half the hosts extended their lead when a quickly taken free-kick on the edge of the box allowed Drummond an opportunity to fire a low shot beyond Henderson from the left.
A third home goal followed 11 minutes from time when Drummond’s inswinging corner hit young Adam Collin on the chest before the ball crossed the line, and with two minutes left, Barbour made it 4-0.
It was a disappointing result on the day but one of little consequence considering the fine campaign enjoyed by Dunbar following last season’s First Division title success.
They break now for the close season, hoping to continue where they left off when their 2024-25 campaign gets under way.
Oakley United 0 Preston Athletic 1 Whitburn Juniors 2 Preston Athletic 3
PRESTON’S final EOSFL First Division outing of the season saw them in west Fife on Saturday to take on an Oakley United side already condemned to a second successive relegation, their youngsters having found the tier-seven going tough following their drop after a solitary Premier Division campaign.
Huddled in mid-table alongside several other clubs with similar points tallies, Preston needed to win to ensure a frustratingly inconsistent season concluded with a top-half finish.
In a decidedly low-key affair in the sun, Robbie Walker’s goal midway through the first half won the desired three points for Preston and earned them seventh place in the final league table.
The win set things up nicely for a positive feeling at the club’s Player of the Year awards on Saturday evening, at which three players each from the Development League squad and the first team picked up trophies.
From the under-20s, Andrew Morgan’s performances earned him both coaches’ and players’ player of the year awards, with Harris Reynolds taking the committee equivalent and Murray Gilfillan the top goalscorer award. Ano Subasic took three of the firstteam awards – coaches’, supporters’ and players’ player of the year, with Michael Mcfarlane the committee choice and Buster Briggs taking the top goalscorer award.
Tuesday evening saw Preston in West Lothian to contest a League Cup semi-final spot with Whitburn Juniors, who will be playing Premier Division football next season following their third successive promotion.
The pair’s First Division meetings had both resulted in home wins – Whitburn were 4-2 winners at Central Park on August 26, while Preston turned the tables with a 3-1 scoreline at the Pennypit on February 17. Having finished third in the table to Preston’s seventh, 16 points better off than the Panners, Whitburn were most people’s favourites to secure a
semi-final tie at home to Haddington Athletic – they had, however, gone down by the odd goal in three at home to Newtongrange Star three days earlier.
After a quiet opening 10 minutes, with goalmouth activity limited at both ends and nothing between the teams, Preston took the lead with 11 minutes played when youngster Lewis Inglis found the net with a fiercely struck drive low into the bottom corner.
That lead doubled with not quite 20 minutes on the clock after Walker was brought down by Whitburn’s goalkeeper inside the home penalty area, Brad Donaldson converting from the spot in composed fashion.
Finding themselves two goals behind unexpectedly, Whitburn upped their efforts in what was now developing as a rousing cup tie affair and there were several bookings on both sides before the break as the two teams gave their all.
Towards the end of the half, Mcfarlane headed narrowly wide from Donaldson’s tempting cross, but a two-goal cushion when the half-time whistle blew meant that Preston had given themselves a great chance to progress to the last four.
With not quite 10 minutes played in the second half, Whitburn had the ball in the Preston net but an assistant referee’s raised flag signalled offside and the goal did not count.
The visitors’ workrate was superb across the team as they stood firm in the face of Whitburn pressure, until with 15 minutes remaining, Liddell pulled a goal back for the hosts to bring increased intensity to the tie.
With nine minutes remaining, another Whitburn effort went narrowly wide of the post, and a short time later Preston restored their two-goal advantage when Seb Mrowczynski broke free and rounded the keeper before steering the ball into the net.
Whitburn ensured a nervy ending when an
own goal in the first minute of injury time gave them a faint glimmer of hope, but there was not scope for them to find an equaliser and so Preston enjoyed a memorable victory which sets them up for an intriguing derby contest with Haddington at the Pennypit this Friday evening – the winners’ prize a place in the final against either Sauchie Juniors or Arniston Rangers.
Edinburgh United 3 Ormiston 1 Ormiston 0 Edinburgh United 2
EOSFL Second Division champions Bo’ness Athletic’s 4-0 win at New Recreation Park last Monday evening had confirmed Ormiston’s relegation to the Third Division, and they had two fixtures to fulfil last week before saying what they hope will be a temporary farewell to eighth-tier football.
Both those fixtures were against also-relegated Edinburgh United, who had dropped to the foot of the table not long back following the imposition of a nine-point deduction for their having fielded an ineligible players on several occasions.
At United’s Paties Road home last Wednesday evening, the hosts had the ball in the Ormiston net within four minutes but the goal was chalked off for offside.
Pol Adrian continued his recent good goalscoring form with the opener for the visitors midway through the half, but a Wilson equaliser on 33 minutes meant that the teams retired for the interval level on one goal apiece.
United looked the hungrier side early in the second half, with only a post, then the crossbar, preventing them from taking the lead – they did so, however, on 55 minutes when Wilson scored again.
Kieran Beveridge in the Ormiston goal did well on 62 minutes to keep Egan out after the United man intercepted a short passback, and he made an excellent save from a Martin effort eight minutes from the end as United sought to kill the game off.
With mist impacting on visibility in the later stages, Cameron made sure of the three points, which doubled United’s overall tally for the season, when he turned the ball past Beveridge following a corner.
The teams lined up again at New Recreation Park a little over 65 hours later for the final game of a season greatly challenging for both.
A dangerous Ormiston corner in the third minute forced United into a goal-line clearance, and things did not look too encouraging for the visitors as they had to contend with two enforced changes due to injuries before the half hit its midway point – undeterred, however, they edged in front through Devlin with 25 minutes played.
Devlin claimed his and United’s second goal 13 minutes into the second half and, despite Ormiston’s best efforts, they could not find a way back into the game and so succumbed to their second defeat of the week against their Capital visitors.
At the club’s Player of the Year presentation at The Coalgate on Saturday evening, promising youngster Adrian swept the board as he collected all three awards up for grabs.
Tuesday evening then brought the news of a change of management at New Recreation Park.
Richie Weir has stepped down from the role of manager after eight seasons at the helm, with veteran defender Guy Kerr taking over the role as Ormiston look forward to the fresh challenges ahead in the Third Division – widely travelled Kerr has been a player with the club over the past two seasons. Weir remains at the club as vice-chairman.