A Touch Of Samba De Italiano On A Dreich Scottish Sat..

Newburgh returned to action after last week’s match was postponed with a trip to Station Park, home of Livingston United.

The weather conditions made for a difficult game with an extremely blustery wind causing havoc throughout, along with heavy rain during the second half adding to a game that two sides battled to serve up an entertaining contest for the sheltering spectators.

In the 3rd minute Mackenzie Williamson had the first chance of the game from a free kick on the edge of the host’s penalty area, but his low drive causing keeper Baxter no problems.

On 14 minutes right back Calum Geddes picked up possession on the half way line and drove forward, playing a neat one-two with Andrew McCallion but he was unable to make a clean connection with his left foot to trouble the keeper.

Moments later it was McCallion’s turn with a shot after a good move on the left hand side, but his shot took a deflection and went behind for a corner.

But from the resultant corner, Burgh opened the scoring. Ronnie Martin’s corner was played back to him by Geddes and the full back’s cross looped high into the Livi penalty area with Callum Roughead doing enough to deceive the home defence and the ball fell nicely for Cammy Taylor to chest down and turn a shot home from close range.

The lead was short-lived, however, with a significant amount of help from the wind which curled the corner with the force and swerve of one of those cheap plastic beach balls but looked to have a touch of the Brazilian Roberto Carlos about it. Turning the player into Hambrookinho, it caused Scott Kyles scrambling in vain to stop a corner destined for the middle of the penalty area curling dramatically in at the near post.

The visitors felt hard-done by on 22 minutes when Roughead’s throw into the Livingston box was half cleared but as Geddes chased onto it, he appeared to have been brought down just inside the area, but the referee was not convinced.

Whilst Livi’s equaliser had a touch of Brazilian curve about it, Burgh took the lead in the 27th move that had much of Italian ‘catenaccio’ about it. Marco Tardelli (aka Cammy Newsome) picked up possession on the edge of his own penalty area to drive forward into the heart of the Livi half before playing a sublime pass for Paolo Rossi (aka Ryan Daly) to take one touch and then power a shot past Baxter to restore Burgh’s lead.

On 29 minutes it could have been three when good work by Tardelli and Rossi, sorry, I mean Newsy and Daly, sent over a telling cross for McCallion at the back post but the Burgh top-scorer couldn’t quite keep his volley down.

Moments later persistent work and a run from Kieran Twaddell played a ball through for McCallion but keeper Baxter was out quickly to pounce on the ball.

It was all-square again in the 32nd minute with another wind-effected ball as MacDonald’s ball forward picked up pace with the wind behind it for McInnes to run and slot low past Kyles to make it 2-2.

Conditions deteriorated in the second half with the rain getting heavy, the light fading and the wind keeping a big impact on proceedings.

Burgh had two chances in a two minute spell starting in the 51st minute when Twaddell had a low shot saved by Baxter and then Tardelli, sorry Newsome, picked up possession and drove forward again to fire a shot that was parried away by the keeper.

The game then had its first controversial moment in the 64th minute as Kyles’ goal kick headed towards the half-way line. Newsome was trying to free himself off some close physical attention on his back and was adjudged to have elbowed as two players jostled for the ball and the official was straight in with a red card.

From the resultant free kick, a ball was pumped into the Burgh area and Garvie flicked a header just wide of the far post.

Conditions were making things very difficult but both teams continued in the search for a winner and Blair Campbell was unlucky with an effort after McCallion’s lay-off.

On 75 minutes Williamson did well to charge down a Livingston clearance to run on and get his shot away that was deflected behind for a corner.

Moments later following a Livi throw-in, Kleinman and Owen McCallion clashed leaving the Burgh man pole-axed but the referee didn’t seem to notice and play continued and MacDonald had a first-time shot destined for the top corner until Kyles flung himself to push away excellently.

Hambrook then drove forward to fire a low shot that Kyles, once again, was equal to diving low to his right to push away.

The game finished with a bit of Latin hot-headedness as Garvie slid in hard on Kyles going for the ball and tempers threatening to boil over a little before the referee blew an end to proceedings.

It was a decent game for both sides in extremely difficult conditions at a Station Park that is heavily exposed to the elements, but that didn’t stop both sides trying to put on a good show.

Man of the Match: Calum Geddes - a solid display from Burgh's right-back.