Reports
Whitburn blitz Fauldhouse to convincingly win the League!
Going into today’s game Whitburn and Syngenta were level on points at the top of the league with the latter one goal better off on goal difference. At the end of the game they were still level on points but Whitburn were a massive 4 better off and so were presented with the trophy at the end of the game. In between a scintillating game of football took place with the Burnie scoring 6 in each half to win 12-0. The scoring began on the quarter hour when Aiden Martin headed in a pinpoint Reece Duncan cross from the left. Six minutes later a deep Michael McGarahan cross found Darren Liddell whose shot was deflected wide. From the corner a Liddell shot was deflected off keeper Jacob Weatherby back to him but this time his effort hit the post. Fauldhouse couldn’t clear and eventually Martin Maguire was fouled in the box and, although Reece Duncan’s spot kick was saved, Cameron Stokes reacted quickest and slammed the ball home. With 27 minutes gone, after a rare home corner, the ball was cleared 35 yards from goal from where Grant Mitchell struck a beautiful half volley which Daniel Potts saved well. Just a minute later Andy Thomson ran along the edge of the box and curled a beauty into the bottom corner to make it three. In the 34th minute a bad pass back let in Stephen McLay who advanced on goal but Potts made a fine block. Two minutes later Aiden Martin had a second when he shot from the left edge of the box after a long Martin Maguire ball had freed him. From a free kick just after Liddell struck the post again and then he was tripped in the box for another penalty for which Alistair Morgan was red carded as he had been through on goal. Aiden Martin was allowed to take but the Weatherby saved well diving to his left. Martin’s hat trick would only be delayed a couple of minutes as Thomson passed to Duncan who found him and he finished well with a shot. Stokes then had a shot that went just wide before Duncan volleyed in a superb 6th goal. Meanwhile Syngenta went into the half with a 3-0 lead.
The second half started slowly but a devastating 11 minute spell saw Whitburn add another 5 goals! On the hour a throw in on the right found Louis Maguire, making a substitute appearance today and he casually placed the ball diagonally past the advancing keeper. Three minutes later after nice play to get free by Duncan he hit a cross that McGarahan stabbed into the net. Thomson then ran along the line and passed to Liddell who also stabbed the ball home from close range. Duncan had a similar move to the last in the 68th minute but this time shot at goal and beat Weaherby at his near post. The fifth goal would be delivered by Grant Hamilton with a shot after Fauldhouse were unable to clear the ball from a corner. With 74 minutes played Liddell tried his luck from 35 yards when Whitburn were awarded a foul but, although his shot was on target, Weatherby was able to push it away. With three minutes to go fellow subs Lewis Anderson and Dylan Weldon combined to get the final goal when the former made a great tackle on the edge of the box and passed to the latter who shot low into the bottom corner. Meanwhile we learned that Syngenta had beaten Pumpherston 7-0 and a huge cheer went up when we realised we had won Conference X on goal difference! Picture below by A Haddow.
Whitburn promoted with win over Stoneyburn
Whitburn needed to win one of their last two games to guarantee promotion to the new Division two and they achieved it at the first attempt with a convincing 4-1 defeat of near neighbours Stoneyburn. Yet the game was not as easy as the score suggests as an improving Stoneyburn made them fight all the way though their resistance ended with Darren Liddell's 78th minute goal - his second and the club's third. Earlier, after a nervous start and a little against the run of play Liddell had netted his first in the 11th minute to ease the nerves. Four minutes into the second half Aiden Martin doubled the score just after Stoneyburn had an effort cleared off the line. A goal for them would come around 4 minutes later to restore the 1 goal cushion and set nerves jangling in the dugout and the terracing. However, we know that Whitburn this season have had great resilience and superb spirit and as mentioned above the third calmed the nerves again. Lewis Anderson, on as a sub, fully settled them with a goal in the 86th minute. Scenes after the game were of ecstatic joy as Whitburn began the first step in a trip to the higher divisions where they certainly deserve to be. Below, jubilation at the end of the game (pic from Daily Record web page).
With Syngenta's narrow 1-0 triumph at Bathgate next week's games will decide the league champion as we are both level on 69 points. However, Syngenta's goal difference lead has been cut to one goal to tighten the situation and the tension. Whitburn will play away at Fauldhouse whilst Syngenta will host Pumpherston. Hopefully it will be Whitburn that come out on top but regardless the aim at the start of the season which was to gain promotion has been achieved. Full credit is due to the team, the management, the committee and the loyal supporters for a wonderful achievement. Onwards and upwards!
Quickfire double from Darren Liddell rescues a point for Whitburn
This was a chance for table topping Whitburn to remain there with a win over Armadale who started 4 points in arrears. Whitburn started better and their first chance came in the 6th minute when a cross from the right was just too high for Louis Maguire to get a downwards header on and the ball went wide. 4 minutes later a Cameron Stokes through ball landed at Reece Duncan’s feet and he fed Maguire wide but his cross was just missed by Dylan Weldon. In the 14th minute and totally against the run of play a neat outside of the boot effort on the left edge of the box by Robbie Feeney looped over Daniel Potts and into the net. The next chance came in the 33rd minute when a good passage of play ended in Maguire setting up Duncan but his snap shot hit the side netting fooling much of the crowd who thought it had sneaked in. A minute later a long Potts clearance found Duncan who this time set up Liddell but his shot clipped the top of the bar and went over. Almost immediately after this Weldon drove into he box but a last ditch tackle denied him as he was about to shoot.
The second half was 11 minutes old when Stuart McLeod rushed in on goal from halfway and scored one on one with Potts to double the home lead. This knocked the stuffing out of Whitburn and they suddenly lost the ability to put passes together and the game looked to drifting away though the Dale were also unable to capitalise on their psychological advantage. This would all change 27 minutes into the half as Whitburn won a free kick 20 yards into their half on the left. This was hit goalwards by Darren Tomaszewski (I think) and Liddell rushed in and headed the bouncing ball in at the back post. 4 minutes later Liddell rushed onto a through ball and slotted the ball behind home keeper Connor Shaw to level the scores. With the game seemingly heading towards the draw Whitburn gained a second wind and late on had three good chances to win the game. The first came with 2 minutes to go when Andy Thomson drove down the right and squared to Aiden Martin, on as a sub, whose goal bound shot was blocked by a defender. 2 minutes into injury time a flick from Liddell found Duncan who drove along the byeline but he mishit his cross and it landed in Shaw’s arms with Liddell looking on now at the back post – a little chip over the keeper and he would surely have scored. Liddell did almost score 1 minute later when he got in again but Shaw made the save. Remarkably after this Armadale were awarded another free kick which was sent in on goal but Potts was able to gather easily.
Whitburn back to top with last minute winner
Whitburn leapfrogged Bo’ness to the top of the league with a spirited 2-1 win at Newton Park with a Mick McGarahan header deep into added time. Bo’ness began well and within 3 minutes had a free kick on the edge of the box which Scott Sinclair took and although it made it round the wall, Daniel Potts saved diving to his right. The game became a cagey nervous affair with both teams knowing the significance of a win to the title race. This was broken in the 28th minute when Louis Maguire put in a great through ball that Reece Duncan raced on to and into the box before unleashing a good shot that keeper Fraser Currid saved. Darren Liddell then retrieved the ball and shot at goal but this was also saved. 10 minutes later a similar through ball was latched on to by Dewi Taylor who also fired from the edge of the box and which was also saved though this one hit the post and was cleared. Just after Jonny Mitchell was red carded for a silly push on Andy Thomson and we began to wonder if history would repeat itself with a 10 man win... Despite being a man short it was the home side through Michael Wallace who had the final effort of the half when he shot from distance but Potts made the save.
