Haws battle back to strengthen bid for top five finish

There was also a First Division point for Lochore Welfare, but injury stricken Dundonald Bluebell lost out to Penicuik Athletic.

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 2, Tynecastle 1.

HAWS collected all three Premier League points against Tynecastle, at Keirs Park, but they had to come back after a flat first period performance.

Hill of Beath started very slowly and their lively Edinburgh opponents created chances and in 25 minutes took the lead.

Tynecastle kept up the momentum and Haws did well to get to the break only a single goal adrift.

However, things changed in the second period, with midfielders Brandon Luke and Jonny Galloway joining the game in the 50h minute, and the Haws started to take command.

On the hour the equaliser arrived, from a fine Luke shot, and then the home side went in search of the winner.

Tynecastle defended well to deny them, but in 82 minutes the home side got the winner through a sharp finish from Dan Watt.

The result took Haws on to 44 points and strengthens their chance of finishing in the top six, and manager Alan Moody was pleased with the way his team never gave up trying to win the game: “We were not good at all in the first-half, and the programme of four games in two weeks maybe took the edge off the guys.

“However, after the break we started to play very positively and got the result which has brought the record to only two defetas from the last 24 games, and the lads deserve great credit.”

Dundonald Bluebell 1, Penicuik Athletic 5.

INJURY hit Bluebell found this Premier League game a bridge too far for them, as mid-table Athletic ran out clear winners.

Their fourth game in 10 days saw another patchwork Dundonald eleven take the field, short of many regulars, and they went behind in 15 minutes.

They created a couple of chances but could get back on level terms and a second goal in 25 minutes saw Cuiky in charge.

Ten minutes into the second-half the Bluebell got back into the game when a foul in the Penicuik box saw the referee point to the spot, and after Regan Lumsden’s spot-kick came off the underside of the bar the alert striker headed in the rebound.

Soon after Keiran Hall hit the bar from six yards, and there were another couple of good chances for Dundonald, but Cuiky broke up the park and settled their nerves with a third.

Bluebell kept trying but were caught on the break and two late goals put a rather harsh complexion on the scoreline from a ‘Bell point of view.

The result leaves Dundonald on 37 points, in ninth spot, and manager Stephen Husband felt for his team: “The lads kept battling away and had we got the second after Regan Lumsden pulled a goal back, maybe we could have taken some hope from that.

“The crammed fixture list, and our number of injured players, is making it a very testing time, but we can still finish in the top eight.”

Kinnoull 0, Crossgates Primrose 1.

A FINE result for Primrose, who kept their lives of staying in the Premier League very much alive.

Kinnoull have been battling to stay in the hunt for survival themselves, and Crossgates had to defend well early in the game.

That they did and the visitors started to create chances and went close through David Cross and Craig Henderson.

The scoreline was goalless at the interval, but in the second period the visitors started to look really dangerous and in 58 minutes they went ahead with a fine finish from young Jake Sutherland, who was lying in the perfect place to beat the ‘keeper.

Kinnoull tried to close the gap and Primrose ‘keeper, Miko Komocki, did well to make a couple of very valuable saves.

The result puts Primrose only one point from safety, with four games left so plenty to play for.

Lochore Welfare 0, Blackburn 0.

LOCHORE collected a useful East of Scotland First Division point from Blackburn United, but it should have been all three.

Blackburn sit in sixth spot in the table but they found the Welfare buzzing around their box and Gregg Page and Ewan Sutherland came close to opening the home account.

There were few openings for United but they got to the break all square.

The second-half took on a similar pattern and it was all about Lochore pressing for a goal but good goalkeeping and secure defending kept the hosts out.

Again Page and Sutherland came close to getting the key goal but on the day their sharpness was missing.

However, the point sees Lochore on 21 points from 18 games, and 11 clear of the relegation zone, but Lochore manager, James Adam, was disappointed not to win the game: “It all ended in a drab draw, and two points dropped, but we had a lot of chances.

“Our target must be to win as many of our 10 remaining games to be secure in the division.”

Lochgelly Albert 3, Stoneyburn 1.

THE Berts move back into the top half of the East of Scotland Third Division, with this convincing win over Stoneyburn, at Purvis Park.

After their encouraging 3-3 draw with second top Bathgate Thistle in midweek, Lochgelly started the game well and in 25 minutes went ahead when a cross was met by Scott Russell and his header gave the ‘Burn ‘keeper no chance.

The visitors were up against it and in 32 minutes Russell struck again to bring his season’s tally to 22 goals.

There could have been others and Martin Woods twice went close, but at the break Lochgelly were in a good place.

Stoneyburn came back strongly at the start of the second period and pulled one back in 54 minutes, and home ‘keeper, Adam Shaw, pulled off a couple of good saves after that.

Gradually the Berts got back into the game, but the Stoneyburn defended well and as the game went into the closing quarter there was still a chance for the visitors to get a point.

However, two minutes into time added on a long ball from Shaw beat the ‘Burn defence and Woods completed a good day for Lochgelly which takes them on to 30 points in sixth top spot.

Berts committee man, Derek Patrick, hopes that the Purvis Park team can finish the season strongly: “It was good to follow up the draw with Bathgate with this good performance, and it was good to see Scott Russell collect his 22nd goal of the campaign.

“We have five games left and hopefully we can finish the season well by winning a few more.”

Fixtures, Wednesday: East of Scotland Third Division – Livingston United v Lochgelly Albert 2.30pm.

Saturday: East of Scotland Premier Division – Crossgates Primrose v Dunbar United 2.30pm, Musselburgh Athletic v Dundonald Bluebell 2.30pm, Hutchison Vale v Hill of Beath Hawthorn 3pm. East of Scotland First Division – Lochore Welfare v Heriot Watt University 2.30pm. East of Scotland Third Division – Lochgelly Albert v Linton Hotspur 2.30pm.