Buktateamware.com East Region Super League

Saturday 13 March

Whitburn Juniors 1-2 (HT: 0-0) Kelty Hearts

Teams
Whitburn : Walker, S Murphy, Mackay, D McGurk, Leiper(D Murphy 82), Donnelly, McNelis, Doig, Gormley, Strickland, Dolan
Subs not used : Trialist, R McGurk

Kelty: Fleming, Ross, C Courts, Leighton, T Courts, Findlay(C Morrison 62), McCabe, R Morrison, Lawrie, O’Brien, Kay
Subs not used: Rushford, McGeorge, Rollo, Mauchlen, Bailey, Coull

This was a game that Whitburn couldn’t contemplate losing if they wanted to depart the relegation slot they found themselves in due to results elsewhere. In the end they did lose but they probably deserved at least point. They had started brightly after weathering a little Kelty pressure with Colin Strickland, looking sharp having a shot saved and pushing one wide within the opening 9 minutes. 4 minutes later there was controversy as Scott Gormley drove towards the line on the edge of the box and was fouled by Tom Courts, the contact being on his leg inside the box. The referee awarded a free kick and then consulted his linesman who did nothing to overturn the decision. Chris Dolan hit in a low shot which Allan Fleming saved, diving to his right. In the 19th minute Scott Lawrie headed home a Neil McCabe cross but he was adjudged to have fouled Stewart Walker and the goal was chopped off. In the 24th minute McCabe headed a Clark Kay cross but Walker saved easily. A minute later Kelty should have taken the lead when Thomas O’Brien played a good one two on the edge of the box which was flicked up into his path allowing him a free run in on Walker’s goal but he fired wide. On the half hour Eamon McNelis drove from half way into the box but elected a weak shot when he had men wide. In 32 minutes Jamie Mackay took a short free 40 yards out and headed into the box, the free being put wide from Strickland to Dolan whose cross picked out Mackay but his shot went just over. 2 minutes later and another great chance was spurned by Kelty when S Murphy was caught in possession by Kay and his low cross was somehow touched wide by Graeme Findlay at the far post when he had the goal at his mercy. Near the half T Courts saved Kelty twice, first when he blocked a Strickland shot after a good Gormley pass and then a super last ditch tackle on the latter after the former had put him in.

The second half saw fewer goal attempts but three goals. Nonetheless, in the 54th minute another S Murphy free was headed on by Andy Doig to D McGurk and his shot deflected wide. From the corner the ball arrived at Gormley’s feet and his shot was well saved. The deadlock was broken on the hour when Doig again got on the end of an S Murphy free kick but this time he head glanced the ball beyond Fleming. Midway through the half Colin Leiper missed the ball, giving substitute Craig Morrison a 2 yard start but the Burnie captain recovered to tackle him and clear the ball. 9 minutes later C Morrison was on hand to knock back Kay cross at the back post to Scott Lawrie who fired in off the underside of the bar to give Kelty parity. As the game seemed to be heading for a draw and with the Whitburn players dropping through cramp, McCabe knocked in a T Courts cross at the far post. The irony was that this had followed a free kick at the other end which Fleming grabbed and quickly distributed down the left.