The second half was 7 minutes old when L Maguire had a free kick on the edge saved in an almost identical way to the earlier Bo’ness free. 3 minutes later a Duncan corner was returned well at the back post and Martin Maguire headed just over. With 62 on the clock Liddell attempted a free kick from 30 yards but the keeper made a straight forward save. A minute later Tiwi Daramola, who had been well covered up till then and hence ineffective, got fee on the left and forced Potts into a good save. In the 70th minute Duncan had a good shot from distance which the keeper fumbled but got to at the second attempt under severe pressure. Daramola, after an interesting free kick, netted with a cute chip over Potts from the left which McGarahan couldn’t keep out and it looked like history just might repeat. When M Maguire was red carded with 11 minutes to go it looked even more possible. However, this Whitburn team are made of sterner stuff and when L Maguire was fouled in the box by Blair Woodburn Duncan stepped up to the plate and coolly sent the keeper the wrong way to deservedly level the scores. 4 minutes into added time McGarahan had a header from a free kick saved by the keeper – either side and it would have been a goal. An injury in added time added some more time and with almost the last chance of the game McGarahan did head the winner from a corner 3 minutes later to send the Whitburn contingent into raptures. There would be a final home corner but this was easily headed out to give Whitburn the precious 3 points and bring them one game closer to promotion.
Ten man Whitburn beat Bo'ness
I was going to resist saying this was a game of two halves but it was a game of two halves! The first half belonged to Bo'ness but the second was overwhelmingly Whitburn's, especially as they played it with 10 men after Lewis Anderson was red carded after a clumsy challenge in midfield in first half injury time. Bo'ness were first to have a shot on target in the 11th minute when a 20 yard free kick from Scott Sinclair was well saved by Daniel Potts. Three minutes later Whitburn replied with an Anderson header at the back post from a corner which lacked power to trouble the keeper. An attempted cross by Cameron Williamsonwide on the left then hit the home bar but was cleared and Potts made another save from Sinclair on the edge midway through. After being under the cosh Whitburn then enjoyed a good passage of play which began with a good raking Reece Duncan cross that neither Darren Kiddell nor Dewi Taylor could quite reach. On the half hour Taylor passed to Cameron Stokes who found Andy Thomson but his shot went just wide then Thomson set up Liddell who had a good shot well saved by Fraser Currid. In the 41st minute Tiwi Daramola, who had been targettted all night by the Bo'ness players got in on the right and forced Potts into a good save low at his post then, just a minute later, he rounded Potts from a similar position and knocked the ball into the unguarded net.
With the one man defecit few gave Whitburn much of a chance of retrieving anything from the game but the character this team has shown all season came to the fore and within 5 minutes of the restart they were level thanks to a superb strike from the edge of the box by Thomson that beat Currid comprehensively. Stunned by this Bo'ness lost the plot and suddenly couldn't find a pass until they got what looked like a soft free kick on the edge of the box in the 66th minute which was taken by Sinclair and saved brilliantly by Potts diving low to his right. On the 70th minute Whitburn took the lead when Taylor rose at the back post to head a deep free kick from the left into the net. 5 minutes later from another free kick that Liddell retrieved and passed to Duncan he saw his shot deflect wide off a defender. The remainder of the game was nerve racking but in truth Bo'ness were never allowed to get back in the game as Whitburn defended brilliantly and indeed they had no further direct shots on goal. A superb performance from Whitburn in the end which jumps them into second place now only one point behind tonight's visitors.
Whitburn out of league cup
Whitburn's hopes of progresing in the League Cup ended today with a 6-0 defeat to Premier League title chasing Tranent. Having pipped fellow title chasers Penicuik to first place in their section, hopes were high of a repeat performance but unfortunately class told out in the end. Whitburn must now refocus if they wish promotion as they have 5 games to go and they resume on Tuesday night with Bo'ness at home, rapidly followed by Bo'ness away at the weekend.
Whitburn lose out to Livingston on penalties
This King Cup game at Livingston started a 6:30 as it was scheduled to go to extra time and then penalties, both of which happened. The game itself was a tight affair and it was Whitburn who had the first attempt in the 10th minute when Darren Liddell forced a decent save from Chris Ashley after Louis Maguire passed to him in the box. 4 minutes later the tricky left winger Jeremiah Otonti from the home side drove into the box and from a wide angle forced a save from Daniel Potts. Just 2 minutes later more good work from L Maguire ended in a pass to Reece Duncan whose powerful shot from the edge of the box was tipped over. With 27 minutes gone a deep corner was knocked in by Jack Henderson to Dewi Taylor whose snap shot flew just wide. Taylor would be more successful a couple of minutes later when found by Andy Thomson after a run along the line as his first time effort found the back of the net. Scott McInnes almost equalised with 33 minutes gone when he headed a corner goalwards but Potts made a good save. 5 minutes into the second half Martin Russell, on as a sub, shot from the edge of the box but Ashley’s legs saved the day for Livi. Midway through from a free kick on the left Danny Kleinman glanced a header which went in at the back post to draw Livingston level. With 10 minutes to go Liddell had another shot saved when he first timed a Duncan cross. Into injury time Dylan Weldon did well to get the ball round the keeper but, due to the tight angle didn’t shoot and went down under the keeper’s challenge but the referee wasn’t convinced and the ball was eventually cleared. Extra time produced only two chances of real note, one at either end and both saved – Michael Gould for the home side and Russell for Whitburn so we went to penalties. Livingston ended up scoring all five of theirs but Russell’s was saved while L Maguire, Liddell, Thomson and Duncan all scored to make the final penalty score 5-4 to the home side. Good luck to Livingston in the next round.
Whitburn win indoors to consolidate top spot
Whitburn opened up a 5 point gap at the top of the table with a battling 2-0 win against Edinburgh College in a game played indoors at the Oriam. The first chance came after 18 minutes when Grant Hamilton headed over a corner. The second came in the 32nd minute when a Darren Liddell pass was played into Reece Duncan and his shot flew past the keeper at the near post to give Whitburn a deserved lead. Late on in the half Liddell chased a long wide ball and drove into the box but his shot was blocked. Edinburgh came out all guns blazing in the second half as within the first 2 minutes Leon Graham had a shot blocked by Daniel Potts and a good left wing cross was missed at the back post. In the 53rd minute a long Potts clearance was knocked high in the air and Dewi Taylor attempted a first time shot which lacked power and was easily saved. A minute later Mark McGovern, coming in from the left, forced Potts into another decent save. With 64 minutes gone Taylor was fouled outside the box but Duncan’s free kick ballooned high off the wall. Midway through the half, after a good spell of possession, Louis Maguire tried a shot from the edge which went just over. Just after Lewis Anderson hit a good wide pass which Liddell rushed onto and swung in a cross which was dummied and found its way to Lennon Watson at the back post whose shot in turn was saved for a corner. Edinburgh's Joe McBride headed over from a good position with 15 minutes to go. 2 Minutes later Liddell drove in diagonally again and forced a save. Then Hamilton had another headed effort from a corner, this time on target but into the keeper’s waiting arms. In the 82nd minute the valuable second came when a good Andy Thomson free kick wide on the left was swung in and Michael McGarahan headed the ball in at the near post. Whitburn comfortably saw out the remainder of the game to seal the 3 points.
Whitburn beat West Calder by the odd goal in 5
This King Cup tie was a strange affair as Whitburn never seemed to get going and yet won the game 3-2 despite ending the game with 9 players. West Calder took the lead in the 20th minute when, after a poor clearance Lennon Smith raced down the left and crossed to Scott Hay who fired home from 10 yards. Dewi Taylor netted in similar fashion 14 minutes later after Lennon Watson took advantage of hesitancy in the home defence and squared the ball to him. The first five minutes of the second half contained almost as much action as the entire first half as, with 2 minutes gone, a wide West Calder shot from close in was blocked by Jack Wlsdon then Whitburn scored 2 goals in a minute. The first was from a corner, almost immediately after the above attempt, which Martin Maguire bundled over the line to give Whitburn the lead. The second came from a badly sliced attempted clearance by a home defender that looped high into the box and was handled by another defender with Reece Duncan close by – Duncan sent the keeper the wrong way to claim another penalty goal. In the 55thminute Lewis Milton was fouled wide right and level with the 18 yard line but the red mist came down as he pushed an opponent to the ground and appeared to head butt another opponent for which he received 2 red cards. Midway through the half Michael McGarahan at the back post from a corner volleyed in as shot just as he had done at Penicuik but this time a defender cleared it off the line. The remainder of the game belonged to the home side as they tried to get back into the game. First in the 24th minute a wide right cross drifted in on goal and Wilsdon had to push over. Then 14 mnutes later Smith, who had been a thorn in Whitburn’s side rushed onto a through ball from his own half but shot wide as Wilsdon came out to him. A decent move with 15 minutes to go finally gave West Calder their second goal when 8 knocked in a left wing cross. With 10 to go Kallum Macaulay drove in from the right but sliced his shot badly wide. Aiden Martin came on almost on the final whistle but was the second player to be red carded deep into injury time we think for saying something to the referee who had blown for a foul on Duncan which the referee seemed to play on with Martin poised to shoot on goal. All in all a win but not a terribly memorable game.
