Burgh travelled to Purvis Park to face hosts that boasted a 100% record of 3 wins from 3 against a side that had their own – unfortunate – 100% record. Come full time, though, both records were broken as the result could, and possibly should, have easily gone against the form book.
It was a bright evening with a good crowd in attendance as the two sides kicked off with Lochgelly’s Bennell having the first chance in the 8th minute when he cut in from the left but curled a shot over the bar.
Burgh were looking much sharper in a bid to end their sequence of results and after a long ball forward caught the home defence out and a back header from ex-Burgh Lawson was latched onto by Mitchell Sharp in the area, as he defenders chased back, the ball fell to Lewis Stevenson’s whose effort was blocked in the 9th minute.
Sharp tested the palms of home keeper Park in the 20th minute after Stevenson had picked up possession, but it was a game that seemed to be dominated by yellow cards but it was never really that sort of game with both teams eagerly contesting.
Newburgh were doing a good job of breaking up play and switching to attack quickly. A charging run by CJ Thomson from his own half set up a chance for Logan Whyte on the edge of the Lochgelly area but was just over the bar.
Mackenzie Williamson than tested the handywork of Park in the 40th minute with a powerful shot at the near post. Just before half time Bennell had another chance for Lochgelly when he was put through on goal but Joe Russell was out quickly to block the shot with his feet.
Russell pulled off a magnificent instinctive save to push over a shot from his namesake Scott Russell at the start of the second half. The first major talking point of the game came in the 51st minute when the hosts were awarded a penalty that nobody seemed to appeal. Following a long throw into the area, Thomson and a forward slid in amongst a crowd of bodies and the referee pointed to the spot. Lochgelly Russell’s spot kick was not the greatest as Newburgh Russell dived to his right to save but with the ball loose Lochgelly Russell was obviously closest to make no mistake at the second attempt.
The second major talking point came five minutes later and resulted in the Burgh equaliser. After a charging run from Whyte, Lochgelly defender Fotheringham challenged for the ball on the edge of the area and both players fell. The referee awarded Burgh the free kick but the home fans were incensed. In hindsight watching it back, Burgh were perhaps fortunate to win the foul but I can also see why the official viewed the incident as he did as the ball didn’t follow the path you would expect had the defender won the ball as it was blocked by Whyte also trying to play the ball. It was one of those ones you’d be pleased to get but also annoyed to go against you but in the absence of VAR, the referee is always faced with a difficult task.
From the free kick Sharp produced a spectacular curling free kick over the defensive wall and past the keeper inside the near post for a brilliant equaliser. It was a replica of the goal the Burgh no.9 had scored in pre-season against Jeanfield and it was brilliantly executed.
The home side thought they had regained the lead in the 68th minute when a ball cut back from the left wing found Lochgelly Russell with seemingly a glorious chance to tap home from 5 yards out. But both Russells were not counting on a superb last-ditch clearance off the line by Rhys Sneddon to clear the danger despite the roars of “goal” from the home crowd. It was a great stop by the Burgh left-back.
From then on it was Burgh who seemed to be the most likely to find the winner and were pressing to find that goal. Sharp received the ball on the edge of the Lochgelly area in the 74th minute following a corner and turned and fizzed a shot just wide of the post with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Burgh were pressing hard and capitalising on poor possession from the home side. Sneddon picked up a clearance to send Williamson towards goal on the left. The Burgh skipper stepped inside and curled a shot just over the bar.
Then, in stoppage time, Williamson robbed Haggett after a ball out from the back by keeper Park and ran into the area. He laid off sub Kyle Tracey on the edge of the area but his effort was blocked by a defender’s leg.
It was a very energetic and positive performance from Burgh, exploiting on mistakes from their opponents. It was a result that gave Burgh their first point, but really there could have been few arguments if 1 points turned into 3.
Man of the Match: Mitchell Sharp. A hard working display and a constant thorn in Lochgelly’s side, edging out a great performance from keeper Joe Russell.
