Rosyth 5 Livingston United 1

CARETAKER Rosyth boss Ryan O’Connor enjoyed his first victory in charge as his resurgent side thrashed Livingston United at Recreation Park on Saturday.

After a much-improved performance in the defeat to leaders Pumpherston seven days before, the Rec enjoyed their first South Division victory in four matches with a comprehensive dismissal of the struggling West Lothian outfit.

The game was in sharp contrast to Rosyth’s previous home fixture – a 7-0 thrashing by Harthill Royal, which sealed former boss Barry Cockburn’s fate – and O’Connor, who stepped up from the playing side to take charge, has made a strong early case to be considered for the role long-term.

It took the hosts just 90 seconds to take the lead with an own goal before lethal marksman Tam Hampson doubled their money in the 16th minute.

Gregg Robertson made it 3-0 just 10 minutes later and the game was over as a contest by half-time as Scott Gilfillan added a fourth goal.

Although Scott Hay pulled one back for the visitors five minutes into the second half, Gregg Page’s effort with 20 minutes to go completed an emphatic success for Rosyth.

Club secretary Alfie Blair commented: “It was a good result. The boys played really well and deserved it.

“It could have been a bit more and I think that, after the week before, they took the positives from it.

“Ryan’s got a good response from the boys, they’re buying into his ideas and he’s learning all the time. We had a couple of young boys come on, who did well, and we signed a new full back from Stirling Albion, Brooklyn Mair, who made his debut and did well.

“He’s looking to bring in a couple of experienced heads as well.”

Mair, who has joined on a development loan from the Binos, has been followed in signing by under-17 players Jason Findlay and Greig Cummings.

Oakley United 2 Armadale Thistle 0

RICHARD FOX piled praise on Oakley United for sticking to the gameplan as they recorded an excellent win over promotion-chasing Armadale Thistle.

They’ve now hit five goals in two matches, kept two clean sheets and find themselves just seven points off West Calder United in second having played a game less.

James McAteer and Ryan Stevenson scored the goals, netting for the second week running, to give the hosts the points and Fox told the Press: “We had a gameplan, the boys stuck to it and saw it through.

“For the first couple of weeks, I’ve been getting to know the players and their strengths and weaknesses before developing a style of play that we can adopt and we’re getting there.

“We’re a team full of pace but there needs to be a balance. The goals for column was nothing to worry about but the goals against was something we had to fix because it’s important, like for every team, to keep the door closed at the back.

“We were comfortable and our back four excellent defensively. We worked hard to stop crosses into the box and, anything that did come into the box, we dealt with. I felt like we could’ve been there for hours and not conceded, I was so confident in my back five; I include my goalkeeper in that.

“Any time we went forward we were a threat and I felt that, if we’d got a third or fourth goal, I don’t think anyone could say that we didn’t deserve it.

“I can’t fault the effort of the players, their work rate or their attendance at training.”

Craigroyston 3 Crossgates Primrose 2

ALAN CAMPBELL said conceding a 90th-minute winner was like a “double dagger to the heart” after Crossgates were edged out in a five-goal thriller.

The Primrose boss was left to rue missed opportunities from his side as they fell to a second defeat to Craigroyston by a 3-2 scoreline this season – both of which were achieved with a decisive goal in the final minute.

It brought a run of four successive victories to an end but Campbell has backed his players to pick themselves up from the defeat when they host Rosyth in this Saturday’s West Fife derby.

The visitors started well in the capital and took the lead after 12 minutes when Mark McKenzie shot home from a tight angle.

Crossgates’ lead lasted just 60 seconds though as the hosts equalised from a corner.

The game was turned on its head midway through the half when Craigroyston took the lead.

McKenzie fired over with the goal at his mercy for the visitors but, seven minutes into the second half, they pulled level when Mark Wilkie’s cross was headed home by a trialist.

Both teams went in search of a winner but, just as it looked like ending all-square, Stuart Donaldson nodded home a dramatic winner to leave Campbell frustrated.

“I am bitterly disappointed to lose. I think it was an even game that swung from end to end in both halves,” he said.

“Later on we looked on top and more likely to get a winner but we were hit by a sucker-punch in the last minute.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose. I thought that we were the better side and the guys were really flat in the dressing room; we were a bit disappointed not to manage to get a third goal so it was like a double dagger to the heart.

“A point away from home wouldn’t have been a bad result but we’ve been on a good run so we’re not too down about it.”

East of Scotland League: Kelty Hearts 7 Stirling University EOS 0

AN INCREDIBLE six goals in just eight second-half minutes blew Stirling University away as Kelty Hearts’ relentless charge to East of Scotland League glory continued.

Thomas Courts’ rampant team have now recorded 15 wins from as many games to retain their place at the top of the table and have now hit the net 95 times, conceding just seven.

Stuart Cargill’s penalty was all that separated the teams at the interval, despite Hearts also hitting the woodwork.

Kelty’s dominance wasn’t reflected in the scoreline but, after Scott Dalziel connected with a near post flick to net 10 minutes into the second half, the goals began to flow.

Dalziel doubled his tally just 60 seconds later by slotting home from close range before Ross Philp made it 4-0 on 58 minutes.

Brian Ritchie’s superbly-executed drive across goal before a Neil McCabe double – the first arriving after he pounced on a defensive mistake to skip around the visiting defence, before sliding into an empty net – completed another fine day’s work for Courts’ side.

Saturday’s fixtures (kick-offs 2pm unless stated): McBookie.com South Division – Crossgates Primrose v Rosyth, Lochgelly Albert v Oakley United. East of Scotland League – Kelty Hearts v Tynecastle (2.30pm).