Whitburn win League Cup group!
Whitburn went into this game with a 4 goal inferior goal difference to Penicuik and so knw that they would have to win convincingly with lots of goals and hope that Oakley could hold the Premier League leaders to a narrow win if they were to progress. Accordingly Whitburn went at it from the start and a Michael McGarahan header from a corner crashed off the bar in the 9th minute. One minute later Darren Liddell dispossessed an opponent in midfield and scored the opener after he drove in on goal. A good through ball that Kyle Kivilichan latched onto 2 minutes later and fired into the net past Daniel Potts proved that Peebles were not just here to make up the numbers. Midway through the half a 25 yard free kick from the visitors was pushed over by Potts. Almost immediately after this a defence splitting pass gave a similar chance to Louis Maguire and he calmly dinked the ball over the advancing keeper. Reece Duncan had a free kick from the edge of the box pushed over and then, on the half hour Whitburn had a third as McGarahan went on a great run before cutting back to Maguire and he converted with ease. On the ropes at this point Peebles conceded again in the 34th minute after a great wide ball found Liddell who outpaced his man and swung in a great cross which Lennon Watson knocked home at the back post for his first goal. With 5 minutes to go Maguire, keeping possession in the box as always, was brought down giving Duncan another penalty chance which he converted with ease. So, going in at half time, Whitburn had wiped out the 4 goals but we learned that Penicuik were one up at Oakley....
With 7 minutes of the second half gone Duncan beat his man comprehensively on the right wing and swung in a great cross which Maguire fired in at the near post to claim his first hattrick. 11 minutes later a double blow for Whitburn as Penicuik doubled their lead and Kivilichan doubled Peebles’ tally with a low header from a corner. A lovely move in the 65th minute restored the four goal advantage as Dylan Weldon (on as a sub) threaded a great pass which Duncan ran onto and he cut back to Liddell who scored with a good shot. Liddell would claim his hattrick just 4 minutes later when Duncan again set him up with a pinpoint cross. Whitburn were now level with Penicuik and in the 80th minute went ahead when Andy Thomson intercepted a pass in midfield and drove into the box before firing that ball into the net. Phones were checked to see if there had been any changes in Fife and then disaster struck as Kivilichan, on his hattrick, unselfishly set up Luke McLean who scored with 5 minutes to go. Whitburn kept up the pressure after this seeming setback and three minutes later Thomson got his second having been set up by Liddell to restore the single goal advantage over Penicuik. Just as we were leaving the ground we learned that the final score at Oakley was 0-2 and so Whitburn had won the group! An amazing final result after they had fairly tamely capitulated to Edinburgh in the first game.
Whitburn shock Penicuik with stunning display
If Saturday’s win at Oakley was a good performance then this was streets ahead as Whitburn playing fluent passing football destroyed top of the Premier league Penicuik with a 3-1 win. Penicuik looked fairly dangerous early on and forced a couple of saves from Daniel Potts but Whitburn came to terms with them and they barely had a real chance on goal after around 20 minutes. Louis Maguire headed in a great Darren Liddell right wing cross to open the scoring in the 39th minute to see Whitburn go into halftime with a lead. Ten minutes into the second half Maguire was fouled in the box and Reece Duncan netted another penalty for his 31st goal of the season. Whitburn’s wide men and slick passing were causing havoc in the Penicuik half with the home side seemingly second to every ball and it was no surprise that the gap became 3 goals in the 27th minute when Michael McGarahan fired home at the back post a corner that had been headed out. With 12 minutes to go Penicuik scored a dubious goal when Potts seemed to be fouled and hand ball was claimed as the player bundled the ball over the line but it stood. Whitburn withstood the expected surge by Penicuik with relative ease and barely allowed them a clear shot at goal.
Whitburn win at Oakley
Oakley started the game better than their visitors but were unable to trouble keeper Jack Wilsdon with a couple of half chances. In the 15th minute Dewi Taylor drove up the left and his good low cross was converted by Darren Liddell at the near post. The rest of the half was dominated by Whitburn who could have added another 2 goals through Liddell who hit a post and what looked like a goal from a deep cross which was disallowed for a foul on the keeper. Oakley were handed a lifeline on the hour when Stuart Love charged down a Wilsdon clearance and fired the ball into the empty net. When Jack Cowan came in from the left and forced a good block at his near post by Wilsdon it looked as though Oakley might stage a resurgence. But, two minutes later, Liddell got on to a wide ball and his cross struck a defender who had a raised arm in the box. For his troubles he was booked, a penalty awarded and Reece Duncan sent the keeper the wrong way to bring him to 30 goals for the season! Duncan then hit the side netting and sub Jack Henderson forced a great diving save as Whitburn comfortably held Oakley at bay to keep the win.
Clinical Whitburn put 5 past Bathgate to retain league top spot
Whitburn returned to the top spot in Conference X with an efficient 5-0 defeat of Bathgate at Creamery Park. I only saw the first half due to a family function so today's report is much briefer than normal. That first half was almost totally bossed by Whitburn who went ahead in the 19th minute when, after good build up play on the left, Andy Thomson fired a bullet from the edge of the box which flew past home keeper Mark Campbell into the net. Campbell was beaten 8 minutes later by a Martin Maguire bullet header from a corner and again with 41 minutes gone when prolific scorer Reece Duncan converted a great Darren Liddell right wing cross at the near post. Just before the end of the half Bathgate had a brief spell in which Dylan Dyet blasted over from a good position and Scott Richards had a long range effort saved by Jack Wilsdon. Two further goals were added in the 70th and 75th minutes by Darren Liddell and Michael McGarahan to seal an impressive win. This win was even more impressive than appears as a number of Whitburn regulars were missing resulting in Lewis Anderson playing at centre half and only two of the 5 named substitutes were signed players!
Whitburn win at home against Fauldhouse
Whitburn were unable to emulate their earlier 9-0 drubbing of Fauldhouse earlier in the season and had to settle for a more modest 2 goal win on a difficult pitch. There were no goals in a first half that was dominated by Whitburn, though Fauldhouse had 2 good chances both saved by keeper Jack Wilsdon. The first came in the 32nd minute when a Kieran Kinnard right wing cross found Jamie Smith but his shot lacked power and was saved then with 2 minutes to go Stephen McLay also had a decent effort well saved when in a good position. Apart from this Whitburn created numerous chances – a Reece Duncan shot in the 6th minute saved by keeper Daniel Tobin, a Dylan Weldon shot also saved after great build up play on the right half way through. On the half hour a Louis Maguire free kick from the edge cannoned off the post then a minute later Duncan made space for a curling shot that the Tobin dived to his left to push round the post. A free near the end of the half hit the wall to make an easy save for Tobin. Fauldhouse came out for the second half with intent and only a last minute block on the edge of the box prevented Smith getting in on goal. Immediately after this a great run down the right wing ended in a Duncan cross that confused two defenders allowing Liddell to nip in a slam the ball into the net. Just 2 minutes later Grant Hamilton doubled the lead when he half volleyed a Louis Maguire free kick from the back post in at the front. Liddell was unlucky in the 64th minute when a great header from a pinpoint Weldon cross was acrobatically pushed over by Tobin. Conor Scullion then had a couple of good runs on the left of the box both of which ended in Wilsdon saves low at his post. Duncan almost got his customary goal near the end when a great run by Michael McGarahan ended in a cross which the 27 goal man didn’t quite get the right connection on and the keeper got down to keep it out. In the end a good win made even better by the news that Stoneyburn had beaten Syngenta.
