So that was the week that was and there were plenty of interesting results as some teams put their stuttering form aside, others continued to rampage, and some of our GeoSonic Lowland League teams let things slip. What does it mean for the league table and next week’s fixtures? We’d better ask the team…
KELTY HEARTS 5-0 EDUSPORT ACADEMY
Stuart Cargill created Kelty Hearts history as his hat-trick made him the club’s highest ever goalscorer as they beat Edusport Academy at New Central Park.
The home side threatened early on, Cargill having a header tipped onto the bar by Kerr before Errol Douglas put the hosts in front with a drilled low shot from inside the area.
The visitors came into the game with McNeill breaking through the Kelty defence but his effort was well tipped over by the returning Christie in goal.
The lead was doubled just after the half hour mark when a trialist for Edusport failed to get enough on his header and Cargill nipped in to pinch the ball and fire past the goalkeeper.
Cargill got his second and Kelty’s third a few minutes later when he produced a delicate lob from the corner of the box and the ball nestled into the far corner of the net leaving Kerr with no chance of saving it.
Kelty started the second half on the front foot and Ritchie was denied adding a fourth by the offside flag but soon enough, a fourth goal arrived for the home side. Dodd was slipped through by Cargill and camly placed the ball into the bottom corner and a few minutes later, it was five.
McBride got to the byline and drilled a ball back across the face of goal and Cargill was there to put the ball in the back of the net and complete his hat-trick on the day he celebrated becoming the club’s all time top goalscorer.
A first league win of 2019 for Kelty Hearts as they close the gap to BSC Glasgow above them while for Edusport Academy, it is now seven league defeats in a row.
GRETNA 2008 1-2 EAST STIRLINGSHIRE
A brace from Andy Rodgers helped East Stirlingshire climb into the top half for the first time since September.
Rodgers opened the scoring when he tapped home after Ross Allum rounded Gretna keeper Ross Atkinson. In the second half, Shire doubled their lead when Rodgers scored his tenth goal of the season after Atkinson saved the initial shot but carried the ball back over the line.
In the strong winds and heavy rain, Gretna got back into the game when Shire’s Emmanuel Bitanga turned the ball into his own net. However, Derek Ure’s men held on for three points as Gretna slipped to 12th in the table. Shire climb to seventh, level on points with Gala Fairydean Rovers.
Gala Fairydean Rovers 0-2 East Kilbride
East Kilbride went nine points clear at the top of the Lowland League after a professional win away at Gala Fairydean Rovers.
Gala knew it would be a tough task to defeat Kilby who were on an incredible ten game winning streak heading onto the game and it took only 13 minutes for the visitors to take the lead. Ex-Motherwell winger Chris Humphrey floated in a great ball from a corner and centre back Craig Howie powered a header past Patrick Martin.
Gala did a good job of limiting East Kilbride’s chances and the score remained at 1-0 at the half time break. After the break it was more of the same, Kilby huffed and puffed but Gala remained strong.
However, it wouldn’t be a Kilby game without a goal from the league’s top scorer Craig Malcolm. On the 86th minute Sean Winter drove at the Gala defence and crossed the ball into the box, his cross was met by the head of Malcolm who headed in to ensure the points were going home with the league leaders.
This result is now Kilby’s 11th league win in a row and their fifth clean sheet in a row – a run they will be hoping to extend in a tough clash against Spartans on Saturday.
WHITEHILL WELFARE 2-2 CUMBERNAULD COLTS
Whitehill Welfare and Cumbernauld Colts shared the spoils in an entertaining draw at Rosewell.
Scott Davidson put the visitors ahead after two minutes after he netted from a corner. Whitehill equalised from a set piece midway through the first half when the Cumbernauld goalkeeper Pettigrew punched the ball into his own net.
After 38 minutes Scott Wright won a penalty for Ian Little’s men, but Pettigrew made up for his previous error by saving Wright’s spot kick.
11 minutes into the second half, Wright made amends from missing his penalty by turning home a Fabio Neto cross. But with 15 minutes remaining, Craig Holmes levelled from the penalty spot to keep Whitehill five points adrift at the bottom as Cumbernauld remain sixth.
SPARTANS 3-0 EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY
Spartans returned to their winning ways at Ainslie Park thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over Edinburgh University.
Jack Smith grabbed the opener only five minutes in thanks to a Jamie Dishington cross. Dishington turned scorer half an hour later, capitalising on a defensive mix-up to round the keeper and slot home to double the lead. Just before half-time, Gary Cennerazzo found the net to really press home Spartans’ advantage.
There were multiple chances for Spartans to grab a fourth, but Edinburgh Uni held on in the second half. Spartans move back into the top four and Edinburgh Uni remain just below the middle in tenth, level with Edusport Academy.
UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING 2-2 DALBEATTIE STAR
Dalbeattie seemed certain to grab an all-important three points when they went 2-0 up in the 86th minute, however, a dramatic late fightback from University of Stirling secured a point.
After a stalemate first half, where Stirling’s Matthew Burrows was red carded, the game came alive on the 65th minute when, despite Stirling Uni keeper Kevin Walker making a decent save, Dalbeattie grabbed a rebound through Ben Irving to break the deadlock. The game went back and forth but Scott Milligan, an important contributor to Star’s season, popped up in the last five minutes to – as he would have thought – secure the points for Star.
Stoppage time was already well underway, but the University side didn’t give up. In a near impossible feat, they got two goals in under a minute. Dom Slattery scored from a corner, then in the dying moments, Aidan Ferris turned the ball over the line after a scrappy last gasp cross.
The sole point allowed University of Stirling to move out the bottom four while Dalbeattie stay cemented in 14th place, six points adrift of Vale of Leithen who have a game in hand, but five points clear of Whitehill Welfare in the automatic relegation spot.
Vale of Leithen vs Civil Service Strollers
Match postponed.
