Burgh brought down the curtain on the 2022/23 campaign with their Second Division status already secured. With both sides playing for nothing more than pride, it was certainly not a typical end of season ‘drab’ game as Newburgh and Tweedmouth shared eight goals in an entertaining encounter at East Shore Park.
Newburgh sought to end the season in fine style with a win moving the club up to 11th place and Tweedmouth unable to change their fine 8th place standing.
The home side got off to the brightest start when Cai Macdonald nodded a ball back into the path of Michael Perrie to fire a low shot inside the near post from 12 yards out in just the 3rd minute to give Burgh the lead.
The hosts were looking very lively and sharp and good work by Harris Mitchell beating his man on the byline sent a dangerous low ball across the face of the Tweedmouth goal with no-one quite able to get that killer touch.
If at first you don’t succeed… Minutes later Mitchell repeated the same move riding the tackles to send over another exquisite ball, Perrie’s close effort was blocked, the ball went to the edge of the area where Macdonald smartly turned his man and his low through ball bobbled through into the six-yard box past defenders and was ran onto by Jamie Fyfe who poked past keeper Frampton for 2-0 in the 23rd minute.
Cromarty had a effort brilliantly saved at close range by David Chalmers in the 34th minute before the visitors were awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute as a ball into the box bounced up and hit the unfortunate Mitchell’s hand. Drew Cummings netted the first of what would be two penalties.
Skipper Andrew Cameron restored Burgh’s two-goal advantage in the 48th minute when he met Fyfe’s corner to power home a header at the far post to make it 3-1.
Lewis Stevenson had a good effort from 22 yards out in the 55th minute which fizzed just wide of the post before Robinson netted Tweedmouth’s second to make it 3-2 with a well-taken effort across goal a minute later.
Tweedmouth were awarded their second penalty of the game in the 63rd minute when Ronan Hall was adjudged to have fouled. Cummings stepped up again to make it 3-3.
The game was looking like it could go either way with both sides ensuring a lively match and Graham continued his good vein on scoring form for Tweedmouth when he netted a ball cut back to turn a 3-1 deficit to an unexpected 4-3 lead on 69 minutes.
In days gone by, Burgh would have perhaps thrown in the towel but the resistance and work rate ensured that the team aren’t the push overs that they may have been earlier in the season and Hamid Eddouss was on hand to snatch an equaliser just two minutes later.
A cross from Connall White on the right after Stevenson had done well to keep the ball in play saw the visiting keeper challenge with Macdonald and unable to deal with it and it fell to sub Eddouss to hook home a deserved equaliser from 5 yards out.
In the final ten minutes it was Burgh who looked like continuing the pressure and restoring the lead with Eddouss unlikely that his flick past the advancing keeper was cleared, then Johnny Malcolm had a long-range strike testing Frampton and White had an injury time effort saved.
So it finished 4-4 but it was not your typical end-of-season game with both sides serving up an entertaining game and giving their all.
As it stood, Burgh moved up to 12th place in the table and there was much to be optimistic about for the new season. When you compare the season as it progressed, it is clear to see the progression Allan Moody’s young side has made and that augers well for 2023/24.
