Last Gasp Equaliser Maintains Burgh's Unbeaten Start

‍

Ten-man Burgh needed an added-time equaliser from Kieran Brophy to avoid their first defeat of the season.

The first eventful happening of the match was after just three minutes, as the heavens opened and sent the cameramen and substitutes for both teams running for shelter. In terms of action, the first big chance came in the seventh minute, when Burgh had a free kick out wide on the right. Graham Dorrans, making his first appearance of the season following a two game ban for his red card at Auchinleck in pre season, swung it into the box and left back Ryan Wallace steered his header into the net to give the visitors an early lead.

In the 16th minute of the match, Whitletts appealed for a penalty, claiming that the ball hit the arm of Stuart McCann. The referee didn't entertain the half-hearted appeals, and signalled for a corner, which came to nothing. Three minutes later, Whitletts had a promising attack, but Craig Menzies forced Ogston wide, narrowing the angle for the Whitletts man, and turned his shot behind for a corner, which Malky McDonald cleared away.

As the half progressed, Burgh controlled the possession but, perhaps hampered by the conditions, struggled to create much of note. In the 23rd minute, an excellent ball into the box saw captain Del Esplin cushion his header back across goal, and only needed a Burgh touch to double their lead, but no Burgh player was there to meet it, That seemed to be a familiar story for the visitors as, twice in as many minutes, Cammy Crooks put balls into the box but nobody in a Burgh shirt was able to get on the end of it.

In the 34th minute, Ross McKenzie looked as though he would create himself a one on one opportunity but an excellent, well-timed, tackle prevented him getting his shot away.

The first half continued in much the same manner, with Burgh doing most of the pressing but unable to take advantage. In the 38th minute, Murphy lunged into a tackle on Stuart McCann just outside the box and, being the last man, Burgh expected to see the referee produce a red card, but he only gave a yellow. Another Dorrans free kick almost resulted in another Burgh goal as he went for goal himself and hit the inside of the post, only for the ball to bounce into the hands of a relieved Louis Kerr. A minute later, McKenzie was through on goal again, but Kerr was quick off his line and managed to gather the ball at McKenzie's feet.

In the 44th minute Crooks was booked for a tackle on Jordan Baird on the halfway line but the Vics couldn't produce anything from it.

Half time 0-1

The first chance of the second half came nine minutes in. Gary McCann's cross was met by the head of Brophy, but Kerr pulled off a sensational save to keep the home side in the tie.

The first chance for the Vics came three minutes later as Dean McColm's shot was blocked by Menzies and out for a Whitletts corner. The Vics did manage to take advantage of this, as Robbie McCracken turned it in for the equaliser.

Burgh looked the most likely to take the lead, but the mounting pressure couldn't lead to the breakthrough. It almost came, though, midway through the second half when Brophy's strike from just inside the area thundered off the bar.

This seemed to spark the home side into life, as they started to bombard the Burgh goal. First, Baird struck his shot straight at Burgh keeper Kenzie Smyth, who was then forced into another save from 25 yards out after Burgh had failed to clear their lines from Baird's shot. Again, the visitors couldn't get the ball clear and Holland struck from the edge of the box but his shot was deflected wide for a corner. Burgh still couldn't clear the danger and Vics could smell another goal coming to put them ahead. Kenzie Smyth's clearance fell to Thomas Dempsie, who launched a rocket from 35 yards and found the top corner with an early contender for goal of the season.

Burgh looked to equalise immediately but Hamish McKinlay, through one on one, could only drag his shot wide. Another substitute, Jojo Gillespie was causing all sorts of problems for Vics with both his movement and passing but Burgh were struggling to create something as Vics were happy to sit back on their lead, see out the game and waste time to run down the clock.

With 15 minutes to play, Burgh were reduced to 10 men as Cammy Crooks was booked again and given his marching orders.

This, however, did not seem to deter the Burgh from their quest for an equaliser as they kept pushing,

On 80 minutes, McColm was booked for a late lunge on Kieran Brophy, perhaps a lucky man not to see red as he could've seen yellow for an earlier foul.

A minute later, Burgh had a shout for a foul on the border of the penalty area, as McKinlay was brought down, but the referee was uninterested in even awarding a foul.

Stuart McCann's shot was blocked by a defender. The ball was only cleared as far as Bryan Wharton, whose cross appeared to hit the arm of a home defender, but again the referee waved away the protests.

Three minutes into added time, Graham Dorrans hit a superb long ball forward, and Gary McCann met it with a diving header back across goal for Brophy to stab home to grab Burgh a point.

Overall, mixed emotions for the away side who will be delighted with snatching a point so late on when staring defeat in the face, but will feel that they did enough in the game to take all three points. Brophy's equaliser keeps Burgh second, and we now focus our attention to next Saturday as we welcome league leaders Shotts Bon Accord to Keanie Park, where we'll be hoping we can put an end to their 100% winning start.

Full time 2-2

Goals: Wallace, Brophy

Man of the Match: Malky McDonald

Starting XI: Smyth, Crooks, Wallace, McDonald, Menzies, Esplin (C), Brophy, Dorrans, S McCann, McKenzie, G McCann

‍