Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Swift recovery at Riverside Stadium
JEANFIELD Swifts recovered from an early setback to finish comfortable winners against visitors Kennoway Star Hearts in the Super League.
Kennoway started the day one place below their hosts in the table.
This was Swifts’ last home game of the season and, in its opening quarter, they had their visitors on the back foot.
After 12 minutes, the Perth men came very close to taking the lead.
A great move between Lewis Mackie and Rhys Davies saw the latter let go a rasping drive that came rattling back off a post with the goalie well beaten.
However, against the run of play, Hearts broke up the park and striker Lee Bryce lobbed the ball over Swifts keeper Mark Mitchell, who had come off his line, for the opener.
Ten minutes later, Swifts were back on level terms.
Davies had a shot pushed out by the keeper which fell to Sean Fergus, who cracked it home.
The hosts took the lead five minutes later when Davies finished off a good move, cracking home a shot from just inside the Hearts penalty box to give his side a 2-1 half-time advantage.
Swifts were pretty much in command throughout the second half and went on to finish 5-1 winners with a further two goals from Robbie Holden and a second from Davies.
Lochee United signed off their season with a 1-0 victory over Penicuik Athletic at Thomson Park. However, the Bluebells rode their luck at times against a good-looking Lothian side, particularly in the closing stages when they were down to 10 men.
The visitors opened strongly with Kyle Sampson forcing a good save from Mark Fotheringham and the keeper came to their rescue again when he turned a Sam Jones shot round the post.
Then, against the run of play, the Bluebells took the lead in 27 minutes when a volley from Stepehn McNally beat Penicuik keeper Kyle Allison.
The visitors continued on the offensive in the second half and a shot from Callum Connolly rattled the bar but, despite their pressure, they couldn’t force an equaliser, even after Connor Birse was red-carded.
A depleted Carnoustie side earned the praise of manager Alan McSkimming, despite a 2-0 defeat at Linlithgow.
There was little between the sides until the 38th minute when Linlithgow’s record scorer Tommy Coyne fired them ahead.
The Gowfers gave it everything in the second half and were unlucky when a Ryan Dignan effort hit the bar. They were eventually sunk when Alan Urquhart, with his first goal for the club, sealed the points in stoppage time.