The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Saintstake pointinfight forsurvival
ST ANDREWS United continue to fight hard in their quest for Super League survival and were unlucky to only take a point from a pulsating game with Bonnyrigg Rose at Recreation Park, despite going behind and playing most of the second half with 10 men.
Saints squandered a gilt-edged chance to take the lead on two minutes when Barry Sibanda was tripped in the box by Burrell. Craig Wedderburn was the penalty taker, only to see his kick saved by Hay.
Saints pounded the visitors and were unlucky not to take the lead several times.
Instead, very much against the run of play, the Lothian side took the lead three minutes from the interval when Archibald headed home a McLeish corner.
United, however, were level within 60 seconds of the second half starting.
Gary Sutherland raced on to a long ball from the back, outpaced the Rose back line and rifled the ball home.
Wedderburn’s afternoon went from bad to worse on 50 minutes. The big defender clashed with Rose striker Kris Renton and was shown a red card.
Another Courier Country side too close to the drop zone for comfort are Kelty Hearts, who came from behind to salvage a draw with Sauchie at Central Park.
The visitors took a 10th minute lead through Callum Hendrie but, hard as Hearts battled, Neil McCabe’s point-saving strike only came eight minutes from the end.
Hearts boss Tam Courts said: “A draw was a fair result. I felt we had the game’s best chance in the first half but Allan Fleming made two or three great saves.
The Fifers have just three games left and are looking over their shoulder at the clubs below.
After playing for Tayport last week, debutant Simon Murray scored Violet’s opener at Oakley, who replied through Charlie Scarborough to earn a draw.
The Pansies could easily have collected all three points because the referee somehow failed to spot a Murray effort being kept out by a defender with his hands five minutes after his goal.
Violet have transfer listed midfielder Jamie Samson at his own request. Inquiries to Jim Finlayson on 07887 966741.
Jeanfield Swifts gained revenge for their home defeat with a 2-1 win over Broughty Athletic at Whitton Park.
Swifts boss Gavin Price was delighted by the victory, saying, “It was a vital win and keeps us in the hunt for promotion.”
Mark Gordon put the Perth side in front after 15 minutes and things got worse for Broughty with Kris Brash’s dismissal.
Swifts were also reduced to 10 men five minutes after the restart when Chris Anton was ordered off.
Although Dougie Cameron became the second home player to be red-carded, Gary Fraser levelled things up for the Fed.
The extra man eventually told for Jeanfield, with Danny Dobie hitting the winner with five minutes left as Broughty slumped to a second successive home defeat.
Four-goal Sean Simpson was the star of the show at Warout Stadium as Glenrothes kept alive their remote chances of promotion with a fine 4-2 win over Livingston United.
Glens raced in to a 3-1 lead at half time, courtesy of a Simpson treble. The visitors pulled it back it back to 3-2 early in the second half, but Simpson settled any nerves with his fourth four minutes from time.
Kinnoull continued their recent good home form with a 4-2 win over Colin Downie’s inconsistent Kirkcaldy YM but had to come from behind.
Gregg Meikle opened the scoring forYM on the half-hour mark but Bally Whytock equalised for the Perth outfit on 65 minutes before Chris Dodd made it two a minute later.
Although YM levelled through Stephen Forbes 18 minutes from the end, the hosts struck twice in the last 10 minutes, both scored by Dodd to complete his hat-trick.
Ten minutes from time, YM keeper Chris Gay was sent off when conceding the penalty from which Dodd scored his first. His other goal came five minutes from time.
Tulloch Park boss Murray McDowell said: “Maybe 4-2 flattered us a wee bit but we certainly deserved our victory.”
YM boss Colin Downie said: “This is a match we should have won considering the chances we had.
“We lost two bad goals and then losing our keeper for the third didn’t help” CUP TIES have provided most of Tayport’s highlights this season and that was again the case on Saturday when they vanquished Fauldhouse 3-0 at the Canniepairt to book a quarter-final berth.
Port boss Dave Bailkie said, “Outwith the Super League, Fauldhouse are the best team in East Region and they’ve been scoring lots of goals.
“The win should give us lots of confidence for the rest of the campaign.”
The hosts went ahead after 18 minutes, Matty Adam firing in a curler.
That advantage was doubled with less than a minute of the second half gone, Adam bundling in his and his side’s second.
The third came courtesy of a an own goal by Adam Fairweather 15 minutes from the end and, to compound a bad day for the visitors, Kevin Ross saw red after a second yellow.
Hill of Beath had little difficulty in overcoming South League Whitburn on Whitburn Academy’s 3G surface, winning 5-1.
A first-half hat-trick by Greg Smith put Haws on easy street and, although the hosts pulled one back, further goals by Aaron Hay and Ross Allum confirmed the gulf.
Ballingry ousted Penicuik at Carlops Road on penalties.
Having twice fallen behind in the f irst half, goals from Willie Campbell and Lee Bryce enabled the teams to go in level at the break.
A second Campbell strike put the Fifers in front for the first time early in the second half, but that was quickly cancelled out by the hosts.
Even although they were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half, they took it to penalties but Rovers prevailed 4-2.
Even allowing for Dundonald’s depleted squad, t h ey we re dumped out of the cup at Haddington 4-0.
Summing up a dreadful day, secretary Allan Halliday said: “It was a terrible performance from which we can take no positives, other than it wasn’t a league game.”
Despite finishing with nine men, Luncarty secured a semi- f inal tie away to Hermes courtesy of a 2-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Islavale.
Keeper Mark Mitchell saved four of the North region side’s five penalties.
Ironically, Danny Kelly, who scored both penalties during the 90 minutes, was one of the three Bleachers to fail from the spot in the shoot-out.
Indeed, it was a tale of penalties, with the three first half goals all coming from the spot. Darren Stewart’s effort for the visitors was sandwiched between Kelly’s double.
Kevin Fowler was shown a straight red just before the interval.
D av i d Christie levelled for the visitors seven minutes after the restart but they couldn’t make their numerical superiority count, even when RyanWard’s second caution five minutes from time reduced the hosts further.