Dylan Adamson's introduction from the bench proved pivotal in a memorable Saints win. The powerful striker played a blinder, contributing to all three of his side's second half goals, one of which he personally rocketed into the top corner from distance himself. Lacklustre Spittal will point to numerous missed opportunities in both halves, but for every chance squandered, Saints had an equally good opening of their own. The Seasiders struggled to keep possession at a windswept Rising Sun with Quay's drive & desire to fight for everything eventually swinging the game in their favour - togetherness a well known trait in the Saints ranks. Early on, Willington Quay almost took the lead immediately after good work from the impressive Alex Foreman down the right flank saw his perfectly floated cross glanced just wide by Joe Connor. The reply from Spittal was positive however, Kyle Jeffrey rattling the woodwork with a powerful left footed strike before Craig Bell dispossessed Kieran Dewhurst only for his shot to graze Ellis Burns' right hand post. Moments later Burns saved well from Rhys Bloomfield's ambitious effort before skipper Paul Wood nodded goalwards from Marco Lambert's corner - the well placed Foreman finding himself in the right place at the right time to hook the ball clear from under his own crossbar. Foreman then showed his creative side once again, driving forward at every opportunity. He was unlucky not to connect with a far post volley as he stood alone & unmarked, but it was Ross Thirlaway who was left even more frustrated when Mason saved superbly with his feet from the no. 10 after he had shaken off the close attentions of Ewan Sherry. Mason then denied the speedy striker again moments later before another sequence of play saw the Rovers keeper & winger Niall Jones combine to repel another shot from the angle. Fullback Ben Fairbairn was then called upon to clear from the goal line and again Mason was on hand to keep Saints out - tipping Sean Conway's shot around his far post. As half-time approached, Jones thought he had netted a Bloomfield cross after the winger had glided past Scott Ramsay out wide to roll the ball across the six yard line. Unbelievably though, Quay fullback Stephen King took the full force of Jones' shot to the face, deflecting it off target to the amusement of his colleagues. From the resulting corner, a glorious chance arrived for Sherry, but after rising above his marker he could not direct his header appropriately and it scuffed the outside of the post. Just after the interval, Lambert went close for the Berwickers after Bloomfield had recycled Dmitrijs Paplavskis' overhit cross, but it was Saints who were the eventual leaders of a very watchable tussle - substitute Adamson's superb hold up play laying off to the onrushing Jack Renwick, whose thunderous strike hit the top corner like a missile. The lead was then doubled via Adamson himself, his thunderbolt leaving Mason speechless. The second goal had proceeded two great opportunities for Spittal to level things up - Fairbairn & substitute Ben Amers both blasting good chances from within the box high & wide of the target. With the game now stretched, the hosts grabbed a third to cap a wonderful afternoon for themselves, a quick back to front move resulting in another Adamson lay off to Renwick, the midfielder running unchallenged across the park before eventually finding the bottom corner despite Richard Baxendale's last ditch challenge. Another pair of fabulous saves from Mason, one of which was tipped onto his post, kept the scoreline respectable with Rovers fortunate not to concede a penalty at the death when Sherry wiped out Thirlaway as he went to pull the trigger.
