Saturday 7 December 2013
Creamery Park
East Premier League Fixture #12
Bathgate Thistle
Starting XI | Reid, Watson, Lawson, Coyle, Robinson, Drummond, Malone, Baird, Stewart, White, Swan
Subs | Nicoll, Easton, Dougan, Thomson, Trialist
Penicuik Athletic
Starting XI | Bejaoui, Ross, McDermott, Meikle, Cunnison (c), Lister (Patterson 30), Gay, Barr, McCallum, McPartlin, Killin (Knight 72)
Unused subs | Young, Harris, Hill
Penicuik's powerful second half performance at Creamery Park against Bathgate earned all three points in this eight goal thriller. However it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 9th minute when Penicuik were caught napping at a free kick. The ball was played quickly inside full back Ross and Swann raced in to cut the ball back to ROBINSON who slammed the ball home from the edge of the penalty box. Ten minutes later, the game was all square when, following a corner to Penicuik, Killin headed the ball back into the box where McCALLUM hooked the ball home. Penicuik were now back in the game and were starting to look more confident on the ball. In the 24th minute a Killin header off a Gay free kick came close, but Reid was well placed to save. Minutes later, Bathgate came close with a long range strike that whistled past Bejaoui's right hand post. In the 35th minute a Gay strike was cleared off the line for a corner. From the corner, a long clearance by Bathgate gave Stewart a great chance, but a fine block by Cunnison denied the striker. However one minute later, STEWART made no mistake this time when he got on to the end of a cross from the right wing to steer the ball past Bejaoui and restore the home side's lead. Two minutes before half time, a McDermott corner kick had the Bathgate defence in disarray and CUNNISON pounced to slot home from close range.
HALFTIME | Bathgate Thistle 2-2 Penicuik Athletic
Penicuik came out with all guns firing and a brave piece of goalkeeping saw Reid dive at the feet of Barr to smother the ball. Penicuik were piling on the pressure and in the 57th minute, a driving run down the right by Ross saw KILLIN dive in to head Ross's cross to the front post into the back of the net to give Penicuik the lead for the first time. Two minutes later McCallum should have added another when he failed to connect with a perfectly flighted Gay free kick. In the 62nd minute, another dangerous Gay free kick caused real problems for the Bathgate defence when two shots were blocked and with the keeper stranded, Patterson somehow contrived to hit the ball over the bar from six yards. Immediately afterwards keeper Reid came to the rescue to get fingertips to a McDermott cross and turn the ball past for a corner. From the corner, ROSS met the ball first time to blast it into the roof of the net, giving Penicuik a two goal cushion. However, Bathgate were not going to give up easily and five minutes later pulled a goal back when STEWART volleyed home from a corner kick. In the 74th minute, Bejaoui had to rush from goal to dive at the feet of Stewart and smother the ball. In the 84th minute, McCallum came close with a header but five minutes later the game was put to bed. Barr won the ball in midfield, passed to McPartlin who strode forward at the Bathgate defence and laid the ball into the path of McCALLUM who blasted the ball under Reid and into the back of the net.
FULLTIME | Bathgate Thistle 3-5 Penicuik Athletic