Spartans dig deep to stay top of table

Spartans had to come from behind to beat nine-man  Tynecastle 3-2 and stay at the top of the Central Taxis  Premier Division.

Willie Bremner had two chances to open the scoring for the home side but found Jamie Newman in the Tynecastle goal on top form. The visitors’ task was made harder when they were reduced to ten men in the 44th minute as striker Jamie Butler was shown his second yellow card for using an elbow.

Tynecastle started the second half better and it was the away side who took the lead in the 63rd minute. Substitute Elliot Lister made space on the wing and crossed into the box for Jamie Devlin to tap the ball home from a few yards out.

Tynecastle doubled their advantage in the 75th minute. Devlin broke the offside trap and raced clear and his cross into the box was intercepted by Spartan’s defender Ally MacKinnon whose attempted clearance spun off his boot and into his own net.

This seemed to galvanise Spartans and in the 78th minute Keith McLeod headed down a cross to Bremner on the edge of the box and his low strike curled into the corner of the net. Spartans drew level in the 81st minute when a corner kick made its way to Donal Henretty at the back post and he headed the ball into the net.

Tynecastle were reduced to nine men just after the goal as Jamie Speed was shown a straight red for swearing at the referee. The winner came deep into injury time. Gary Cennerazzo fed Henretty on the left wing who raced into the box and crossed for McLeod to fire home and complete a remarkable comeback for Spartans.

Spartans: Flockhart, Manson, Cennerazzo, Sivewright, MacKinnon, Beesley, Martin (Grant), Whatley, Bremner, McLeod, Anderson (Henretty).

Tynecastle: Newman, Caddow, Dewar, Weir, Speed, Williams, Brown, Clapperton (See), Butler, Summers (Lister), Devlin.