West Fife's non-league football teams return to action

SCOTT LAWRIE marked his 50th appearance for Crossgates Primrose with a goal as they earned a well-earned point at Linlithgow Rose.

The Humbug Park skipper’s 23rd-minute free kick, his 35th strike for the club, cancelled out a 17th-minute own goal as Alan Campbell’s visitors started their campaign on a bright note.

It might have been even better had they managed to convert a last-minute spot-kick but, speaking ahead of Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Jeanfield Swifts, the Crossgates boss was full of praise for his team.

“It was quite an even game and a draw was probably a fair result,” Campbell commented.

“They’ll probably feel that they had a wee bit more possession and a bit more control of the game but I thought we were really well organised and carried a threat the whole game.

“I thought as the game went on, we looked more and more of a threat because they started to gamble a bit and throw a few more men forward. We were just picking them off so we got in a few times and when we got the penalty you thought, there you go. It was disappointing but it was one of these things.”

East of Scotland League, Premier Division: Tynecastle 6 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 0

INVERKEITHING Hillfield Swifts had a tought start to life in the Premier Division as a torrid first half saw them beaten heavily at Tynecastle on Saturday.

After conceding a goal from their own kick-off with only 10 seconds on the clock courtesy of a short pass back to goalkeeper Adam Shaw, the Ballast Bank side found themselves five goals down at the break as the capital club hit them for six.

Boss Grant Brough, who was without five key players, including new signings Finn Graham and Josh Morris, will welcome Penicuik Athletic in their first home game on Saturday and insists his team will “never play as bad again” as they did in the opening 45 minutes.

“Life in the top league’s started off hard for us, conceding a goal in 10 seconds,” he reflected.

“We’re quite a young team; we spent the rest of the half worrying about the mistakes that we made, rather than thinking right, OK, we’ve gave them a goal start but let’s go and play. We don’t, we just go into our shell and it’s one mistake after another.

“We know it’s a tough league, we know we’re going to have our good days and our bad days, so I’ve just got to put it down to a bad day and bounce back from it.”

East of Scotland League, First Division, Conf B: Oakley United 3 Lochgelly Albert 0

STEWART KENNY insists he’s not getting carried away despite watching Oakley open their campaign with a convincing derby victory.

James McAteer’s strike after only 35 seconds set them on their way at Blairwood Park, with Ally Burns tapping in from a corner five minutes from the break, and McAteer’s second with an hour on the clock sealing the points.

The hosts had further chances to score throughout but their efforts satisfied their manager, who commented: “We’ve only had one day where we could work on anything tactically and that was last Saturday. We spent a good hour and a half doing that but, realistically, it should’ve been a lot more than that work done.

“To play the way they did, the way I asked them to play, and to carry it out, I can’t complain. It just shows you how focused they are on what we’re trying to do.

“Lochgelly had a few chances; they caused us problems. We’re starting to be a bit more patient in our build-up, patient overall, and it’s given us our rewards at the end of the day.”

East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference A: Rosyth 4 Kirkcaldy & Dysart 2

ROSYTH’S debut as a senior club ended in victory thanks to an action-packed win over Kirkcaldy & Dysart at the Fleet Grounds.

After leaving junior football behind, Brian Muirhead’s team adapted to life in the East of Scotland League quickly, taking a first-half lead through Tam Hampson.

However, within seconds of that, the visitors hit back to level but Rosyth got themselves back in front before the break thanks to Liam Queen.

Despite having their goalkeeper sent off for a last-man challenge on Gregg Page, the visitors equalised for a second time but goals from Ryan McDonald and Page eventually saw the home side home.

Muirhead, whose side were beaten 7-3 in a high-scoring match with Kennoway Star Hearts at the Fleet Grounds on Tuesday evening, said: “It gets us off to a good start. I don’t think we’d have lost the game but I think Kirkcaldy probably deserved a draw with the way they battled, and when they got the chance to play they played quite well.

“But, once we got the third one, I don’t think they were going to get back into it at that stage.”

Lowland League: Kelty Hearts 4 Edinburgh University 0

KALLUM HIGGINBOTHAM helped himself to a double as Kelty Hearts opened up their Lowland League title defence with a comfortable win over Edinburgh University.

The former Pars winger opened the scoring from the penalty spot after the students were penalised for handball in the 36th minute before Matty Flynn’s excellent header doubled the home side’s advantage before the break.

Ross Philp’s fine finish from Dylan Easton’s pass put Barry Ferguson’s side three goals ahead 13 minutes into the second half before Higginbotham scored the goal of the afternoon at New Central Park.

Skipper Michael Tidser’s clipped ball to the far post found the Englishman, whose spectacular overhead kick found the net and rounded off victory.

It came after Kelty had put up a creditable performance in going down 2-1 to St Johnstone in their Betfred Cup, Group C opener last Wednesday ahead of Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to Dundee United.

l Saturday’s fixtures (kick-off 2.30pm unless stated): Lowland League – Civil Service Strollers v Kelty Hearts (3pm). East of Scotland League, Premier Division – Crossgates Primrose v Tranent, Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts v Penicuik Athletic. First Division, Conference A – Ormiston v Rosyth. Conference B – Stirling University EOSFL v Oakley United. All matches behind closed doors.