BURGH INTO ROUND THREE

Johnstone Burgh cruised into Round Three of the Scottish Junior Cup with a dominant display over Inverurie side Colony Park.

We got off to the perfect when Craig Menzies put in a low cross to the near post for Jordan Moore. The Colony Park keeper came out to close down the Burgh forward and, although he did well to block the effort, he was rather unfortunate as the ball cannoned back off Moore and into the net.

Burgh pressed, peppering the Colony Park goal with shot after shot, with the visiting keeper pulling off some great saves but it seemed like only a matter of time until the second goal would come. On 25 minutes, we were awarded a dubious free kick just outside the box. Rossiter took the free kick, bent it round the wall and the ball, somehow, squirmed past the keeper into the net.

Two minutes later Aaron Mason was on the end of a Jordan Moore flick on and crossed it towards the back post, and the ball looped over the keeper and dropped into the net for 3-0.

Ten minutes before half time, Moore got his second of the game. Mason's cross was fluffed by the keeper who was, perhaps, hindered by the deflection off a visiting defender, and Moore was there to knock it in.

As the half drew to a close, the visitors had their only real chance of the game as their attacker found himself bearing down on goal and shaped up as if to put it across the Burgh keeper, but instead he went for the near post and the ball went inches wide.

Half Time: 4-0

Rather than sitting back and seeing the game out, Burgh started the second half strongly, eager to extend the lead, and we didn't have to wait too long. 11 minutes into the second half, Rossiter's cross was headed goalwards by Darren Christie but the keeper pushed it away from goal. Jordan Moore was first to it and he cut it back to Christie, who wrapped his foot around the ball and whipped it across goal into the net at the far post.

Five minutes later, Christie's low ball into the box found Mason unmarked who knocked it past the keeper to make it 6-0.

We continued pressing and, although we had to wait 19 minutes for our 7th, it wasn't for the lack of trying, with shots continuing to rain down on the Colony Park goal. Max Kerr cut it back to Jonny Lyon who, from the edge of the box, curled a low effort into the bottom corner.

With a minute to play, we added an 8th. Stuart McCann appeared to lose his battle to keep the ball in play as the visiting defender shepherded the ball out for a goal kick. However, McCann cut it back to Lyon who knocked it in for his second. There were protests from the visitors that the ball had gone out of play but they fell on deaf ears, and even The Burgh players seemed surprised that neither the referee nor his assistant had seen it going out of play, and the goal stood.

Full Time: 8-0

Goals: Moore (4), Rossiter (25), Mason (27), Moore (35), Christie (56), Mason (61), Lyon (80), Lyon (89)

Starting XI: Scullion, Menzies, Gilday, Naismith, Eadie, Esplin (C), Christie, McDonald, Moore, Rossiter, Mason

Man Of The Match: Aaron Mason

As always, thanks to the fans who turned out today. It was a dominant performance and there can be no complaints about the scoreline. Despite making a couple of mistakes leading directly to goals, the visiting keeper pulled off a number of good saves and the score could have been more. We'll host Dundee North End in Round 3, after they beat Whitehills today 25-0 (yes, twenty five - nil). The third round is scheduled to take place on 19th October, with kick off at 14:30.

Next week, it's back to league action as we host defending Premier Division Champions Beith. Kick off is at 14:00.