LATEST ACTION FROMTHE JUNIORS
Burnie star runs the show in cup rout
Whitburn ................ 9
Buchanhaven H’s ... 1 Whitburn booked a Scottish Junior Cup third round home tie with Benburb after easing through their replay against Buchanhaven Hearts.
Remarkably given the final score, it was the visitors from Peterhead who took the lead on a heavy Central Park surface when Lewis Brown ran through on goal and fired beyond Jordan Allan after seven minutes.
All the early signs suggested it would be another close affair after the two sides had drawn 2- 2 up north the previous week but it ended up being a goal fest for the Burnie.
Thanks to a combination of poor finishing and a string of smart saves from Hearts keeper Lee Thomson, the hosts had to wait until the 26th minute before notching their first.
Darren Tomaszewski, who had blasted wildly over the bar when well placed just minutes before, slotted the ball home after a neat through ball by Gary Brass.
Less than two minutes later, Brass went from provider to finisher to give the hosts the lead as he drove into the box, was clipped and then duly slotted the spot kick home.
While Whitburn were deservedly in front at the interval, there was no sign of the seven goals that were to come after the break, although they were aided by Hearts’ Lewis Sime being shown a straight red for a reckless challenge on Grant Hamilton.
By that point, though, Whitburn had built up a four goal cushion and the game was in the bag.
New signing Jordan Thomson netted his first goal for the club when he was the quickest to react to his own rebound and prodded the ball home.
Ten minutes into the second half he was forced off injured after being brought down in the box.
As he did in the first half, Brass calmly did the business from 12 yards out to make it 4-1.
The game was wrapped up on 65 minutes as the hosts netted their fifth of the day and Tomaszewski grabbed his second with a fierce strike from 10 yards out that gave the Hearts stopper no chance.
Sime was dismissed shortly after before Brass completed his hat-trick in delightful fashion as he created space in a congested box by playing keepyuppy with himself before thundering the ball into the net.
Whitburn weren’t done yet, either, as they netted a further three times in the final 12 minutes to finish up just shy of hitting double digits.
Callum Runciman was fortunate to grab goal number seven as his effort took a wild deflection before nestling into the corner.
A minute later, Andy Thomson was on hand to race through on goal and fire a powerful shot beyond his shellshocked namesake in the visiting goal.
The deficit could have been much worse had Thomson not thwarted Brass, Dewi Taylor and Graeme Martin in the closing stages.
Brass would have the last word, though, as he tapped his fourth in off the post from a Runciman pass to complete the rout.
The Burnie, will be hoping they can take confidence from their victory and pull away from the bottom four.
However, it’s cup action again this week as they make the short trip to Gibbshill Park to take on South Division strugglers Harthill Royal aiming for a berth in the last-16 of the DJ Laing East of Scotland Cup.