Armadale stride towards title

May 7 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

South Division

Armadale 3 Dalkeith 0

ARMADALE took another massive stride towards the South Division title and with it a return to the Premier League with a comfortable home win on Saturday.

On current form the Dale will be crowned champions sooner rather than later and Dalkeith were the latest victims of Jim Henderson’s free-scoring machine.

Robbie Feeney, after bagging a hat-trick last week, continued his blistering goalscoring streak by grabbing another goal while loan man Scott Mauchline also netted with the final goal coming from Kevin O’Neill.

While Armadale were coasting to victory, title rivals Broxburn were losing at Tranent making it a double celebration for Henderson.

The gap is now increasing every week and the championship champagne is on ice for the time being only.

Armadale: Woods, McCulloch, Donaldson, O Neill, Rodgers, Mauchline, Alexander, Burnett, Feeney, Johnstone, Bonnar. Subs: Brogan, Malcolm, Purdie, Matonti, Trialist.

Fife and Lothian's Cup

Whitburn 2 St Andrew's 2

(St Andrews won 2–3 pens)

WHITBURN tumbled out of the cup at the quarter-final stage last weekend as they paid the penalty in a shootout – and not for the first time this season.

The Burnie had already been on the wrong end of a penalty shootout defeat and history repeated itself on Saturday as St Andrews won the lottery of spot-kicks 3-2.

With home advantage Whitburn were expected to advance but they fell behind just before half-time following a David Evans effort.

After the break Kenny Hannah levelled from the spot after Colin Strickland was hauled down.

Strickland himself then found the net to edge the West Lothian side ahead but a late leveller from David Maxwell took the game to a shoot-out where Lady Luck once again turned her back on the Burnie.

Whitburn: Walker, MacKay, Parkin, Mooney, Leiper, Donnelly, Hannah, Doig, McSween, Strickland, Dolan. Subs: D Murphy, J Murphy, McNelis.

Premier League

Newton Grange 2 Faulhouse 0

FAULDHOUSE found it tough this weekend against a Newtongrange side bang in form and buoyed after winning the League Cup last week.

They are also homing in on the second promotion place to the Super League and were simply too hot for the Hoose to handle.

The West Lothian club were also missing a handful of players forcing boss Andy Cunningham to field a patchwork side.

And their cause wasn’t helped as they were forced to play 85 minutes with a man less after Andy Cooper was red carded after just five minutes.

Steve Thomson scored from the spot for Newtongrange and it looked as if it would be a long day for the Fauldhouse supporters.

But in keeper Gary Maley they had a man at the very top of his form and he foiled the Star strikers time and time again in a busy opening half hour.

It looked as if the hosts would be restricted to a single goal lead by half-time but seven minutes before the break they doubled their advantage when Meaney raced in on goal and flicked the ball over Maley.

The second half had Fauldhouse playing much better but still under pressure. However with Maley continuing his first-half form they kept Star at bay.

Fauldhouse: Maley, Colquhoun, Cunningham, McDonald, Cooper, Carmichael, Stewart, Caputta, Bryce, Dickov, Felvus. Subs: Meechan, Martin, Hutchison, McLennaghan, Smith.

ELSEWHERE in the South Division, Tranent beat Broxburn 1–0 effectively finishing Broxburn’s chance of the title while Pumpherston and Livingston drew 1–1 and Harthill had an emphatic 4–1 win over Dunbar.

In the MJM Cup Blackburn travelled to Haddington and squeezed through with the game’s only goal coming courtesy of Andy McQuillan.