Tweedmouth were the visitors to Newburgh in a game that had rain showers, sun and rainbows to add a scenic environment for an entertaining game as the visitors arrived seeking revenge for Burgh’s 2-0 win at Shielfield Park back in September.
Burgh were down to the bare bones with a number of absentees through illness or injury to an already thread-bare squad.
The visitors started brightest but found keeper Joe Russell is fine form with Straughan having a chance in the 2nd minute before seeing another effort cannon off the bar with Elliot Jowitt getting to the rebound first to clear behind for a corner.
Russell again did excellently to get his fingertips to an effort from Sabatini in the 8th minute, whilst at the other end a charging run from Harris Mitchell saw the Burgh number 6 exchange a one-two with Ronan Hall and fire a low shot across the face of goal.
Hall himself was put through on goal in the 18th minute and forced the Tweedmouth keeper Frampton to save with his feet.
The visitors took the lead in the 26th minute when a shot from Straughan appeared to take a slight deflection before ending in the far corner of the net.
Their joy was short-lived as the Tweedmouth keeper commenced a horror three-minute spell where he was at fault for two goals from Hall. A ball from Stevenson was flicked back by a defender to the keeper with Hall chasing in. Controlling with his feet instead of then picking up with the striker yards away, he inexplicitly miscontrolled the ball and Hall poked the ball away and into the net in the 28th minute.
Moments later Burgh nudged into a 2-1 lead when a Mitchell Sharp shot was deflected inside the six yard box by the defender and somehow squirmed under Frampton and Hall was quickest to prod home from close range.
A crazy nine minute spell was completed in the 35th minute when a long-ball from Tweedmouth was pumped forward and Jamie Fyfe missed the keeper’s call and flicked the header backwards over the advancing Russell with Bell running on to tap home.
Russell again was called into action with a couple of excellent saves, with the latter seeing Kyle Tracey well positioned to block the rebound before the break.
Bell missed a great chance to give his side the lead early in the second half when he fired over a cut back from close range before he made amends in the 53rd minute heading home a cross from about 12 yards out.
On 61 minutes Russell again did well to save an effort with the loose ball falling for a shot from Bell that produced an even better flying block Josh Lindsay on the goalline.
Tweedmouth netted their fourth – and final – goal of the game on 71 minutes when Baverstock did well to volley home Russell’s punch out from a corner from the edge of the area.
Burgh continued battling and were playing some good stuff, but the visitors had the better of the remaining chances although Sharp went close with an effort forcing Frampton to save with his feet again.
It was still an encouraging and hard-working performance for Burgh with many positives to work on.
Man of the Match: Harris Mitchell.
