A frozen pitch at East Shore Park meant the Fife derby was switched to Thornton’s Memorial Park, but it was the now-hosts who were warmed up and ready to go quickest.
Inside 2 minutes McNeish picked up the ball just inside the Burgh half and ran on before firing a low shot from the edge of the area through a crowd of bodies past Joe Russell.
In the 10th minute a McCallion strike was blocked by returning Elliot Jowitt and then in the 23rd minute a wall deep into the Burgh box was met by Black who flicked goalwards. It appeared Russell got his fingertips to touch it behind but the referee awarded a goal kick.
Matters soon got worse in the 25th minute as Jowitt stuck out his trailing leg and brought down a striker. Drummond powerfully converted his effort low to Russell’s left with the Burgh just unable to get a hand on the penalty.
Kellar Harris had the visitors’ first chance of note in the 27th minute when he attempted to round Thornton keeper Sutherland but the keeper was able to block the Burgh striker’s shot. A moment later it was 3-0 when Laird rose highest to head home a corner.
A sluggish Newburgh side were even further behind in the 33rd minute when a powerful McCallion strike was parried by a diving Russell but unfortunately Soutar was quickest on hand to tap home to make it 4-0 at the break.
Manager Rikki McNeill rang the changes at half time and Burgh looked a different side from the previous 45 minutes and battled to get into the game.
The statement of intent came within 4 minutes of the restart after a backpass by Drummond was badly controlled by Sutherland and Blaine Ferguson latched onto the loose ball to round the keeper and net from a very acute angle.
Whilst not quite threatening Thornton enough to trouble the scoring, it was certainly a hungrier and determined second half which forced the hosts into a number of mistakes with stray passes and Burgh closing down their opponents better and getting forward.
That was nearly undone in the 54th minute when a cross into the box was handled by Jowitt and Thornton had their second penalty of the game. Drummond elected to repeat his first penalty but Russell was equal to it to save excellently to his left.
Russell did well again to save at the feet of Duffy on 61 minutes before a golden chance went begging for Newburgh on 63 minutes when good play by Blaine Ferguson on the left byline sent a deep cross over to sub Adam Wilson who cut back goalwards with both Owen McNally and Kellar Harris just unable to connect to score.
Thornton put the game firmly out of reach in the 80th minute when a looping ball into the box saw Thomson beat Russell to the ball to flick home into the unguarded net to make it 5-1. Within 12 seconds of the restart it was six when Burgh played the ball back from kick off and Kyle Tracey’s ball back to Russell appeared to hit a bobble and the keeper’s clearance sliced straight to Thomson on the edge of the area who knocked home.
It was an extremely disappointing opening 45 minutes from Burgh, but a much improved and energetic showing in the second period. But individual errors are costing the team dear against sides who capitalise on the gifts.