Whitburn lose by odd goal in 5
Whitburn’s first League Cup game ended in a narrow defeat by 3-2 against Edinburgh United in what turned out to be a fairly thrilling game. The visitors got off to a great start when Steven Anderson converted a right wing cross at the back post with a minute gone. Whitburn were level 5 minutes later when Louis Maguire was upended in the box and Reece Duncan converted another penalty. 4 minutes later Stephen Scott had a header well saved from a left wing cross. Martin Russell parried in the 24th minute with a shot from the edge of the box that keeper Andrew Smith saved. Scott had another effort pushed wide by Daniel Potts with 5 minutes till the end of the half before glancing a header off the back post from a corner just 3 minutes later to give Edinburgh the lead at half time. The scores were level again 3 minutes into the second half when a great move down the right ended in a through ball to Jack Henderson who cut inside before firing the ball into the net from 10 yards. Just after an Andy Thomson free from wide on the left was headed goalwards by Lewis Anderson, on as a sub, but his effort was collected by Smith. There then followed an end to end frantic 10 minute spell which began in the 56th minute when Scott bagged his second after he ran on to a through ball and scored with a diagonal shot across Potts. Then Dewi Taylor charged down the right wing and sent in a cross for Duncan but he got beaten to the ball just he was seemingly poised to shoot. Then Lewis Maguire drove along the edge of the box beating a couple of men before firing in a shot that deflected for a corner. Taylor then put in another great cross that Duncan flicked goalwards and Smith managed to block, getting down again just as Darren Liddell was about to cash in on the block flicking the ball to safety. The spell ended with Scott again the threat as he headed a lft wing cross wide of the post when he looked certain to score. With 14 to go Taylor drove down the left wing and cut in before unleashing a shot that Scott blocked and grabbed at the second attempt. Whitburn made 4 substitutions to try to get something from the game but Edinburgh’s defence managed to repel their efforts and ran out winners with barely a shot in anger on their goal. The match ball was sponsored by Buildbase to whom thanks are due.
Whitburn win convincingly against 8 man Bathgate
Some snow clearing before the match ensured that this league game went ahead when the majority of local games were off. The effort was worth it in the end as Whitburn ran out 6-1 winners against local rivals Bathgate who ended the game with 8 men. Reece Duncan got Whitburn off to a dream start when, in the 4th minute he got on the end of a great wing ball and fired the ball diagonally across the keeper into the net. Bathgate would be level 5 minutes later when Kai Wilson did the same from a similar position. After a further 7 minutes Darren Liddell restored the lead coming in from the right and having been released by Andy Thomson. Around the half hour Liddell and then Duncan had efforts to add to their tallies but were thwarted by saves from keeper Sean Brown. With 2 minutes of the half to go Duncan did add to his goal when he intercepted a pass back and rounded Brown before slotting the ball home. A minute later he attempted a chip of Brown who clattered into him in the aftermath for which the keeper was red carded. The free on the edge off the box was taken by Duncan and clattered off the bar. Just after the restart another ill judged back pass was intercepted by Stuart McIntyre who squared to Duncan whose shot was kept out by a combination of replacement keeper and defender but deflected back to him and he got just enough of it to allow the ball to trickle over the line to complete another hattrick. Whitburn were looking ruthless at this point and a lovely move down the left saw Darren Tomaszewski cross to McIntyre who fed Liddell whose shot was blocked. Then McIntyre outpaced a defender, took the ball round the keeper but seemed to stumble on the soft ground when he looked certain to score and sliced the ball wide. The game thereafter deteriorated like the pitch as Whitburn seemed to stop playing the ball wide and it was the 10 men who should have scored next in the 74th as Wilson got in on Daniel Potts but hit the near post with his shot which rebounded back to him and his next effort slid past the far post. Just after this Thomson tried a half volley from the right corner of the box which came back off the bar. In the 80th minute Gregor Dryden of Bathgate received a second yellow to reduce his team to 9. Three minutes later Liddell was wide out on the right again and put a good cross in which the keeper pushed out but unluckily for him it came off the supporting Dewi Taylor and flew into the net for Whitburn’s 5th. The 6th came on the 85th minute when Jack Henderson had a shot from 15 yards pushed out by the keeper and he reacted quickest to volley the rebound into the top corner. Bathgate’s woes were compounded with 2 minutes to go when Fraser Cormack joined his other two team mates in the pavilion after he brought down Liddell and earned a second yellow. The referee, perhaps wisely blew for the end of the match bang on the 45 minutes.
The match ball sponsor was Buildbase for which the club is grateful.
Whitburn go nap against West Calder
Today’s game was played in one of the strongest winds I can remember and resulted in a proverbial game of two halves. West Calder had the wind in the first half and pinned Whitburn into their own half for the majority of it. That said in the first minute Louis Maguire had a free kick on the edge of the box which went just wide and on the half hour Dewi Taylor narrowly missed having received a great Darren Liddell cross from the right in the best move of the game. In the 36th minute Smith got in on the left and forced a good save from Jack Wilsdon. A minute from the half a push on a Calder player 35 yards out gave Easton a chance of glory and he fired a low shot beyond the wall and into Wilsdon’s bottom left corner. The second half produced 5 goals for Whitburn, the first in the 56th minute from Liddell who also hit a free kick from 35 yards which found the top right corner of the goal. On the hour Michael McGarahan reacted badly to an incident on the touchline at the visitor’s dugout and was eventually red carded with a West Calder official also seeming to be booked. Just after Reece Duncan had a shot from wide on the right deflected for a corner then another 35 yarder went just wide from Louis Maguire, the foul being awarded for a horrendous challenge by Wilkins who was sent off as a result. In the 70th minute a through ball put Stuart McIntyre in and his shot went in off the far post to give Whitburn the lead. 5 minutes later Louis Maguire dribbled past several men into the box and was brought down inside it – Duncan made no mistake from the spot to grab his 24th goal of the campaign. With 7 minutes to go Martin Maguire headed Whitburn’s fourth from a Duncan cross. The rout was completed in the 4th minute of added time when Dylan Weldon timed his run onto a through ball and calmly slotted past the keeper.
Today's match ball was sponsored by Wallace Opticians for which the club are grateful.
Whitburn back to winning ways
Whitburn travelled to Recreation Park in Pumpherston today hoping to get back to winning after last week’s defeat and ended the game 4-0 winners. Reece Duncan saw a free kick from the edge of the box go just wide in the 14th minute which was the only goal effort in a tame opening. A minute later the home side should have been in front as second keeper Jack Wilsdon sclaffed a clearance straight a Pumphie player but as he was poised to shoot a Whitburn player made a good tackle and the ball was cleared. Stuart McIntyre had a weak effort saved in the 26th minute and 4 minutes from the half his cross found Duncan whose shot was parried by keeper Jamie Bowman to Darren Liddell who blasted over from 6 yards. Almost on the half a clever turn by Louis Maguire deceived a home defender who brought him down in the box – Duncan netted from the spot. The second half was much more entertaining from a Whitburn point of view as the dominated with 10 goal attempts to one. The first came in the 53rd minute when a great move down the right saw Michael McGarahan drive down the line before releasing McIntyre who went to the line and cut back to Maguire who shot narrowly over. 2 minutes later Darren Tomaszewski got into the box and from a tight angle forced a save from Bowman, the ball rebounding to McIntyre who also fired just over. Midway through the half sub Declyn Cumming a shot from distance beat Bowman but the ball was cleared off the line. Then another smart move ended in a McIntyre shot going just wide then Maguire dribbled past four men before unleashing a shot that Bowman tipped over. The pressure finally paid off in the 71st minute when Cumming passed to Lennon Watson who found McIntyre in the box and he fired into the net from 12 yards. 10 minutes later McIntyre doubled his tally when he scored from a glancing header of a corner. The scoring was concluded in the 85th minute when Lennon set up Duncan and he fired in from a tight angle. Almost on the final whistle McIntyre had another effort cleared off the line. Pumpherston had their solitary chance just after when sub Matthew Simpson forced a save from Wilsdon. The final action saw a great save at the other end to deny Duncan a hattrick and give Whitburn a clean sweep of the three games by an aggregate of 14-1.
