On Saturday Burgh travelled through to a blustery and wet West Lothian to face third-placed Armadale Thistle at Volunteer Park.
The visitors were able to name an unnamed starting eleven for the game looking to build on the hard-working and impressive display against fourth-placed Stirling Uni the week before. To their credit, Burgh came out of Saturday with a massive pass mark with the performance exceeding that Stirling display and came so close to causing a shock.
Despite the strong wind causing a lot of difficulties for both sides, the game actually turned out to be a really interesting and entertaining game with plenty of goal mouth opportunities.
With the wind at their backs, Armadale had a couple of early chances before Mitchell Sharp was put through on goal in only the 4th minute and the advancing keeper managed to divert for a corner Then moments later from the resultant corner, the ball fell to Sharp again on the far edge of the penalty area and he curled an effort just around the far post.
The chances continued to flow with Wood forcing Joe Russell into a save before Ronan Hall went closing holding off two defenders but shooting into the side netting. Then Russell was forced into a very good save diving to his right to push behind for a corner. And this was still only the 7th minute!
Hall then had a volley deflected behind for a corner in the 11th minute and another chance fell to Sharp on 14 minutes but he was unable to keep his shot down.
The hosts managed to convert the first chance of the game in the 15th minute when a ball was played across the box from the right and Strickland side-footed home.
The lead was short-lived as on 20 minutes Kyle Tracey latched onto a clearance and drilled home a low shot from the edge of the area to equalise ahead of a challenge from a defender. It was an excellent finish but both Tracey and defender required treatment after the collision.
Lewis Stevenson then went close with a long-range free kick that took advantage in a brief lull in the wind to catch the Armadale back-pedalling to tip over the bar in the 25th minute. Wood then finished from close range in the 29th minute to restore Armadale’s lead before Tracey succumbed to his rib injury to be replaced by Kellar Harris.
The hosts finished the first half with the wind assisting them and the better of the chances with Andrew Cameron blocking an effort on the line, whilst Wood and Strickland also went close but couldn’t find a way past Russell.
Burgh levelled the game for a second time in the 58th minute when Ruairidh McPhate smashed home his second of the season from about 12 yards out after good work from Sharp on the right for a well-taken goal.
Harris then went close in the 63rd minute when both Hall and sub Trialist dispossessed Armadale in midfield to send the Burgh sub Harris through on goal but the Burgh top-scorer shot just over.
Armadale had a great good chance in the 65th minute when Kelly brought out an excellent save from Russell with the loose-ball falling to Fairley who shot wide.
The form guide then looked to go out the window in the 70th minute as Burgh took the lead to go 3-2 ahead when more great work from Sharp and Hall on the right flank saw a beautiful cross from Sharp nodded home from about 8 yards out by Harris.
The neutral wouldn’t have begrudged Newburgh if they held onto that scoreline as they belied their league position. Moments later Harris had another chance blocked with the ball falling for the Trialist who rolled the rebound just past the far post.
The lead was, alas, short-lived when Armadale equalised in the 73rd minute with a great volley from Ramage from the edge of the area that gave Russell no chance to make it 3-3.
Armadale regained the lead for the third time in the 81st minute with a great strike from Tomas Murphy and Burgh had it all to do again. But Burgh’s new fighting spirit and determination wasn’t giving up and Harris Mitchell continued his recent fine form with a chance in the 85th minute that was saved well by the keeper.
With the referee having the whistle in his mouth ready to blow for full time in the 7th minute of stoppage time, he let play continue for one last attack and a last ditch tackle drew a foul for a penalty which Fairley converted.
It was a scoreline that was extremely harsh for Burgh and totally undeserved, but Burgh had played a large part in a very entertaining game in difficult conditions. Whilst the players will understandably be disappointed with the result, the performance and determination over the last few weeks have notably been massively improved. Against 2 of the current top 4 in recent weeks, Burgh have more than matched them in both game and could have a strong argument to being unlucky not to have got points out of both games.
Man of the Match: Harris Mitchell.
