Welfare's shut-out earn first Super League point

Meanwhile there were first points for Crossgates Primrose, Lochore Welfare and Lochgelly Albert in their respective leagues.

Vale of Leithen 0,

Kelty Hearts 7.

HEARTS headed south knowing that after last week’s shock defeat at Cumbernauld there was no room for errors at Victoria Park.

And really this game was all over by the interval as Hearts piled on the goals.

Nathan Austin put them ahead in 18 minutes after he took advantage of a defensive skip and eight minutes later Stephen Husband fired home a fine shot to double the advantage.

The home defence was starting to struggle and in 33 minutes Austin was in the right spot to add a third and before the break Vale were in real trouble when Sean McKirdy fired home a spectacular shot.

Eleven minutes after the interval Scott Linton, always supporting his attack, was on the spot to send Kelty nap and as Vale’s challenge really disappeared more goals came.

Austin completed his hat-trick just after the hour mark and in 69 minutes Danny Ashe made it 7-0.

The real surprise was how there were no more goals as Vale struggled badly but the result has Hearts four points behind leaders Bonnyrigg Rose with a game in hand.

Blackburn United 1,

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 1.

AN ordinary Haws performance saw two East of Scotland Premier League points dropped at Blackburn.

It was a dour affair but Haws really should have left the Lothians with all three points.

The opening phase of the game was very dull with few chances and Blackburn were happy to sit in and deny Haws space and hit on the break.

It looked as if the half would end goalless but just before the interval a long ball forward was not dealt with and Blackburn got through to take the lead.

Things got worse for Haws in the second period when Lyle Kellichan was red carded for an off the ball incident.

Hill of Beath kept plugging away and the equaliser came when Joe Kirby’s corner was perfect for Lee Reid to head home.

After that Kirby and new signing Joe Kinninmonth went close to grabbing the winner but Haws boss Kevin Fotheringham was not happy with his team’s performance: “After last week’s good win at Penicuik we were very flat in this one.

“Throughout the game the quality of our passing let us down and we did not do enough to win it.

“We will have to play a lot better than that in our Scottish Cup tie at Threave this weekend if we want to get into the first round proper.”

Dundonald Bluebell 2,

Penicuik Athletic 3.

THE ‘Bell really disappointed their fans at Moorside in this EoS Premier Division game.

Dundonald started the game reasonably well without really looking like getting a goal and on the half hour they were punished for some slack defending when a cross was converted at the back post.

Then 20 minutes into the second period a free-kick found an Athletic striker totally unmarked and he headed home and five minutes later they were three down.

After some abject stuff Bluebell pulled one back with ten minutes to go when Calum Smith found Ross Drummond and he finished well.

When Mikey Ness made it 3-2 with five minutes to go it gave the home fans hope but ‘Bell boss Lee Dair said his side did not deserve anything from the game.

“Our defending was very poor in this game and really we handed at least two goals to Penicuik,” he said.

“We got two back late on but we did certainly did not deserve to get an equaliser. Certainly a bad day at the office.”

Crossgates Primrose 2,

Musselburgh Athletic 1.

THEIR first win and Primrose certainly deserved it with a good all round performance at Humbug Park (see Jim Payne's pictures from the game).

Crossgates started the game well and created a few good openings in the opening minutes.

In 15 minutes the home side went ahead when James McAteer completed a good move to fire the ball home.

Musselburgh were shocked and were finding it hard to put many good moves together and four minutes later Crossgates were two up.

Darren Aitken was on target and from then until the break it was all about Crossgates.

Musselburgh improved in the second period and had more chances but the Primrose defence worked hard and the Athletic goal did not come until the 79th minute.

But there was no other goals and it was a result that took Crossgates off the bottom of the table.

Thornton Hibs 0,

Lochore Welfare 0.

A FIRST Super League point for Welfare and a deserved one in this Fife derby.

The game saw both teams defend well and chances were few although in the first period the home side hit a Lochore post.

The Welfare also had a couple of half chances but at the break scoreline was blank.

Ryan Couser was back between the Lochore sticks and in the second-half he made a couple of good stops and dealt with a series of crosses but probably the chance of the game fell to Welfare’s Jamie McNeish who went clean through late on but he found the Thornton ‘keeper denying him what would have been the winner.

Lochore stay bottom but boss James Adam was happy with the point: “It was one of these games where there were not a lot of chances.

“We defended well as a team and maybe could have sneaked it at the end but Jamie was denied by a good save.”

Lochgelly Albert 3,

Sauchie JFC 0.

A SUPERB performance from the Berts which got them off the foot of the South Division table.

After conceding a lot of goals in their opening games they defended much better in this one and created many chances.

The Berts opened well and James Gunn saw a fierce shot palmed away by the Sauchie ‘keeper and then Ryan Hughes went close from a free-kick.

The home side went ahead in the when Sami Mitchell set up Gunn and he fired a 20 yarder high into the net.

There were other chances and Shaun Hunter, the Berts’ ‘keeper, was seldom called upon.

However, in 52 minutes Hunter came to the rescue of his team when a Sauchie forward went down in the box under a challenge from the 'keeper and the referee pointed to the spot but ‘Tuna’ produced a fine save.

Soon after Mitchell fed Gunn again and he cut inside before whipping the ball into the net to double the Lochgelly advantage.

On the hour Gunn beat three defenders and passed to Mitchell who went close to a third and then Gunn saw a shot blocked on the line.

The third goal in 88 minutes tied up the points when, following a corner, Declan Boyle fired a half volley past the ‘keeper from close in.

Lochgelly, with veteran Ross Gallagher in the centre of the defence, looked a lot more solid and were worthy of the win, a point acknowledged by boss Andy Healy: “It was a refreshing performance from the lads.

“We attacked strongly and defended very well and Ross played his part in that. It was good to get that first win on the board.”

Saturday’s fixtures, William Hill Scottish Cup Preliminary round, Threave Rovers v Hill of Beath Hawthorn (3pm). Lowland League, Kelty Hearts v Gretna 2008 (3pm).

East of Scotland League Premier League, Crossgates Primrose v Blackburn United (2.30), Dundonald Bluebell v Newtongrange Star (2.30).

DJ Laing East Region Cup, Blairgowrie v Lochore Welfare (2.30), Lochgelly Albert v Whitburn (2.30).