East of Scotland League, Premier Division:

Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 1 Hill of Beath Hawthorn 2

INVERKEITHING Hillfield Swifts were unable to mark their 100th game as a senior club with victory as the visitors recorded a comeback win.

Grant Brough's side, playing their first game in three weeks, took a first-half lead when Callum Murray rounded the goalkeeper to score, only for Daniel Watt to pull the visitors level from close range shortly after the break.

With 14 minutes left, Calum Adamson slotted home the winner with a well-taken shot across goal but Swifts boss Brough wasn't too downbeat given the circumstances leading up to the match.

"We were the better team in the first half and deserved to be 1-0 up, and we had a couple of other chances that, on another day, we would take," he said.

"In the second half, we couldn't get going. We were badly hit by COVID in the squad over the Christmas period so we couldn't really play or train. That's not to make an excuse – Hill of Beath had a few boys with it as well – but we seemed to be dead on our feet in the second half.

"We had a couple who came out of isolation on Friday, and we were asking them to a play a game a day later. It's far from ideal; ideally you'd like two or three (training) sessions, and we had three regular first-teamers missing who would've made a difference for us.

"It was what it was. I'm not using it as an excuse. In the second half, we were lethargic and lacked ideas, and Hill of Beath coped better. It wasn't a great game by both sides but they adapted and got better in the second half."

On the club's landmark match, achieved after first fielding a team in the East of Scotland League set-up in 2018, Brough added: "It's three-and-a-half seasons we've been in existence and we've been competing against well-established sides like Hill of Beath, Crossgates, Dundonald, Tranent and Linlithgow Rose.

"When you step back and look at what we've achieved in a short space of time, it's remarkable.

"The whole club should be proud."

East of Scotland League Premier Division:

Crossgates Primrose 1 Sauchie Juniors 3

CROSSGATES PRIMROSE fell to just their third home league defeat of the season but their manager refused to be too downbeat.

This was Primrose's first competitive game since November 20 but they found themselves two goals down in half an hour, the first of which came after four minutes through Danny Smith's penalty.

Smith added his second with 16 minutes left and, although Mark McKenzie pulled one back swiftly, the visitors claimed the points.

Boss Alan Campbell pointed to the long break between playing games, and difficulties being able to train over Christmas due to COVID, and said: "I think we've played worse in games and won.

"There was a bit of rustiness at both ends but I was quite happy with the way we played so I'm not too despondent. It was a poor result at home – we're not used to getting beat at home, our record over the last three or four years has been really good – but a couple of mistakes gifted them goals.

"We had a good end to the first half, and should've scored at the start of the second half, but we ran out of steam.

"Some of our build-up play was really good. We just didn't have that final pass, or cutting edge, in the final third. I thought that they shaded it on the day and deserved to win."

East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference A:

Rosyth 4 Dalkeith Thistle 2

ROSYTH co-manager Russell Craig praised his team's recovery after they fought back from two goals down.

Two goals in the opening 27 minutes from Josh Davidson and Jack Morgan put the visitors in command but efforts from Michael Ness, Regan Lumsden and skipper Garry Leighton turned the contest on its head by half-time.

Leighton added a second for his side in the second 45 minutes to secure the three points, and Craig commented: "You could see that we started with a wee bit of rustiness in the legs but they hit us with two sucker-punches.

"To turn it around after 45 minutes was good. At the start of the season, with a depleted squad, we would have struggled. It shows the mentality that the boys have got just now.

"We played well. It was a good three points after a wee break because of postponements and free weeks. We've got to be looking to finish in the top seven come the end of the season; you can see that the top three of Leith, Haddington and Dunipace are beginning to peel away."

After the match, Rosyth confirmed the signing of centre back Dan Hall, who played in Saturday's match, and Craig added: "Dan was a bit rusty; he's not played a competitive game in over five years.

"You can see he's got natural ability, is a leader and a talker through the game. He's been working offshore and is a 6'5" centre half.

"We're sure he'll be a great addition."

Saturday's fixtures (kick-offs 2pm unless stated): East of Scotland League, Premier Division – Dundonald Bluebell v Crossgates Primrose (2.30pm), Sauchie Juniors v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts. First Division, Conference A – Arniston Rangers v Rosyth. Conference B – Oakley United v Luncarty.