Whitburn lose by the odd goal in 5
This was a game of two halves, but not in the conventional way, as the first was scintillating end to end affair with both teams playing great football and the second was really scrappy with few clear cut chances. Whitburn were off the blocks quicker with a chance 3 minutes in when Stuart McIntyre headed a Reece Duncan cross over the bar. Feeney of Armadale got into the box on the left and forced a Jamie Potts save 4 minutes later. Around the quarter hour Darren Tomaszewski forced a diving save when he hit a free kick from 25 yards. Just after a great move out Whitburn one up when Potts found Jack Henderson and he played a wide ball to Darren Liddell who put in a great cross which McIntyre put in at the back post. Armadale just minutes after had two chances of their own: first Feeney saw a cross into the box deflect off a Whitburn player and on to the post and Potts gathered the rebound. Then Donnelly scored after a header of a free kick found him 8 yards out. Midway through another break by Liddell ended in a cross from the left which was cleared by a defender off his own man but was eventually cleared with close Burnie players claiming hand ball. Whitburn camped in the Dale box around the 28 minute mark and had at least three shots blocked with the last going from a corner. From this Armadale broke and JJ Henderson had a shot from the right easily saved. Whitburn regained the lead in the 33rd minute when Duncan was fouled in the box and scored from the spot with a low effort into the bottom right of the goal. With such a small difference between the teams Armadale equalised a mere 6 minutes later when ex Whitburn player JJ Henderson picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled a beauty into Potts’ far post. With 3 minutes gone of the second half Feeney, looking suspiciously offside, was allowed to drive up the left wing and hit a diagonal shot across Potts and into the goal. The only other concrete chance came 5 minutes before the end when Liddell had a similar effort saved by the keeper. A disappointing second half made worse by the red carding of sub Dewi Taylor in the 76th minute.
This defeat sees Whitburn fall to third as Bo’ness narrowly defeated Edinburgh College. We are now 2 points behind Armadale and 1 behind Bo’ness though we have a game in hand of the former with the latter having a game in hand over us. Interesting times.
The match ball was sponsored by Colin Fordyce for which the club are grateful.
Whitburn top the league with 5-1 away win to Livingston!
Whitburn will go into the new year top of the East of Scotland Conference X as a result of 5-1 victory against Livingston which was as convincing as the score suggests. They got off to a great start when Reece Duncan fired them ahead in the third minute. Livingston replied just minutes later to level the scores but a good run up the left by Darren Tomaszewski ended in a cross that found Dylan Weldon and he fired the ball into the net. Midway through the half Stuart McIntyre chased a through ball but was beaten to it by the home keeper Aedan Houston who somehow seemed to spill the ball and it was recovered by Reece Duncan who put in McIntyre and he tapped into an empty net. Minutes later McIntyre driving in from the right ad a shot blocked by Houston. Things were made harder for the home side when their influential central defender Hassan Nyang was yellow carded for a foul which was followed by another presumably for dissent. The resulting free kick was taken to Andy Thomson whose shot hit the top of the bar. Early in the second half Darren Liddell had a shot blocked, Martin Russell headed in but was ruled offside and Russell saw another header cleared off the line. The pressure would finally tell in the 64th minute when a pinpoint Thomson corner was headed in at the near post by Michael McGarahan. A minute later a great through ball from Thomson put Liddell in on the left and his diagonal shot flew across Houston and into the net. In total control now it seemed as though Whitburn would add a couple more but the closest to this came from two subs – Dewi Taylor in the 78th minute who scored but was also ruled offside and Louis Maguire whose 25 yarder was saved with six minutes to go.
Whitburn end Syngenta's unbeaten run and top the league!
A great performance in awful conditions saw Whitburn leapfrog previously unbeaten Syngenta thanks to a 2-1 win. Whitburn took the lead in the first half through an Andy Thomson strike and held on to it till midway through the second when Andy Rodgers levelled for the visitors . Whitburn now, however, have a huge amount of spirit and not long after retook the lead when a Reece Duncan penalty sent the keeper the wrong way. It would be a lead that they would not relinquish and the win took them to the top of the league. The top spot was short lived as Bo'ness, who are currently top, won 3-0 away at Edinburgh College. Whitburn, however, are only one point behind and have 2 games to play against them. The match ball sponsor for the game was Best-One.
Whitburn go nap at West Calder to consolidate third
What looked to be a tricky game at West Calder turned into a cakewalk for Whitburn as they again went nap, defeating the home side 5-1. Yet again, they had to come from behind but such is the character of this Whitburn outfit, that this is becoming common place and it seems to motivate them. The opening goal was, as mentioned, for the home side scored by Mark Wilkins in the 33rd minute, but the Burnie were ahead by half time with a quick double by Martin Russell and Darren Liddell in the 41st and 43rd minutes respectively. Into the second half Russell got another in the 54th minute and Louis Maguire scored 10 minutes later before Dylan Weldon added a fifth with 15 minutes to go. Given that West Calder have beaten Armadale and Bo'ness(twice), this must be seen as great result and it sets up next week's match against Syngenta beautifully. Elsewhere Armadale and Syngenta drew and Bo'ness had a big win over Stoneyburn. Whitburn now sit third with the same number of points as Syngenta and one behind first place Bo'ness.
Whitburn go third after demolition of Pumpherston
Whitburn leapfrogged idle Armadale to go third in the league and still well in contention to secure a promotion spot with a clinical 6-0 dismantling of visitors Pumpherston. Quick out of the blocks, Whitburn took the lead within the first minute when Jack Henderson was sent down the right wing by a great Martin Russell pass and he cut in before hitting a shot that came off the post and was turned in by Darren Liddell. The game then drifted for a good half hour with neither team able to exert much control on the game though Pumpherston had a couple of good shots from Keir Lapsley and Jordan Rodger both of which were well saved by a confident Daniel Potts. Liddell doubled the lead in the 36th minute when he converted a great Andy Thomson right wing cross from 5 yards out. The second half started in similar fashion to the first with another early goal from Liddell, this time a great shot from the edge of the box which found the bottom corner. It was 4 13 minutes later when a Louis Maguire pass wide set up Thomson whose shot was parried by keeper Jamie Bowman to Stuart McIntyre and his shot hit the back of the net. In contrast to the first half the second was almost total domination by Whitburn and Liddell should have had his fourth in the 68th minute when Thomson unselfishly set him up but somehow he must have taken his eye off the ball as he allowed it to go wide of the goal and the chance was lost. Louis Maguire tried his luck with a shot from outside the box in the 80th minute which Bowman got down well to save. Sub Aiden Martin would again prove to be a supersub as he converted a shot from McIntyre that was going wide at the back post. Another sub Lewis Milton made it six with 3 minutes to go when he pounced on a rebound off the keeper from a long range Martin shot to turn the ball into an unguarded net. The match ball sponsor for this game was Gothenburg Mini Market for which we are grateful.
