Scottish Junior Cup second round: Crossgates Primrose 1 Newburgh 0

CROSSGATES PRIMROSE are through to the third round of the Junior Cup after edging out Newburgh on Saturday.

Alan Campbell’s South Division outfit got the better of their North Division rivals – who finished a man light after Josh Wilson was sent off – at Humbug Park thanks to Dale Allan’s second-half strike.

After an opening half hour with few chances created by either side, the home team were the first to threaten when Jamie McNeish pulled the ball back for Andrew Watt, but he could only fire over the top.

Newburgh responded with a Fraser Anderson strike that whistled just wide but, after the break, Crossgates took the initiative and were rewarded just before the hour mark.

A quick break down the right saw the ball played over for Allan, who finished superbly from a tight angle to give the hosts the lead.

Anderson saw a free kick pushed over as Newburgh tried to respond but their hopes of salvaging a replay vanished when Wilson was sent off with 15 minutes to go, allowing Primrose to see the game out and move into the next round.

Scottish Junior Cup second round: Dufftown 1 Oakley United 1

A LAST-GASP leveller denied Oakley United a place in the third round as Dufftown snatched a replay at Blairwood Park this weekend.

Lee Richardson admitted it was a “sickener” conceding in the third minute of stoppage time when his team looked set to triumph over the North Region Super League thanks to Lee Duffy’s penalty.

Despite injuring himself in a motorcycle accident the night before, Barry Allan was passed fit to play while James McAteer – still recovering from an ankle problem – also started.

McAteer only lasted 20 minutes but Oakley took the led when Duffy scored from the spot after Derrick Murray had been brought down.

Only the home goalkeeper prevented United from extending their advantage before Kevin Gollan had a goal from a Murray crossed chalked off by the linesman’s offside flag.

But, with time running out, a corner into the box wasn’t cleared by the visitors and Finlay Stables poked home at the far post to secure a second chance for the hosts.

Richardson said: “If anything, it looked like we’d score again but they poked it in at the back post. It was a sickener but, in the first half, we played really well and I’m confident if we play the way we played on our longer park that we’ll get a result.”

Oakley, meanwhile, have signed Whitehill Welfare defender Ryan Stevenson and hope to have Lee Halpin available for Saturday’s replay.

McBookie.com South Division: Rosyth 1 Pumpherston 6

ROSYTH fell to their heaviest defeat of the season as they were hit for six by South Division table-toppers Pumpherston.

Barry Cockburn’s team enjoyed an impressive success at West Calder United in their previous encounter to move into sixth place and were keen to produce another against a West Lothian outfit yet to lose on the road this season.

The game was a stalemate until four minutes from the break when an own goal handed the visitors the lead but Gregg Page’s third goal in three games from the penalty spot pulled them level.

They weren’t level for long though as Ally McRitchie converted a penalty to put Pumpherston back in front before Stan Chitemere was red-carded for Rosyth.

The 10 men then became nine as another sending off – this time for their goalkeeper – led to McRitchie scoring another from 12 yards to put the game beyond the Recreation Park outfit and Pumpherston cruised to victory.

East of Scotland League: Peebles Rovers 0 Kelty Hearts 7

THE East of Scotland League goal spree continued for Kelty Hearts as they smashed home another magnificent seven on Saturday.

Peebles Rovers were the latest victims of Thomas Courts’ free-scoring side, who hit seven for the second successive game to maintain their 100 per cent start in the league.

After thrashing Heriot-Watt University 7-1 last Tuesday – the first competitive game to be played under the floodlights at New Central Park – their latest batch of goals takes their tally to a staggering 87 in all competitions, with the concession of just 10, in only 15 matches.

The defensive side of Kelty’s game was something Courts was keen to highlight after this one, which was their eighth shut-out of the campaign so far.

At the other end, Scott Dalziel’s 19th goal in just nine matches set Kelty on their way at Whitestone Park before Murray Carstairs grabbed his second in as many games.

Stephen Husband, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, marked the occasion by adding the visitors’ third before on-fire Stuart Cargill netted goal number four before the interval.

Scott-Taylor MacKenzie made it five before Cargill, who hit a hat-trick in the 10-0 win at Newton Stewart seven days earlier, repeated the feat to complete the scoring.

Courts commented: “It has been a pleasing couple of weeks. We’ve been on our travels and clocked up the miles but the lads have taken it in their stride.

“I’m pleased with the results and the goals we’ve scored but also the clean sheets. When you’re scoring so many goals, it is the easiest thing to switch off, but I take a lot of pride in not conceding and the defenders have responded so far.”

Saturday’s fixtures (kick-offs 2pm): Scottish Junior Cup second round replay – Oakley United v Dufftown. McBookie.com South Division – Easthouses Lily v Rosyth, Edinburgh United v Crossgates Primrose. East of Scotland League – Tweedmouth Rangers v Kelty Hearts.