Newburgh returned to East Shore Park for the first of three consecutive home games on the back of a battling 2-0 win over Edinburgh United with the visit of Fauldhouse United.
The visitors arrived for their second visit to Newburgh following their penalty shoot-out success in the Alex Jack Cup, riding high in 2nd place in a table that saw only 6 points separating them and bottom of the table.
Burgh took the lead in the 16th minute following a corner awarded for a blocked shot by Stevie Jefferies. A superb set-piece from Ryan Heatherill was put on a plate for defender Callum Roughead to rise highest and head home from close range for his 2nd goal of the campaign.
Jefferies was continuing his lively showing when he dispossessed a Fauldhouse defender to run on but his shot lacked accuracy to trouble Weatherby in the visiting goal on 20 minutes.
It was a fairly even contest throughout with few serious goal-threatening chances with Joe Russell rarely tested, as was his opposite number.
Owen McCallion had a chance from distance just over the bar in the 35th minute, whilst Anderson curled a shot away from goal minutes later.
In the 55th minute, MacDonald saw a good shot from the edge of the area fizz just wide of the post before he was set for a premature end to the match after a tangle of legs with Euan Morris, who was driving towards goal, was enough for the Fauldhouse number 9 to pick up his second yellow card of the game and he headed for an early bath around the hour mark.
It didn’t seem to dent the pattern of the game too much with both sides cancelling each other out.
That changed in the 72nd minute when Russell played a short pass to CJ Thomson who sent a raking long-range pass forward which was controlled excellently by Jefferies, with Mitchell Sharp, in support.
The Burgh striker didn’t need his colleague on this occasion as he took the ball down with one touch and fired a curling low effort beyond the reach of Weatherby from 20 yards out to give Burgh a 2-0 lead.
Burgh started looking a little more comfortable at this stage, even though Fauldhouse still were looking a threat. Sharp had a close range effort saved on 74 minutes, as did McCallion two minutes later.
Fauldhouse’s cause was dealt a final blow on 82 minutes, having already made all their substitutions, when sub Hodge. who had already picked up a knock moments earlier, tried a shot but aggravated his injury further and was forced to hobble off leaving the visitors with only 9 men on the field.
In stoppage play Burgh had one final chance to find a third when good play by Adam Wilson knocked a ball through to Owen McNally who was running out of space to get a shot away and the danger was averted.
In was a very tight game with few chances, but it was an intriguing match too in a very even league. Fauldhouse could point to their numerical disadvantage but both teams did a good job of cancelling each out.
It was a good header from a set piece by Roughead from a killer Heatherill corner and a wonderful control and finish from Man of the Match Jefferies that was the difference between the two sides.
But it is a result that gives the Burgh defence their second clean sheet in a row and the team a second 2-0 win on the trot as they look to make their way up the table.