Whitburn hit Livi for 5
This was one weird game in which Whitburn raced away to a deserved 4 goal lead against a very average looking Livingston team, lost their way for a spell in the second half, losing 2 goals, and emerged at the end with a 5-3 win and three precious points. Yet, Livingston should have taken the lead after 11 minutes as 9 had a shot cleared off the line from a corner. 2 minutes later Reece Duncan had a shot from the edge of the box that went just over. Whitburn from then started to assert their dominance and with 21 minutes gone a great through ball found Duncan who drove in diagonally from the right edge of the box and had a good shot saved at the near post at the expense of a corner from which Andy Thomson curled the ball in at the far post from a similar position to Duncan's effort. The same through ball, inside the backs, was used to great effect in the 37th minute and found Duncan wide again and this time he centred to Martin Russell who scored with a powerful shot. The same ball found Duncan again a minute later but this time the keeper was out and Duncan was forced to try a chip which went just over. The third goal came with 3 minutes to go when the ball was used again and this time Duncan found Louis Maguire who coolly slotted the ball past advancing keeper Aedan Houston. The half ended with another Duncan effort which was saved though a pass to Darren Liddell would have given him a tap in. From the restart Whitburn powered towards the visiting goal and Duncan again had a shot saved at the near post. In the 50th minute another of those diagonal through balls found a different target - Liddell on the left and he netted fro a tight angle. 8 minutes later a bizarre incident led to a Livingston player landing on the ground beyond Daniel Potts and seeming to handle the ball but the referee pointed to the spot. Jason Gregory stepped up and Potts made a great save with his legs as he dived to his right. On the hour Dewi Taylor replaced Duncan and suddenly all the impetus left Whitburn and seemed to spur on their visitors and they took advantage in the 71st minute when (an offside looking) Kyle Mowatt was well set up and scored. 7 minutes later, from what seemed an even more offside position, Andy Gray was allowed to continue and scored. Whitburn responded with 9 minutes to go when a great Thomson cross was met on the full by sub Aiden Martin and his shot almost burst the net. With the game drifting to an end another sucker punch was landed by Livi's Bryden Nolan as a nice one two set him up to score their third. The other positive to come out of today was that the top three teams were on cup business so, although remaining 4th, Whitburn closed to within a point of Armadale and Bo'ness and 5 of Syngenta.
Whitburn come from behind to win thrilling derby against Armadale
Possibly one of the most contested derbies Whitburn play in over a long time, we travelled to Armadale's Volunteer Park and emerged worthy 2-1 winners. Again, laid up fighting this super cold, I was able to witness the game but hope this analysis will suffice. In what was truly a 6 pointer the home side took the lead around the midway point of the first half but increasing Whitburn pressure led to top scorer Reece Duncan getting his 18th goal this season - quite a feat for a midfielder! Watching on the EOSFL website, there was no addition to the score as the game was coming to a conclusion so I resigned myself to a 1-1 draw - not a bad result given their recent run. Then up flashed 2-1 to Whitburn in the 90th minute and (no disrespect to the player) I later discovered that Jack Henderson had scored the winner to get his first goal for the club - and what a goal it could prove to be! I have thought for a long time that Whitburn are a second half team and this is confirmed when you look at goal times - 16 in the first half and 41 in the second! In addition no fewer than 13 have been scored in the final 10 minutes - this says a lot for the fitness of the players compared to many other teams. Anyhow, this win takes us to within 4 points of Armadale with 2 games in hand, Syngenta and Bo'ness are also still above us but, if we perform to our best then all three teams are catchable. C'mon the Burnie!!
Whitburn come close..
Whitburn went to Stenhousemuir to play Syngenta in the league and came close to creating a shock against the (so far) runaway league leaders. In a close game the home sid took the lead about midway through the first half. Having taken the lead Syngenta rarely fail to add but today Whitburn pegged them back, as in the home tie a few weeks ago, with Louis Maguire scoring in the 54th minute. Scores were level till around 5 minutes from time when the home side took the lead from a corner. Whitburn then pushed all bodies forward seeking another equaliser but were caught on the break and lost another just before the final whistle to give Syngenta a flattering 3-1 win. This performance and the earlier draw suggest that Whitburn are legitimate contenders for one of the coveted promotion slots if they can maintain this level. Next Saturday's game against Armadale away should be a cracker as the home side are 4 points ahead of Whitburn but the Central Park side have a game in hand.
Whitburn convincing winners at Pumpherston
Whitburn travelled to Pumpherston in a second round King Cup tie and ran out convincing winners with a 9-2 victory. The score at halftime was 2-1 to the visitors, Louis Maguire having scored on the quarter hour, equalised 4 minutes form halftime by Scott MacGregor but Darren Liddell restored the lead just 2 minutes later. Just before the hour Dylan Weldon scored and almost immediately MacGregor got his second to narrow the gap to 1 again. With Liddell's second in the 67th minute Pumpherston's resistance had gone and Whitburn ran riot. Reece Duncan must have scored one of the quickest hat tricks in Whitburn history as he scored in the 72nd, 74th and 81st minute, the final being a penalty. Martin Maguire in the 87th minute and Weldon almost on full time completed the rout.
Whitburn beaten by Gala Fairydean in game of 2 halves
Whitburn played Lowland league Gala Fairydean today at Central Park and gave them a real game, especially in the first half. The home side started off the game at a very high pace that undoubtedly seemed to surprise Gala and it was a pace that they kept up for a relentless 45 minutes, playing them off the park. Yet, at the end of the day they only had a single goal advantage going in at the half thanks to a great strike from Dylan Weldon from the edge of the box which found the bottom corner in the 12th minute. Just before this the same player had a shot blocked after receiving a great Duncan cross and just after Darren Liddell timed a good run well to get free on the left but his cross just evaded Reece Duncan. In the 24th minute in a rare break Marc Berry had a shot comfortably saved by Daniel Potts. On the half hour Liddell again got free on the left and tried to chip keeper Mason McCready but he thrust out an arm to divert the ball away from goal, A Liddell shot from 30 yards then brought a fine save from McCready two minutes later. With 10 to go Gala won a free kick on the left edge of the box but Potts easily saved.
Harsh words must have been spoken at halftime in the Gala dressing room as they came out strongly in the second half and Daryl Healy had a shot blocked 2 minutes in. 10 minutes later Ciaren Chalmers shot wide then there was lengthy break as injured Aaron Darge needed treatment before being carried off on a stretcher - we wish him well. Just after the hour came a moment of high controversy as the referee awarded a penalty for hand ball in which the player had his back to the ball and didn't appear to have had his arm in an unusual position. Sub Zander Murray made no mistake and levelled the scores, giving added momentum to Gala. Three minutes later came the turning point in the game as Reece Duncan was fouled on halfway but instead of slowing the game down by floating the free into the box, Whitburn elected to take a quick one but the ball was intercepted. Just after in the second phase of the resulting attack Chalmers headed in a right wing cross to put his side in front. He then had a shot saved before getting his second when he powerfully converted a Murray cross with around 15 minutes to go. To their credit Whitburn kept fighting and had the better of the final part of the game with a McGaraghan cross narrowly missed by sub Stuart McIntyre, a shot blocked on the line and a Duncan shot just wide. In the end a good performance against a team two tiers above but with a little luck and composure it could have been so much better.
Whitburn win in early kickoff
With the Scotland v Israel World Cup qualifier this early evening, this game started at 12:30 and Whitburn eventually won 4-2. They started the game very well, hitting the inside of the post within the 2nd minute and going one up in the 7th when Reece Duncan converted a penalty after Louis Maguire had been fouled on one of his mazy runs. Whitburn then proceeded to dominate up till the half hour with 5 really good chances to add to their tally but none were taken. On the quarter hour Darren Liddell made space for a shot but his effort was blocked. Minutes later Michael McGarahan passed a good ball to Liddell who back heeled into the path of L Maguire but his shot went over the bar. Midway through a great through ball put in Duncan but his effort was well blocked then Martin Russell tried his luck from just outside the box but this was also saved. Finally Andy Thomson had a shot blocked to Duncan who gave him it back and this time the shot was held by keeper Sean Brown. Having weathered the storm Bathgate came more into the game and delivered the sucker punch when Kai Wilson drove down the right wing and put in a great square ball that Scott Richards slammed into the net almost on the half time whistle. Whitburn again came out strongly and a good McGarahan run and shot ended with the ball in the side netting with barely a minute gone. Whitburn retook the lead in bizarre fashion in the 52nd minute when a high ball from defence bounced over the advancing keeper presenting Thomson with a tap in after being first to react. Duncan had another effort well saved before Grant Forrester wide on the left getting on the end of a long ball saw the same result at the other end. Whitburn's third came in the 62nd minute when a Liddell free kick came off the wall and again Thomson was quickest to react and fired the ball into the net. The fourth came with 16 minutes to play when Liddell out wide centred to Duncan and he netted with a powerful shot. There was another sting in the tail in this half as Richards tapped home late on from a corner that was not cleared.
