Burgh returned swiftly to East Shore Park for a debut visit of Vale of Leithen in the League.
The home side got off to a bright start forcing a corner in the opening seconds. From the set piece Calum Geddes rose to flick a header off the crossbar before the ball was hacked away.
In the 2nd minute Mackenzie Williamson was then on the end of an Owen McNally cross from the left but was unable to keep his header low enough to trouble the keeper under pressure from a defender.
In the 18th minute Williamson did well to turn his man on the right flank and send over a cross to the far post that was knocked back across goal by Calum Black but a defender was able to clear before Andy McCallion dived into head home.
At the other end Scott Kyles did well to palm away a turn and shot from the edge of the area in the 21st minute. Mitchell then had a free kick in the 27th minute that just beat both Kyles and the crossbar.
The opening goal came on the half-hour mark as Geddes and Williamson exchanged one-twos before the skipper was able to take his time as the defender backed off to send over a pin-point cross towards the penalty spot for Andy McCallion to pick his spot with a header past the keeper.
Burgh doubled their lead in the 34th minute as Williamson returned the gesture to Geddes who moved forward and slid a ball forward to Andy McCallion, who was having much success playing the line, who ran on towards goal and his shot beat the keeper’s stretch and into the roof of the net for 2-0.
The visitors started the second half with the intent of getting back into the game and within minutes Nicholson tried a long range effort into the body of Kyles. In the 53rd minute a long ball from the Vale defence split the Burgh back four and Mitchell ran on towards goal, slightly on the right hand side, but his shot was pushed behind well by the diving Kyles.
The Burgh’s defence was finally breached in the 62nd minute when Mitchell’s corner curled over the heads of everyone and into the far corner of the net for a great goal.
In the 77th minute, Andy McCallion held up the ball just inside the Vale half until help arrived in the form of substitute Blair Campbell who played a return ball to McCallion who was kept onside again but the straying left back and ran onto goal but keeper McLean managed to clear the shot with his feet.
Moments later a long kick forward by Kyles was headed back by Andy McCallion to Campbell who again returned the ball with a header to put the Burgh no.9 through on goal but his effort looped over the advancing keeper but sadly the crossbar as well.
On 84 minutes Williamson played a ball forward to the right wing which was picked up by Calum Leadbeatter. The ball was knocked back again to Campbell and played back to Leadbeatter to cross into the box for Andy McCallion to turn and shoot with two defenders in close proximity, but sadly off target.
In the 90th minute the visitors picked up a free kick in a dangerous position looking for a late equaliser. Flynn’s low effort managed to deceive Kyles and make its way into the net for 2-2.
The mood had changed with Vale thinking they’d rescued a point. In days gone by, Burgh would have either settled for that or even collapsed again. But the current Burgh are doing a good example of not giving up and going back for more.
The final say came, deservedly, in the 95th minute. Willie Laing headed a long Vale ball forward which fell to Campbell on the half way line. The Burgh sub flicked the ball onto McCallion who again beat the offside trap and ran on to roll home past the keeper to stitch up his hat-trick and three vital points for Burgh’s second win in a week.
It was a very good performance from Newburgh and a sign of the continual development within the squad and a renewed binding to battle for 90 minutes in an effort to unpick the opposition and sew up the points no matter what the obstacle.
Man of the Match – Andrew McCallion, obviously, picks it up for his hat-trick, but Owen McCallion and Williamson worked tirelessly, as did both Beattie and Black in midfield, and substitute Campbell made plenty of positive contributions.
