The Burgh welcomed Edinburgh Community to East Shore Park for a tough, but important fixture with both sides desperately needing the win with only one point and a place separating the two sides with the visitors having a game in hand which would see them leap-frog Burgh.
Burgh still struggled with injuries and absentees with Callum Roughead, Owen McNally joining the injury list following last week’s game at Fauldhouse, along with Joe Russell, Ewan Coutts, Lyall Brown and Logan Whyte. Both Tam Hampson and Mackenzie Williamson also unavailable.
But the Burgh were able to welcome back Cammy Newsome to the line up for his first start since September but there was no evidence of any rustiness with an excellent performance in midfield. CJ Thomson also returned from illness, along with Ronnie Martin and Kyle Tracey from knocks.
But the players made light of this putting in a strong performance which got to a good start with Andrew McCallion weaved away from three defenders to get a low shot on target in the opening 90 seconds of the game.
Martin then got between two defenders to loop a good effort goal-bound, but unfortunately just over the bar.
Burgh took the lead in the 22nd minute with a move started and finished by Tracey. After winning possession mid-way through the Edinburgh half, he played a ball wide to Lewis Stevenson on the right-hand wing. ‘Stevo’ sent over a dangerous ball into the box that was flicked on by the head of McCallion and found Tracey unmarked to slide home from close range.
Tracey was having an impressive game and he had two good further chances starting in the 31st minute when a great through ball by Stevenson cut through the visiting defence for Tracey to nudge the ball past the advancing keeper but the ball was cleared before a Burgh boot could put the final touch to it.
Stevenson put a good foot in to win possession in the 34th minute to send McCallion through towards goal. Edinburgh managed to intercept but the clearance only went as far as Stevenson again who sent over another telling cross that Tracey could not quite nod into the far corner.
On 39 minutes a quickly taken Burgh free kick by Thomson inside their own half sent McCallion through on goal and he rounded the keeper but couldn’t quite convert with the angle narrowing.
In the 43rd minute Martin did well to keep the ball in play on the left-hand touchline and found Tracey who turned his man to get a shot in on goal into the body of keeper Moffat.
The second half started with Tracey repaying the compliment to Stevenson in the 50th minute to slide a ball through for the Burgh no.11 whose effort was pushed away for a corner by Moffat.
Edinburgh were still looking to get back into the game and Forbes went close with an effort into the side netting in the 58th minute.
But Burgh extended their lead in the 62nd minute as Stevenson’s flick on was intercepted by Geddes ahead of Edinburgh’s Ethan Johnston who trying to shield the ball out of play. The stand-in Burgh then laid off a pass on the edge of the area for Tracey to curl a low shot away from goal that could only be parried by the keeper for Martin to run in and net the loose ball from close range.
The home side were knocking the ball round well and you could see confidence in the play. Newsome did well to nip in to win possession and play Stevenson through with a chance. But with two defenders in close attendance, his low effort was pounced on by the keeper.
On 72 minutes Geddes rose highest to meet Kian Beattie’s corner from the right but his header fell just past the far post. In the 74th minute a good move from the visitors fell nicely to Brown whose turn and shot from the edge of the area went just wide with Scott Kyles diving to his left to cover.
Edinburgh were still battling to get a lifeline back into the game and a diagonal run across the box from Mowatt couldn’t trouble Kyles, who was looking for his second clean sheet of the month, in the Burgh goal.
In the 81st minute a Martin free-kick stung the palms of Moffat with McCallion chasing in for the loose ball which the keeper was able to claim at the second attempt. Tracey then headed another Beattie corner wide at the far post on 84 minutes.
The third goal owed everything to the running and persistence of Andrew McCallion as a long ball forward by Calum Leadbeatter sent the Burgh no.9 on a one-on-one chase with Nicol. McCallion’s commitment and effort saw him dispossess the defender and run on into the Edinburgh box where he was brought down by Cameron Johnston in challenging for the ball.
McCallion dusted himself down to send Moffat the wrong way from the spot and put Newburgh 3-0 up with his first goal, of hopefully many, in a Burgh shirt.
It was a very good team performance with many stand out performances. Tracey and Martin both had, arguably, their best games for the club. Stevenson and Geddes worked well on the right-hand side, whilst Andrew McCallion ran his socks off up front and was a constant threat.
In truth, there could be a case for a number of players mentioned above to pick up the Committee Man of the Match award, but Cammy Newsome fractionally got the nod with a tough-tackling and hard working performance from a player who slotted back into the side with ease and played like he had never been away.
Following on from the recent win over Livingston and now from Saturday, it shows the levels the team can reach and now it is a case of finding that consistency in the remaining games. But a very pleasing afternoon and one that deserves to be enjoyed.
Man of the Match: Cammy Newsome.