Whitburn and Syngenta share 8 goals in thriller
Unbeaten Syngenta came to rainy Central Park today and, although still unbeaten, a chink showed in their armour as Whitburn came from 2 goals down to secure a well deserved draw (and may even have sneaked the win - see later). Whitburn opened the game well and within 10 minutes should have been in the lead as Reece Duncan dummied wide on the right allowing Michael McGarahan to run on and his cross was met by Darren Liddell but keeper Darren Hill made a good stop. A minute later, however, they were ahead as Duncan raced on to a through ball and calmly found the net fro the edge of the box. Syngenta stormed right back and were level a minute later when Jason Walton headed in a right wing cross. Duncan got in again in a similar fashion on 20 minutes but was tackled strongly in the act of shooting allowing Hill to make an easy save. Syngenta took the lead in the 34th minute when a ball from the right found Andrew Rodgers who swing his boot at it and it flew into the bottom corner on the half volley. As the game seemed to be heading to a 2-1 lead at the half, possession was lost on the halfway line and a great ball was sent upfield which Rodgers got on the end of and he made no mistake, calmy slotting the ball beyond Daniel Potts. Whitburn came out well in the second half as they looked to come back from a 2 goal defecit - which they have done twice this season. They got a goal back in the 51st minute when Louis Maguire was bundled to the ground in the box as he drove in on goal and Duncan, resuming penalty taking duties, scored though the keeper got a hand to it diving to his left. On the hour the 2 goal lead was restored when Rodgers completed his hattrick by firing a right wing cross into the net. Even though they were two goals down again Whitburn continued to take the game to Syngenta and pulled another back in the 72nd minute when Declan Fitzpatrick threw up his arms to block and incoming cross - unfortunately for him the ref spotted he was in the box and Duncan completed his hattrick by netting the penalty in more convincing fashion. In the 76th minute a Darren Tomaszewski free kick from the corner of the box got past the wall and forced Hill into a decent save low at his left post. Whitburn then withdrew midfielders Martin Russell and Declyn Cumming a minute later and put on forwards Chris White and Dylan Weldon, the manager obviously sensing that Syngenta were tiring. With 3 minutes to go we were all rewarded as again Louis Maguire (who had been a thorn in Syngenta's side all game) dribbled into the box and shot in off the post to give his side parity. Just after Dylan Weldon found himself in a similar post ion, though with a defender in close proximity but, as he tried to work space he lost his footing and also the chance to give Whitburn the win. Added time saw a free kick and a corner come into the box but the Whitburn defence cleared to secure the point. All in all a thoroughly entertaining game in which the Whitburn players showed great character and courage to take a point from a game that could have been dead and buried at half time. All credit to the team and management!
Whitburn beaten by the odd goal in 5 at Stoneyburn
With Armadale's defeat last night away to Bo'ness, Whitburn missed a great chance to widen the gap to the fourth placed team due to a last minute goal from Stoneyburn. This was a game of two halves with Stoneyburn going into a two goal lead in the first and Whitburn totally dominating the second, though, as said the home side did manage to net late on in their only real attack of the latter. Reece Duncan had the first shot of the match in the 7th minute form a free kick but it was saved comfortably. 5 minutes later Andy Thomson drove up the right and crossed to Darren Liddell who got the ball to Stuart McIntyre but his shot was cleared off the line. With 20 minutes played a long ball from the left was headed goalwards by Cameron Donaldson and Daniel Potts could only push the ball up and Euan Scott got there first to head in to give the hosts the lead. Whitburn responded with a Thomson free just over and Duncan header saved. On the half hour Ryan Robertson got on the end of a through ball and shot past Potts from 15 yards. The rest of the half was largely played in midfield though Liddell did see a decent shot deflected wide. The half time talk had a great effect as Whitburn came out all guns blazing in the second half and in the 50th minute a cross from the right by Declyn Cumming was kept out by the stretching home keeper Gavin McQuillan - an effort that injured him and led to his substitution minutes later. Just prior to this Liddell had got in on a Duncan through ball and rounded the keeper to tap in to close the gap. On the hour Duncan also ran on to a through ball but he was adjudged to be offside. Whitburn were totally dominant at this stage and a good Duncan corner was headed in by Martin Maguire at the back post with 20 minutes to go. Michael McGarahan headed a corner wide, Darren Tomaszewski had a free kick saved and Duncan, after some nice control had a shot saved as Whitburn sought the winner. Yet it was the hosts who did so with their only real break with a couple of minutes to go when Donaldson crossed from the right and found a colleague in the box whose shot was saved but rebounded to Scott and he somehow managed to get the ball on target. The game was not done, however, as just after Liddell yet again got in but the sub keeper made a good block. Then, on what would be the last kick of the game, M Maguire was pushed in the box as a free kick came in and the referee pointed to the spot. Martin Russell took responsibility and his spot kick was saved by the keeper to keep the three points in Stoneyburn.
Whitburn win away at Edinburgh South
This cup tie started with a bang as each team scored a goal in the first ten minutes - Declyn Cumming finding the top corner from 25 yards in the 5th minute and Donovan Ndiweni tapping in a great cross 5 minutes later. In the 18th minute Ndiweni was judged to have been fouled by Jack Wilsdon on the left of the box and Sean Jamieson's spot kick just evaded the keeper's dive. Jameson hit the bar from the edge following a long free kick 6 minutes on. On the half hour Lewis Milton was booked for a rash challenge out wide but the in-swinging free was gathered by Wilsdon under a severe challenge. With 10 minutes to go a good Tomaszewski cross was just missed by Darren Liddell. Louis Maguire fired home coming in from the left to equalise with 2 minutes to go and then Liddell was unlucky on the whistle when a long range shot was touched on to post by keeper Greg Fisher. Andy Thomson hit a wonder free kick wide on the left and near the corner flag which clipped the outside of the back post 4 minutes into the second half. In the 56th minute Jamieson found Ian Ballantyne whose fine strike from 25 yards was pushed over by Wilsdon. Midway through the half Thomson, driving across the box was tripped by Ryan Day and Martin Russell sent the keeper the wrong way and calmly rolled the ball in the other side of the net to give Whitburn the lead. Liddell totally outpaced an opponent in midfield in the 73rd minute and fired a good shot from the edge of the box but Fisher made a good save. 2 minutes later Louis Maguire made a great run into the box and, as he was about to centre the ball, a defender seemed to bring him down but the referee booked him for diving. The lead was deservedly doubled in the 81st minute when Thomson found Liddell whose shot was deflected by Fisher straight to Michael McGarahan, on as a sub, and his shot found the back of the net. McGarahan had another shot 4 minutes later having received the ball from Liddell but this one was saved.
Whitburn cruise to convincing win at Fauldhouse
Whitburn did their goal difference a huge boost with a convincing 9-0 win at local rivals Fauldhouse, also keeping up their challenge for promotion, only 2 points behind second place Bo'ness but with a game in hand. Stuart McIntyre opened the scoring in the 10th minute and a pair from Louis Maguire in the 25th and 44th saw Whitburn go in 3 up at half time. There would be no respite for the home side in the second half and within 7 minutes of the restart another two goals had been scored with Reece Duncan netting in the 50th minute and Darren Liddell scoring 2 minutes later. Fauldhouse established a little stability for the next 20 minutes but Duncan got his second with 74 minutes gone. The final 10 minutes proved to be a disaster for the tiring home side as Whitburn added three more in the 80th, 84th and 89th minutes from Martin Russell, Darren Liddell and Chris Brown (on loan from Sauchie) respectively.
Whitburn lose 4-1 at home to Ormiston
The Alex Jack Cup tie against old rival Ormiston did not go well for the Central Park side as they went down 4-1. Generally when you see a scoreline like that against a team that Whitburn should have been able to compete with, something significant probably hapened and this proved to be the case. With 10 minutes gone Whitburn's keeper was red carded and was replaced by the goal keeping coach, meaning playing with ten men for most of the game. This resulted in a 4-1 defeat with Darren Liddle netting for Whitburn. It is never good to lose but many associated with the club will probably not shed many tears about cup elimanations as the league has to be the number one priority this season. Thanks again to Hardhill Travel for sponsoring the match ball for this game.
