Burgh travelled to West Lothian to visit Fauldhouse United at Parkview Arena, grateful of a new returning faces to the squad following a recent sickness bug that ruled out a number following the previous game.
Tam Hampson returned up top to pick up the captain’s armband in the absence of Mackenzie Williamson. Rhys Sneddon returned to his usual left-back berth allowing Jack Keast to move forward. CJ Thomson, another sickness absentee, took a place on the bench alongside returning Cammy Newsome and new midweek signing Michael Collins.
Fauldhouse started the game stronger and keeper Scott Kyles was kept busy. A quick break after a defensive slip saw Kyles dive to cut out a low cross into the box.
In the 11th minute Kyles was down well to push a shot around his near post from Trindade.
At the other end, Kian Beattie did well to play a ball into the Fauldhouse area which was flicked on by Andrew McCallion but the ‘Hoose’ defence were able to clear the danger before Hampson could pull the trigger.
Kyles was again in action diving low to push a long-range shot around his post after the hosts had won possession about 30 yards from goal.
In the 27th minute a cut in and shot from the left flank was deflected wide by Calum Geddes for a corner. From the floated set piece, Kyles was unable to stretch enough to claim and the ball fell to Hughes to knock home from close range.
On 31 minutes Ghoul was able to shake off a tackle to ride on and fire a low shot into the body of Kyles who gratefully held onto the effort well.
The game was threatening to get a bit niggly with a few incidents missed or punished insufficiently. Owen McCallion took an elbow to the back of the head, Callum Roughead was victim of a heavy challenge which curtailed his game at half time and Hampson was body-checked off the ball (thanks Veo!) as McCallion was being man-handled positioning for a free kick as he was the smallest man on the pitch.
Andrew McCallion went close with an effort from distance but it sailed just wide of the post.
On 41 minutes Fauldhouse missed a great opportunity to double their lead after a neat move down the right and cross fell invitingly for Trindade who somehow fired into the proverbial Row Z instead of the net.
The second half started and gave Burgh a life-line when a rash tackle on the corner of the box took out Hampson instead of the ball and the referee was well positioned to award the penalty. Hampson picked himself up to send Weatherby the wrong way.
On 56 minutes a shot from substitute Thomson was deflected wide for a corner before Fauldhouse regained the lead in the 65th minute when Dryden’s shot was well saved by Kyles, but Fekete was quickest to convert the loose ball into the net passed the defender on the line.
Two minutes later and the ‘Hoose’ put the game to bed with a well-taken header from Dryden into the top far corner from a free kick floated into the Burgh box to make it 3-1.
Burgh weren’t giving up and seemed to turn in their best spell of the game in the final stages with Thomson having an effort just wide, Owen McNally turning and getting a low shot away saved by Weatherby.
Unfortunately, Burgh were unable to convert any pressure into goals and in the 87th minute a driving run forward by Sneddon played in Andrew McCallion to fire a shot that pushed away by Weatherby and fell to Adam Wilson. The keeper recovered himself quickly to also block Wilson’s follow up.
