Burgh their home 2025/26 campaign with the visit of Livingston United to East Shore Park on Tuesday evening.
The chances of goals were high with the sides ‘sharing’ 15 goals last season, with the winning side on each occasion netting 4. As it would turn out, this run continued!
Newburgh welcomed back skipper Mackenzie Williamson to the side after absence, but a number of injuries picked up at Hawick meant a number of changes with a starting debut for Calum Black in the middle of the park. Cammy Taylor, Matty Mitchell and Ronnie Martin all dropped out with injuries.
The match was only 3 minutes old when the captain marked his return with the opening goal. A free kick from just inside the Livingston half was floated into the box by Black and eluded everyone barring Williamson who ran into head home from close range.
Owen McCallion went close in the 7th minute when Andy McCallion broke forward and cut back to Owen whose shot was blocked.
On 19 minutes a rasping long range strike from Williamson had keeper Duffy flying to his left to push over for a corner. Black then had a chance in the 25th minute which Duffy again was equal to and pushed away for a corner.
From the resultant corner Owen McNally went close with an effort that a defender was able to stretch and get a foot to divert behind. McNally had another chance in the 40th minute but couldn’t quite keep down.
Williamson again forced Duffy into a spectacular save in the 42nd minute and it was largely all one-way traffic. There was still time for both McNally and Owen McCallion to have chances go just past the post.
The second half got off to a controversial start, against the run of play, when a ball into the area was deflected by a defender under pressure from Burchill and was pounced on. There was much puzzlement when the referee awarded a goal and that the ball had crossed the line! Admittedly we don’t have VAR and only VEO, but the subs warming up behind the goal – along with keeper Scott Kyles and his defenders were outraged. Although not an exact science, my gut feeling from looking at the replay also backs up this assessment that Kyles had the ball a yard (if not more) in front of the line.
Ultimately there is little that can be done and Williamson did just that moments later, albeit with a hint of fortune when McNally and a defender went for the ball, but the defender’s boot only set up the Burgh no.11 whose first shot was well saved by Duffy but rebounded back off Williamson and past the keeper into the net for 2-1.
On 69 minutes Andy McCallion’s shot was parried for a corner, and from the resultant set piece by Black, Trialist broke free from his mark to head into the far corner of the net from 6 yards out to make it 3-1.
If Mack’s second had a touch of fortune about it, there was probably more than a bit for Burgh’s fourth when Kian Beattie did well to win possession in the middle of the park and set McCallion running down the right channel. If you ask Andy McCallion, he will probably say he meant it, but either way his cross-come-shot deceived Duffy and flew into the top far corner of the net for a spectacular finish – intended or otherwise.
Burgh were still in search of more goals and Calum Geddes had an effort saved by Duffy on 81 minutes, whilst sub Kieran Twaddell’s chance was pounced on by the keeper in the 86th minute
It was a commanding and strong performance from the Burgh all over the park and were thoroughly deserving of the three points. Williamson’s return stole the show with two goals on his first appearance of the season, whilst Owen McCallion and Calum Black were also big stand outs for me in a good, solid team performance.
