Burgh returned to East Shore Park looking to extend their winning run to four games on the trot – something that the club hasn’t achieved since October 2020 with wins over Burntisland (4-2), Eyemouth United (11-0 – yes, that’s correct!), Lochgelly Albert (2-1) and Kinnoull (3-0) – with the visit of Hawick Royal Albert.
The fact that the team achieved the feat on Saturday against their toughest opponent of the sequence was testament to the hard work and team spirit that has been nurturing throughout the season and has solidified into a great team bond.
Not only did the defence and team keep the attacking threat of Hawick at bay for large spells, the side never crumbled and posed a number of questions of their own and came out (deservedly) on top in a tight, eagerly contested clash.
Burgh started the first half the strongest when Mackenzie Williamson got a foot in to flick a ball through to Andy McCallion in just the 4th minute. McCallion kept his cool as he nudged the ball past the advancing keeper but with space running out and losing his balance, his low shot cannoned of the base of the post.
In the 11th minute, Hawick’s perseverance between Uwandu and Tracey saw the move half-cleared before Dyke fired a low shot into the body of Scott Kyles in the Burgh goal.
On 14 minutes a ball forward by Calum Geddes was flicked by McCallion into the path of the onrushing Kyle Tracey whose shot failed to hit the target going just over.
In the 19th minute a throw from the left by Rhys Sneddon was played back to him by McCallion and the left back’s cross/shot thudded against the top of the woodwork and behind at the keeper’s near post.
The home side were dealt a blow early in the second half after midfielder Kian Beattie limped out of the action in the 47th minute after taking a heavy knock and was replaced by Tam Hampson.
The change seemed to force Burgh to step up a gear and overpower their opponents and Tracey intercept a stray ball to run on and fire a shot just wide of the near post in the 49th minute. Moments later Williamson hit the Hawick goal frame for the third time with a thunderous long range strike that came back off the bar with keeper Shiel well beaten.
Burgh were working really hard and keeping their promotion-chasing visitors at bay whilst knocking on the door for a goal themselves. On 62 minutes Williamson went close with a spectacular spontaneous overhead kick which just cleared the bar from 8 yards out.
Dyke had one of Hawick’s few chances in the second half in the72nd minute when he smartly shot on the turn but couldn’t trouble Kyles with his effort going over.
The only goal of the game came in the 74th minute when a clearance out of the visitor’s area found Calum Leadbeatter in the centre circle who laid the ball wide to Sneddon. The full-back’s deep ball into the box beat everyone except for the head of Hampson whose header looped over the keeper, and into the net for an excellent finish from a superb cross. It was the least Burgh deserved for a solid performance.
As Hawick rang the changes to chase an equaliser, a cross from the right in the 84th minute was headed over his own bar to safety by Geddes at the far post, whilst Hampson’s free kick from outside the area was charged down by the Hawick wall.
Returning defender Callum Roughead, missing from the starting line up since picking up an injury at Fauldhouse, came to Burgh’s rescue and preserve the lead deep into stoppage time when he bravely got a block in on a goal-bound shot to deflect for a corner.
The last action of the game saw Williamson firing a shot after a lay off from McCallion which was blocked by the Hawick defence.
The final whistle blew to end an intense performance by a resurgent Newburgh side that are continuing to grow from strength to strength. A battling game against good opposition chasing their own promotion hopes was extremely pleasing, as much as another clean sheet for Kyles and his defence.
To be honest, it was hard to pick a Man of the Match as it genuinely could have gone to anyone. But the nod went to Cammy Newsome who was the tigerish heartbeat in middle of the park, alongside Beattie and Ronnie Martin. The defence did not put a foot wrong and were thankful to Roughead’s late intervention. At the other end of the park, the forward players were led by Andy McCallion with Williamson, Tracey, Hampson all looked lively and put in a hard-working shift.
But four wins in a row (three in the League) and three clean sheets out of four is a massive change in shift after recent times and a great reward for the whole squad and management team who have been working so hard. Well done!
