Newburgh battled through further travel misery on the Edinburgh Bypass but will have enjoyed the journey back home with 3 points safely tucked under their belts with a deserved and commanding victory over Easthouses.
Buoyed by a battling 1-1 draw against Thornton during midweek, the visitors went into the game looking to do better and they didn’t have to wait very long to make an impact.
In just the third minute, a ball through the middle of the park towards Michael Perrie saw the Burgh number 9 seemingly pushed over with the ball running through to Kellar Harris who bared down one-on-one with the keeper and he coolly slotted past the advancing keeper from outside the area for give Burgh the lead.
At the other end Easthouses had a chance to equalise from a corner but inadvertently the chance was sliced away from close with the follow up going over the bar in the 11th minute.
In the 18th minute a teasing move and run by Perrie made his way into the host’s penalty area before he was brought down between two defenders and the referee pointed to the spot. Kellar Harris stepped up, sent the keeper the wrong way and the ball into the top right hand corner for 2-0.
It was a first half of few chances, to be honest, but the Burgh were growing more stronger and confident as the game progressed. Perrie stooped low to head goalwards but the ball ended up going just wide, but it was a hard chance to convert.
The Burgh started the second half strongly again and Perrie had a dangerous cross pounced on by the sub keeper for Easthouses in the opening few minutes, and Kellar Harris had a chance deflected behind for a corner in the 51st minute.
Harris again went looking for his hat-trick in the 56th minute but he just ran out of space and could only hit the side netting as he weighed up his options of shooting or trying to find a team mate.
In the 58th minute it was 3-0 when a ball through the middle of the park caught defender and Easthouses keeper in confusion over what to do with both leaving it for the other, but Hamid Eddouss was in like lightning between them to beat the hesitant defender and stranded keeper to lob home into an open net.
Easthouses got their noses back in the game when Neilson’s header couldn’t be kept out by Chalmers, who had put in another solid, commanding performance in the sticks for Burgh in the 66th minute.
But in the 71st minute the three-goal advantage was restored when Ronan Hall headed home a high ball back into the box following a corner to beat two defenders and keeper to rise highest to nod home from close range.
The game wasn’t dead, though, and sub McDermott rifled home an excellent consolation strike from the edge of the area in the 82nd minute.
But the Burgh held out for a well-deserved 3 points. The performance was another really pleasing one with the youthful side looking stronger and stronger each game as they gel together. With a few of the more ‘senior’ players looking to return back from injuries, it bodes well for the competition within the side.
At the back, Chalmers again showed his potential in goal and wasn’t afraid to come and collect crosses. The defence was again marshalled well by skipper Andrew Cameron, very ably assisted by the returning Harris Mitchell and Struan Grieve.
Across the middle of the park, Luis O’Rourke again worked his socks off and Calum Anderson and Ronan Hall excelling alongside him. Rory Marshall was again influential and Connall White put in another excellent performance.
Up front, the experience and strength of Perrie looked useful and young Kellar Harris takes his goal tally for the season to 5 with a cool finish early in the game and a well-taken penalty.
It was pleasing to see ‘Jives’ return from injury, having been missing since the Lochgelly game. Hamid Eddouss looks a very promising and exciting talent with his pace and energy and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from him over the coming weeks and months.
I cannot really pick a fault across the team today from the starting eleven and subs, a really positive and mature performance from a young side. There will be downs, of course, over the season, but I think we’ll start to see much better times at East Shore Park. Well done, everyone!
