Saturday 25 January 2020
Penicuik Park, Penicuik
East of Scotland Premier Division Fixture #15
Penicuik Athletic
Starting XI | Watt, O'Donnell (McCrory-Irving 58), Young, Page, Connolly, Jones, Watson (Kateleza 59), Somerville (c), Tansey, Ponton (Baptie 76), Forbes
Unused subs | Wilson, Finnie, O'Neil
Goalscorers | Forbes (58)
Sent off | None
Dundonald Bluebell
Starting XI | Lennox (c), Durie, Hendry, Wallace, Wedderburn, Wilson, Strang, Gay, Cargill, McKenzie, Drummond
Subs | Mackie, Rogerson, Walton, Ness, Dall, Crowe
Sent off | None
On a dull and grey January day Penicuik entertained 'first footers' Dundonald Bluebell but slumped to their second league defeat of the new year and their first to visitors Dundonald Bluebell in some eleven years. The visitors opened strongly with a clear intent and went ahead in the 3rd minute as McKenzie slipped in STRANG who fired low past Watt and four minutes later the same player had the opportunity to double the tally but was thwarted by the Cuikie custodian. The visitors added a second in the 14th minute when MCKENZIE found space in the box and fired high into the roof of the net. The first chance for the home side came in the 17th minute when Forbes headed over from a Tansey free kick and it was Tansey two minutes later who saw his powerful volley produce a wonderful save from Lennox. The home side finally found the back of the net in 33 minutes as Tansey rounded Lennox to slot home but was thwarted by the offside flag as the game started to flow from end to end and Hendry saw Watt tip his shot against the crossbar. With 37 minutes gone good work from Tansey saw his cross find Somerville whose header was saved by Lennox and a minute later Somerville dragged a shot wide from distance. With two minutes to half time O’Donnell saw his effort hit the post and the home side faced an uphill task to get back in the game.
HALFTIME | Penicuik Athletic 0-2 Dundonald Bluebell
The visitors were first to show in the second half and Wilson saw his header cleared off the line and with 55 minutes gone a good run from Connolly sees Ponton having a shot which is pushed away by Lennox. Three minutes the home side finally got on the score sheet as Connolly headed a Tansey cross into the path of Andy FORBES who squeezed it past Lennox. A double substitution saw Kateleza and McCrory-Irving replace O’Donnell and Watson as the Cuikie sought to get level but it was the visitors who restored their two goal advantage in the 64th minute when the home side lost possession and the subsequent cross into the box was headed home by DRUMMOND.The visitors made it four just three minutes later as a suspiciously offside Cargill drove forward from a quick free kick to square to MCKENZIE whose weak shot squirmed under Watt and over the line for the fourth. The Bluebell defence were too strong for anything that the homesters could muster and a late consolation goal was ruled out for a foul on Lennox and Cuikie were left to rue a chance to make ground up on the team above them.
FULLTIME | Penicuik Athletic 1-4 Dundonald Bluebell