Twinkling Twaddell Lights Up Until The Grinch Arrives

You could be forgiven to think the Christmas season had come early at East Shore Park, as the town celebrated the switch on of the festive lights in the High Street.

There was some ‘twinkling’ from Twaddell to light up the afternoon, some seasonal defensive gifts to strikers and there was a late sighting of the Grinch in the final 10 minutes of the game too to cap off the Christmas anti-climax and a sigh that it was all over…

Visitors Edinburgh CFC embarked their first of two consecutive Saturday visits to Burgh by being welcomed with the first gift of the day as keeper Scott Kyles’ misplaced pass conceded possession which ended up with Snedden tapping home from close range after Brown had flicked his colleague through in only the 4th minute.

The hosts were slow off the blocks as the visitors nearly had a second just four minutes later but Burgh were saved by the linesman’s flag.

Newburgh’s chances in the first half were few and far between with Edinburgh able to rebuff any attempts. Andrew McCallion fired over in the 23rd minute, whilst Mackenzie Williamson used his height to advantage but his header looped over from Calum Black’s corner.

In the 41st minute good play by Owen McNally set up McCallion for a chance but the top scorer’s effort was blocked.

Matters could have – and should have – got worse just after the break when White skied over the Burgh crossbar with the goal at his mercy in the 48th minute.

Enough was enough for manager Andy Healy as he introduced a treble change, bringing on Ronnie Martin, Ryan Daly and Kieran Twaddell on the hour mark. The impact was almost immediate as the trio injected much lift and hunger into the home performance.

In the 63rd minute Twaddell nearly made his perfect impact as Williamson made a charging run down the right and sent over a teasing cross into the six yard box. The Burgh sub slid in to poke home but was denied by a brilliant point-blank save from Cawley.

Moments later following a corner cleared by Edinburgh, the ball fell to Daly on the edge of the area who fired a goalbound shot was deflected over the bar by a defender who was probably just in the right place at the right time and possibly didn’t know a lot about it.

The pressure on the Edinburgh goal was starting to mount as the trio of Martin, Daly and Twaddell combined for the latter to send over a ball for Williamson that was missed by the defender. The Burgh no.11’s low shot was blocked by the keeper’s legs and a defender hacked clear.

From the resultant corner, Martin sent over a delicious ball towards just inside the far post. McCallion rose to head home from close range and somehow between a defender on the line and the crossbar saw the visitors survive.

Daly then sent a long throw into the box that was flicked on by Williamson and caused panic in the defence with the ball falling at the feet of Twaddell who kept his cool to side foot into the far corner to equalise.

Burgh were looking good to go on and grab that second goal and in the 73rd minute a long Callum Roughead throw was flicked on by Williamson for Andrew McCallion to side foot home but Cawley was again in the right place at the right time to save a close range.

While Newburgh were chasing that second goal, Edinburgh were still looking capable of netting their own second goal and Snedden showed neat footwork and fired a shot into the side netting moments later.

The game’s third goal came in the 77th minute and what a goal it was. Thankfully it went Newburgh’s way when Cammy Newsome and Williamson exchanged passes before Williamson and Daly played a one-two with a stylish back-heel pass from young Daly which sent Mack down the left who then sent over an audacious “rabona” cross that was only bettered by the diving header from Twaddell to bury home and finish an excellent team move to make it 2-1.

Any thoughts of Burgh going on to hold on to the turn-around went quickly out of the window in the 83rd minute when Edinburgh grabbed an equaliser when the home side didn’t clear their lines from a corner and Johnston fired home from close range.

The visitors then had their second goal of the game scrubbed off moments later for another offside call and Burgh were back to thanking their lucky stars for the let off.

A winner was still looking possible and in stoppage time sub Kyle Tracey went close with a header from a Williamson cross in stoppage time, whilst Williamson also had an effort blocked by a desperate late challenge.

The whilst blew to seal a 2-2 draw with the visitors perhaps considering themselves unfortunate not to get the points for a dogged display against a off-key Burgh performance that didn’t kick into life until the substitutions.

They say a week is a long time in football, and this Saturday the festive cheer could easily be mistaken for Groundhog Day as Edinburgh CFC are back at East Shore Park (kick off 2pm).