Whitburn power to 4-1 win at Pumpherston
Whitburn kept in touch with the top two teams in the league with a powerful 4-1 win at Pumpherston despite conceding an early first goal. It was the home side that netted first in the 7th minute when Jordan Rodger darted down the left wing and swung in a great cross which Ben Magee powered behind Daniel Potts. Whitburn responded 5 minutes later when Reece Duncan passed the ball to Lewis Milton on the right edge of the box and he beat three men to put himself one on one with keeper Jamie Bowman before slotting the ball into the net. Then minutes later after a Stuart McIntyre shot was blocked for a corner at the near post an Andy Thomson corner was headed back across goal to Grant Hamilton who headed the ball into the net. Around the 20 minute mark another Thomson corner almost brought a third goal as he fired it to Martin Russell on the edge of the box but his shot went just wide. The two players combined just before the interval, this time from a free kick but this time Russell’s effort was deflected for a corner. Whitburn started the second half with a bang when a Dylan Weldon cross was put wide by McIntyre and then Weldon had a shot saved – all within the first minute. With 55 minutes gone McIntyre was upended by Bowman and the ball deflected to Duncan whose shot was blocked on the line by a prone defender and a penalty was awarded. Normally reliable from the spot, Duncan blasted this one well over. On the hour Adam Forrest almost made Whitburn pay as he got in on the end of a deep free kick but Potts made a good save from his header. A break immediately thereafter saw a corner being won from a decent shot and Duncan swooped low at the near post to bundle Thomson’s corner over the line. Whitburn were in cruise control at this point and both Duncan and Tomaszewski had good shots well saved amidst some good passing football. Into injury time the fourth goal came when sub Aiden Martin took a speculative shot from 25 yards and Bowman couldn’t get down quick enough and fumbled the ball into the net.
Whitburn come from behind to secure three more points
Another amazing game at Central Park saw Whitburn win against Stoneyburn by the odd goal in five and had to come from behind to do it. Stoneyburn had the better of the first quarter and a long wind assisted clearance by their keeper Mathew Craig almost deceived Daniel Potts but he adjusted to push the ball away. Just before he had made a good double point blank save from Stephen McLay and William Brown – all this around the half hour. Meanwhile everyone in the park was frustrated by the offside game that the visitors were playing, the keeper acting as sweeper. However, in the 35th minute beat it they did when Reece Duncan raced up the right wing and had a good diagonal shot blocked, the ball eventually falling to Andy Thomson who scored from 15 yards with the ball going in off the underside of the bar. Two minutes later a good run by Thomson himself ended in another drive which Craig saved well. Stoneyburn brought on two subs – Kyle Mooney and Cameron Donaldson - at halftime and they turned the game in their favour, leaving Whitburn shell-shocked for a spell. First, early on the Donaldson went down in the box but the referee turned down the penalty claims and booked the player for diving. In the 63rd minute Whitburn failed to clear their lines and the ball was passed wide to Mooney who equalised with a low drive. Three minutes later the visitors were ahead as Donaldson headed in a corner. Whitburn slowly fought back into the game and Martin Maguire headed in a corner at the other end with 15 minutes to go. Though Stoneyburn looked dangerous, mainly on the break for the rest of the game, it was Whitburn who had the better chances – Grant Hamilton heading another corner wide and Declyn Cumming having a shot from the edge of the box saved. With three minutes to go a brilliant piece of play by Lewis Milton in which he cut inside his man and put Louis Maguire in one on one with the keeper who coolly slotted the ball beyond Craig.
Reece Duncan second half hattrick helps secure a 4-0 win..
...at home to Edinburgh College in this re-arranged fixture in which MG Entertainments sponsored the match ball. This game itself was the proverbial game of two halves in which the first was very even with both teams having half chances and the second was totally dominated by Whitburn who ran out 4-0 winners. The half time talk clearly worked wonders as Whitburn started to move the ball about more crisply and within 7 minutes Reece Duncan netted the first of his hat trick, nutmegging keeper Morgan McIntosh from 8 yards. Andy Thomson then went on a great run beating several men before unleashing a great shot that went just wide. In the 74th minute the second goal came after a good Duncan run from deep which ended in a pass to Declyn Cumming wide on the right and his shot was deflected in off sweeper Juwon Abubakar at the near post. Whitburn had a couple of good calls for a penalty but the trip on Louis Maguire in the 77th minute couldn’t be ignored and Duncan scored sending the keeper the wrong way. The final goal of 3 came 3 minutes from time when a diagonal Duncan shot flew past the keeper. Newest signing Aidan Martin, on as a sub, had almost scored before this as he dribbled past a couple of players but McIntosh managed to get out to smother his shot. Stuart McIntyre, also a sub tonight, had a great shot well saved near the end to deny a fifth.
Whitburn lose out to Camelon in Qualifying Cup
Whitburn took a break from the league campaign today with a cup game against Premier League Camelon and ended up losing 2-0, a result that flattered their opponents. Indeed, in the first half Whitburn dominated the game playing good passing football and creating numerous chances. Stuart McIntyre and Darren Liddell shared three good chances early on, in each case after great build ups, but all just missed the target. From a corner in the 18th Martin Russell unexpectedly found the ball at his feet 4 yards out after a defensive slip but couldn’t get enough on the ball and the keeper was able to grab the ball. Four minutes later Liddell headed a Louis Maguire corner goalwards but the keeper touched it over. Coming more into the game Camelon had a free header go just wide around the half hour and then 16 attempted a chip from the edge have run in from what looked an offside position but Declyn Cumming got back to clear the ball. Camelon came out all guns blazing in the second half and took the lead three minutes in when Baird knocked in a good left wing cross from point blank range. On the hour Reece Duncan fired in a great low free kick from 20 yards which the keeper fumbled but he recovered in time to stop the ball going over the line. The game was much more even now though Camelon seemed to be relying on the long ball and Whitburn were playing the nicer football. With 17 minutes to go the visiting keeper made a double save as he first blocked a Maguire shot to Duncan and then kept his effort out and he also save a Duncan header. Meanwhile Daniel Potts had a couple of decent saves himself. Potts was unlucky with 5 to go when Mowatt just beat him to a through ball and got the slightest of touches to deflect the ball into the net. On full time Maguire had a great long range effort saved by the keeper diving to his left.
Whitburn and West Calder share 6 goals in second half thriller
Whitburn hosted West Calder on Tuesday 27 July and, in an exciting game with plenty of twists, the teams shared six goals. After a goalless first half the game burst into life 3 minutes into the second when the visitors took the lead. Martin Russell from the penalty spot levelled in the 75th minute and new signing Dylan Weldon put Whitburn ahead just 3 minutes later. West Calder then took two good chances in the 80th and 89th minutes to seemingly take the points. A gutsy Whitburn side, however, quckly replied just before the final whistle to rescue a point thanks to a Darren Liddell strike.
The next game is on Saturday against Camelon in the second round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup with a 2:30 kick off. The match ball for this game will be sponsored by S.A. Fire and Security for which the club grateful.
Whitburn bounce back with a solid win
Whitburn erased the memory of the last game with a convincing 4-0 win over league new boys Edinburgh College in the blistering heat of Central Park. Reece Duncan fired them in front in the first minute when he fired a low shot into the bottom corner. A free kick from Jack Temple from 25 yards which was saved by a diving Daniel Potts in the 6th minute would prove to be Edinburgh’s only real threat as Whitburn went on to dominate the first half. They were, however, unable to add to their tally as Stuart McIntyre, Louis Maguire, Darren Liddell and Martin Russell all had good chances which were either saved or off target. The second half continued the barrage of the away goal and 10 minutes in Liddell fired a great daisy cutter from 25 yards after beating his man. Nine minutes later a high ball into the corner was headed on by McIntyre who then drove in on goal and had his shot deflected for a corner. From this the big man headed home at the back post to make it three. Whitburn were by now piling on the pressure and an almost carbon copy of the 3rd happened in the 69th minute, this time Michael McGarahan heading in a deep corner at the back post. Late on Darren Tomaszewski hit a great 25 yard free just wide and Greg Stewart, just on as a sub, hit the bar with shot from the edge of the box. In the end a convincing and well deserved win for the men in claret and amber! Today's match ball was sponsored by Swish Decor.
