Newburgh 5 Edinburgh College 2
The Burgh returned to action quickly after the entertaining win over Cowdenbeath Central on Wednesday evening with a visit of Second Division Edinburgh College in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup 1st Round.
As was the case at Venters Park, it was Newburgh who were quickest off the mark as the opening goal arrived in the 5th minute when Cammy Taylor climbed unmarked at the back post to head towards the far post which the keeper could only get fingers to and in off the post.
The home side were continuing to press and Calum Geddes sent over a beautiful cross for Blair Campbell whose header just went over the bar with the goalkeeper beaten on 22 minutes.
‘College’ were gradually getting into the game but were not troubling debut keeper Sean Martin too much. Their closest chance in the first half came in the 31st minute when Weldon nipped in to head a corner into the side netting from the left.
In the 56th minute Owen McNally fired a low shot into the keeper’s arms before the goals started to flow.
Two minutes later Rhys Sneddon charged down the left flank and played a ball forward to McNally who sent over a cross into the area that was missed by a defender and bounced up for Andrew McCallion to flick a header past the keeper to make it 2-0.
In the 64th minute McCallion had netted his second, and eighth of the season, when McNally beautiful flicked a ball over the heads of the Edinburgh defence for McCallion to run on and delicately place past the keeper with a defender running back unable to clear the ball before entering the net.
Burgh were handicapped in the 67th minute when Taylor’s mistimed tackle near the halfway line was enough to pick up his second yellow card and the hosts were down to 10 men for the rest of the game.
The numerical disadvantage didn’t appear to be affecting the home side, however, as impressive substitute Finn Bannerman rose to flick home Sneddon’s first-time cross from the left touch line to send the ball soaring into the top corner for 4-0.
Newburgh seemed to take their foot off the gas in the closing stages and were given a swift warning as College pulled back two consolation goals in three minutes. The first on 84 minutes saw Temple beat Martin to a ball into the box and his looping header fell just over the line ahead of defenders.
Temple then turned and fired a low shot from the edge of the area in the 86th minute past the keeper.
The Burgh stepped up again and McNally went close moments later with a fizzing shot that just went over the bar. Bannerman’s energy and pace was causing issues for a tiring defence in the heat and he picked up a ball knocked forward by Kian Beattie to run from his own half to out pace two defenders to loop a shot just inches wide of goal past the advancing keeper.
In stoppage time, the young substitute did add his second of the game as he got on the end of a monster kick out by keeper Martin to run on and beat the offside trap and took his time to clinically despatch beyond the keeper to make it 5-2.
The win puts Burgh into the Second Round with a home tie lined up against Coldstream at East Shore Park and capped off a great week for the team with two wins and 9 goals scored in the process.
Man of the Match: Andrew McCallion – led the line well as stand-in captain and took his two goals well.
Goals: Cammy Taylor 5 mins (assist: Rhys Sneddon) Andrew McCallion 60 mins (assist: Owen McNally) Andrew McCallion 64 mins (assist: Owen McNally) Finn Bannerman 74 mins (assist: Rhys Sneddon) Finn Bannerman 90+4 mins (assist: Sean Martin)
