Saturday 4 April 2009
Park View
East Premier League
Fauldhouse United
Starting XI | Maley, Gallagher, Wardlaw, Cunningham, Cooper, Carmichael, Connolly, Martin, Graham, Felvus, Meechan
Subs | Stewart, Caputa, MacDonald, Hutchison, McLaren
Goalscorers | Martin (10), Felvus (27, 74)
Penicuik Athletic
Starting XI | Livie, Gibb, Steel, Meikle, Foster, Lynch, Gallagher, Barr, Cameron, McDonald, Montgomery
Subs | Gay, Jones, McKean, Cowan, Bald
Goalscorer | Cameron (5)
Penicuik had to ring the changes with Kevin Milne and Brian Ryrie out injured and Grant Killin and Darren Moonie suspended after last week’s defeat by Kinnoull. Keith Barr and Mathew Lynch returned with Ryan Gay and Dean Jones taking their place on the bench after spells out with injury. Fauldhouse knew that all three points were needed to pull them away from the relegation zone and looked hungry from the outset.
Penicuik kicked off into driving rain and a strong wind and took the lead in the fifth minute. The Fauldhouse defence could only clear a throw in from the right out for a corner kick and when Gallagher’s cross came over, MARTIN CAMERON had an easy header for the opening goal. A shocked home side almost conceded a second moments later but Cameron’s shot from a Barr pass went past the wrong side of the post. Fauldhouse came back with a corner kick and Graham’s flighted effort almost caught out Livie who tipped the ball over the bar. Much to the home team’s annoyance, the referee awarded a goal kick.
Fauldhouse equalised in the tenth minute following a Graham free kick. Foster headed the cross to the feet of MARTIN who sent a well struck left foot volley past Livie in the Penicuik goal. Livie was almost beaten by a Carmichael free kick when he shouted for Meikle to leave it and was relieved to parry the shot which took a wicked bounce off the sodden turf. Steel headed a cross out for a corner as Fauldhouse pressed. Carmichael’s header from Graham’s accurate cross hit the top of the bar and went over.
Penicuik enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure for the next fifteen minutes. A Barr left foot volley was too high and Penicuik could not take advantage when Maley flapped at a Gallagher corner. Meikle set Montgomery free to win another corner. Meikle and Montgomery combined to set up Cameron but Maley managed to block Penicuik’s top scorer’s shot out for another corner kick.
In the twenty seventh minute the visitors were caught out when Fauldhouse made a quick break following yet another Penicuik corner kick. The impressive Graham found Martin on the left with a long cross field pass and the Fauldhouse number 8 squared to the supporting FELVUS who side footed Fauldhouse into the lead.
Penicuik went straight back up the park but their luck was out as the determined Fauldhouse defence survived fierce pressure as shots from Montgomery, Barr and Cameron were blocked when a goal looked certain. Steel headed a Montgomery cross over the bar before Fauldhouse replied with a Graham free kick which was blocked by the defensive wall. Maley saved at MacDonald’s feet as Penicuik looked for the equaliser before the break.
HALFTIME | Fauldhouse United 2-1 Penicuik Athletic
Ryan Gay replaced Colin MacDonald who had taken a head knock near half time. Penicuik promptly went on the attack with the elements behind them and pinned Fauldhouse in their own half for long spells. Gay shot past when a slick passing movement between Montgomery and Cameron set him up. Caputa replaced the injured Wardlaw as Fauldhouse set up a rear guard action. A combination of determined defending inspired by the experienced Cooper and poor finishing kept the home goal intact with Maley proving equal to efforts from Barr, Lynch and Gallagher. Steel headed over the bar and Cameron was pulled up for off side as Penicuik dominated.
With twenty seven minutes of the half gone Fauldhouse replied when Cooper headed a Felvus free kick over the bar in their first real attack of the second half. Two minutes later, the home side broke upfield with FELVUS driving in from the left. His cross come shot took a wicked deflection off Brian Foster and looped high over Livie to end up in the back of the net to show the hapless visitors how it was done. Maley was hurt in a collision with Barr as the Penicuik man rushed through but his defence came to the rescue. With seven minutes remaining, another swift Fauldhouse break again caught out the stretched visitor’s defence but Livie deflected Martin’s effort out for a corner. Meikle, not for the first time headed the resultant corner kick clear.
Gibb was fouled deep in the Fauldhouse half but the free kick came to nothing. Cameron skied a Barr pass over the cross bar with the home defence claiming off side. A late Penicuik corner was cleared upfield and Fauldhouse came closest deep into injury time when a Felvus shot struck the post with Livie beaten. Fauldhouse’s Carmichael had to be restrained by his team mates and coaching staff at the end of the game when he seemed to lose the place as the team’s made their way off the park but it did not take the gloss off a hard fought win for the home side in an entertaining match well controlled by referee Allen.
Penicuik’s promotion hopes faded further with this defeat, their fourth in their last five league games while an overjoyed Fauldhouse were delighted to collect all three points in their fight to get clear of the relegation zone.
FULLTIME | Fauldhouse United 3-1 Penicuik Athletic