Lowland League: Whitehill hit back with four goals in eight minutes

Whitehill Welfare 5

Gala Fairydean Rovers 3

Whitehill scored four goals in the last eight minutes to overcome Gala. Ten minutes before half-time the visitors took the lead. A pin-point Des Sutherland corner found George Windram who beat Bryan Young to the ball and headed into the net. The second half was only moments old when the goalscorer was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area and Dale O’Hara slammed home from the spot. On 79 minutes Gala restored their lead. Sean Paliczka floated in a free kick from near the touchline which deceived Young and found the far corner of the net. Two minutes later Gala’s Stuart Noble beat two defenders and buried a left-foot shot into the bottom corner. Whitehill looked stunned but Charlie Denton’s delivery was then met by the head of Scott Gormley who made it 3-2. With 86 minutes played another Welfare free-kick was awarded and Denton’s delivery was headed home by Ciaren Chalmers and the scores were level. The visitors were stunned moments later when substitute Connor Brydon was sent clear and calmly finished into the bottom corner to complete a remarkable comeback. Gormley sealed the win in stoppage time rounding the keeper and scoring his second of the game.

Whitehill Welfare: Young, O’Hara, Williams, Chalmers, Manson, Dodds (Brydon 84), Kerr (Denton 79), Chalmers, Osborne, Swann, Gormley, Russell. Subs: Robertson, Jardine.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: Wright, Stephen, Miller, Waugh, Windram, Bonnar, Aitchison, Watson, Noble, Paliczka, Sutherland. Subs: White, Simpson, Common, Pringle, Bonnington.

Dalbeattie Star 2

Preston Athletic 3

Fabio Neto’s late header sealed three much-needed points for Preston. The striker rose well on 85 minutes to glance a Frazer Henderson free-kick into the net. The game started with great closing down play on seven minutes by Neto, Henderson and Kenny Erskine that forced a defensive mistake, the latter fed Neto to slot Preston into an early lead. Danny Dunglinson bundled an equaliser soon after. The Preston lead was restored on 36 minutes as Reece Cochrane released Gavin Stevenson down the left, his cross found Henderson who beat a defender and rifled home. Star’s Richard Maxwell was shown a straight red soon after for comments to the assistant.  The ten men forced a way back into the game after the hour with Lewis Sloan’s fine finish after a slack Craig Pennycuick punch before Neto’s late winner.

Dalbeattie Star: Parker, Todd (Anderson), Park (Thorburn), Wells, Maxwell, Baty, McHarrie (Mason), Dunglinson, Muir, Sloan, Slattery. Subs: Proudlock, Cathro, Wilson, Degnan.

Preston Athletic: Pennycuick, Erskine, Cochrane, McLeod, Cowan, Jardine (Fiddler), Carter, Stevenson, Neto, Henderson (Cochrane), Ritchie (Archibald). Subs: Law, Callan, Siegel.

Gretna 2008 0

Edinburgh University 0

THE students created several openings but couldn’t find a way past Gretna at Raydale Park. A series of corners provided headed chances for Callum Irvine and Bruce Scott but their efforts were cleared off the line. Both sides pushed forward in search of an opening goal and both Jack Guthrie and Scott McCrory-Irving went close for Edinburgh before Connor Murray failed to capitalise on good Gretna play by blazing over when well-placed. Gretna substitute David Renyard made immediate impact, setting up Brannan but Mark Tait denied the home side with a brilliant save.

Gretna 2008: Armstrong, Hunter, Dickinson, R Murray, Little, Studholme (Renyard 67), Brannan, Simpson, McCartney, C Murray, Smith. Subs: Rudd, Kelly, Neill, Inglis and Ballantyne.

Edinburgh University: Tait, L Murray, McMillan, Smith, Swan, Daniels-Yeoman (Matthew 85), Irvine, Calbacho, Guthrie, McCrory-Irving, Scott. Subs: Mair, Condie.

Spartans 2

BSC Glasgow 1

After a first half that saw the woodwork and keeper Blair Carswell deny the visitors it took just two second-half minutes for Spartans to take the lead. Keith Murray’s cross into box was bundled over the line by Scott Maxwell. Dan Ward doubled Spartans’ lead moments after coming off the bench when he tapped home after Murray had rounded the  Glasgow goalie. BSC halved the deficit in the 90th minute when Shaun Bowers capitalised on some festive spirit in the home defence. Pressing for a point and with time running out, Riccardo Corrieri unleashed a low drive that brought out the best in Carswell who done well to get down low to save.

Spartans: Carswell, Thomson, Maxwell, Malone, Tolmie, Stevenson, Beesley (Comrie), Dishington (Ward), Murray, Mair, Brown. Subs: Greenhill, Hay, Gabiola, Gilpin.

BSC Glasgow: Wilson, Bowers, Traynor (Lyons), Toner, Bell, Redpath, Woods (Bembo), Cunningham, Ferris, Duncan (Beckett), Corrieri. Subs: Jones, Dryden, Barr.