Burgh were once again on their travels for the third of four consecutive away games with a trip to Livingston United at Station Park.
It started with it looking like it was going to be a good afternoon for Burgh when Mitchell Sharp fired home in only the 2nd minute after a long-throw from Callum Roughead hit a defender and fell to Newburgh’s top scorer who fired a low shot past the keeper.
In the 8th minute Mackenzie Williamson went close after a lay off by Logan Whyte on the edge of the Livingston penalty area.
The game then was held up by a very serious injury to a Livingston midfielder in the 10th minute. Thankfully an ambulance arrived quickly to help treat the injured player and transport to hospital. It was certainly something you don’t want to see or wish on any player, on behalf of everyone at Newburgh Juniors Football Club, we send our best wishes for a swift and full recovery.
The match was held up for approximately 40 minutes so after the players completed a warm up the match resumed with CJ Thomson having an effort saved in the 12th minute of the game.
The game then went into a crazy spell of goals and goalmouth action with Livingston equalising in the 18th minute when a looping header from McDonald found its way into the far corner of the net.
Moments later Burgh had restored their lead when another long range throw from Roughead was flicked over the keeper by Williamson and came down off the bar and in before bouncing out but Whyte was on hand to follow up regardless. The general consensus concluded the goal was Williamson’s, including Whyte himself.
Williamson then nearly netted his second in the 21st minute with a shot saved at close range by keeper Duffy. The keeper rolled the ball to his defender whose clearance only found Whyte who played a sidewards pass to Williamson to run on and fire a low shot under the body of Duffy from around 20 yards out to make it 3-1.
Sharp then tested Duffy with a smart turn and shot which stung the keeper’s gloves in the 30th minute before Livi made it 3-2 with a debatable goal that was finished by Campbell despite appearing to be in an offside position when the pass was played to him.
Livingston were pumped up at this stage to get back into the game and Joe Russell was called into action to brilliantly save low down from close range and then from the resultant corner tip over another goal-bound effort in the 36th minute.
Arthur went close two minutes later when he tried deflecting a long range effort from Mahood past Russell but thankfully his touch put the ball just wide of the post. At the other end, Sharp again went close with an effort saved by Duffy on 43 minutes.
The home side came out for the second half fired up to find an equaliser and went close with a Avinou header just over and a direct corner that caught everyone out before cannoning off the outside of the post.
Burgh were also eagerly trying to put the game to bed and Owen McNally went close in the 49th minute with a shot that deflected behind for a corner, and on 52 minutes Sharp fired over from a Thomson lay-off.
McNally missed a good chance on 57 minutes when put through by Sharp, but unfortunately took too much time to get his effort away from close range and the ball was put behind.
As the game went on, you began feeling that the home side were going to make that breakthrough to equalise and they did so on 73 minutes when a ball into the box appeared to beat everyone but Arthur who headed home from close range.
Sub Calum Geddes missed a glorious chance to get Burgh back ahead when a Ewan Coutts free kick was badly cleared by McKnight and fell to Geddes with just the keeper to beat, but Duffy was out quickly to narrow the angles and blocked Geddes’ goalbound strike.
The hosts then had a glorious chance to take the lead for the first time in the game on 80 minutes when a driving run from Avinou presented sub Dunlop with a chance. His shot was parried by a diving Russell and with the keeper still grounded and the goal at his mercy McDonald somehow hit the Burgh post when it would have been easier to score.
Burgh were dealt a devastating blow of their own when Williamson was caught in a tussle for the ball in front of the home dugout. They were vocally screaming for the foul and the official obliged, as well as deeming it a second yellow card for the Burgh skipper in the 83rd minute.
It was a telling decision as moments later Livingston did succeed in claiming the winning goal as the ball fell to Kelly about 12 yards out and his shot appeared to deflect and loop past a helpless Russell to make it 4-3 in the 85th minute.
It was a goal that sucked the life out of Burgh and it was the home side that looked most likely to score again in the closing moments.
It was a devastating result for Burgh after leading 3-1 after 22 minutes, but it was certainly an entertaining game for the neutral.
Man of the Match: Rhys Sneddon.
