Musselburgh Athletic 2 Crossgates Primrose 2, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

ALAN CAMPBELL praised Crossgates Primrose for their best performance of the season but was frustrated by the loss of another late equaliser.

After conceding in the final minute to draw at home to Linlithgow Rose in their opener, Greg Page was at it for Musselburgh Athletic to rescue a point for the hosts at Olivebank.

James McAteer’s 12th minute goal put Crossgates ahead, only for Andy McDonald’s own goal to cancel that out.

Mark McKenzie looked to have won it with 13 minutes left, but Campbell felt a draw was a fair result.

“I think, performance wise, it’s definitely the best we’ve played,” he said.

"We started the game really well. First 20 minutes we were really on top and probably, as I say, the best period of play we've had. We should've been a couple of goals up really.

"They came into it after that. They kind of got their act together and they were the better side for large parts of the first half. Then they started the second half a bit better than us but we managed to weather the storm a bit and got in front.

“It was disappointing to lose a late goal again because, when you get in front like that and you can see the finish line, you just want to see it out and get the three points.

"To be fair to them, I think it would've been a bit harsh on them if we'd won the game. I think a draw was probably a fair result.

"They kept on probing, they kept on putting balls into our box, and it was inevitable that they were going to get something at some point. I didn't think it was a free-kick in the build-up to their goal, which was a bit frustrating.

"I was a lot happier with the way we played going forward. We created five or six really good chances, scored two good goals, and that was missing in the first couple of games, so I was really happy with that.

"It was a bit of a freak own goal the first one; Andy sort of thrashed at a cross and it just ended up going in off him. It was one of those ones that was like a one in a hundred, and would never happen again. And then a set play right at the end, a good delivery and a good header from the boy.

"Despite all their pressure, I was a bit disappointed. They didn't really carve us open, it was avoidable goals that we lost, but I'm happy enough with the point.

"We'll take the positives from it.

Crossgates Primrose 2 Newtongrange Star 0, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

PRIMROSE earned their first win of the season with victory over Newtongrange Star on Wednesday evening.

After a scoreless first half, Lewis Sawers opened the scoring shortly before the hour mark, with Scott Lawrie wrapping up the victory with 15 minutes to go.

Linlithgow Rose 4 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 0, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

SWIFTS boss Grant Brough praised his players’ attitude despite falling to their first defeat of the season.

A double from Mark Stowe, either side of strikes by Alan Docherty and Kyle Wilson, earned the points for a Linlithgow Rose side that had thrashed Hill of Beath Hawthorn 6-1 in their previous outing.

Brough, who has signed former Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath striker Greig Spence until January, said: "They're good. They'll be top three this season.

"Saying that, I think the scoreline flatters them. Did they deserve to win? Yeah they probably did, they're good a side, but I think if it had been one or two nil, it would've been a more realistic scoreline. I think they get a really soft penalty and a really soft free-kick for the last two goals.

“The big difference for us is, last year, when we were going to Linlithgow and that sort of thing, it was more of a case of let’s keep it tight and see if we can nick anything.

“This year, we went across and gave them a game. That was pleasing for me.

"The hard work that we've done so far over pre-season is showing in how we're playing. We were going across there confident that we could maybe get something from the game whereas, previously last year, you were thinking let's keep it tight, let's try and limit the mistakes we make, and you're hoping something might happen.

"This time around we're a lot more positive in how we approach the games."

Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 1 Penicuik Athletic 3, East of Scotland League, Premier Division

SWIFTS ended their midweek meeting with Penicuik with nine men as they fell to a second successive defeat.

Andy Forbes gave the visitors a second minute lead on Wednesday evening by heading in from a corner, but Shay Brough levelled matters with a fine, hooked finish on the stroke of half-time.

He, however, was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident just five minutes after the interval, with Forbes hooking home for Penicuik from the resultant free-kick.

Nicky Reid made it 3-1 with 11 minutes left before Ryan Mauchlen also saw red for a second bookable offence.

Rosyth 3 Edinburgh United 1, East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference A

REC boss Brian Muirhead described Saturday’s win as “a lot better” as they picked up their first win of the season.

Tam Hampson, Regan Lumsden and Greg Page were on target against Edinburgh United, a game they followed up by beating Craigroyston 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Skipper Garry Leighton, Hampson and a treble from Lumsden did the damage, with the two wins following an opening day defeat to Kirkcaldy and Dysart, and a home draw with Coldstream.

This afternoon, Rosyth host early pacesetters Leith Athletic, and Muirhead said of the Edinburgh match: "We go in at half-time 1-0 up and I'm thinking to myself, this could be the exact same as what we've just had, because we've had umpteen chances to score.

"Tam rises from a cross, back post, free header and buries it. We're thinking great, that's us got our neck in front, let's go and turn the screw and get right at them. And we didn't.

"We came out in the second half and, first five minutes, was very one-sided for us again. We got lucky - Regan popped up with a great through ball, tremendous finish, 2-0 and the game's dead. It's buried; they're not able to play through us or go long.

"They got a throw in, just a big long thrown in, didn't get flicked on, just got half headed out. One of the guys that was under the ball had spun, latched onto it and produced a good finish. Goalkeeper had no chance. 2-1 and their tails are up, and I'm thinking, I don't believe this.

"We're looking at the team, should we make a change tactically, could we go back to a five and protect it? I'm thinking no. We're creating a chance every 2-3 minutes, we can't do that. It's not the way I play, it's not what I want to do, to go 2-1 up and then stick 11 boys behind the ball. We'll still continue to try and entertain the people that came and enjoyed the game, because it was end-to-end.

"We brought Pago on and he did what the wee man normally does. He's a nuisance, he runs the channels really well, he battles for it, he pounces on mistakes.

"It has to be said, Mikey Ness came up with a bit of skill on the byeline where I think the guy is still trying to untie himself. He took the midfielder out, turned the full back into knots, nutmegged him, drove at the front post and cut it back for Pago to smash it in the top corner from 4-5 yards.

"3-1, we could then relax and after that, I think there was 5-10 minutes to go and it was pretty comfy then.

“The guys have got bags of ability and we’re just not taking those chances.

“It’s frustrating because I’d like to take the chances early doors, get the game put to bed and start using the squad more.”

Oakley United 5 Peebles Rovers 1, East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference B

OAKLEY UNITED made it seven points from nine on Saturday with a five-star show against Peebles Rovers.

Stuart Love and Craig Martin, plus one from Johnny Harrison, secured victory.

A 3-1 reverse followed at Lochore Welfare on Tuesday night but the Blairwood Park outfit registered a 3-0 success at Lochgelly Albert on the opening day, before drawing 4-4 at home to Burntisland Shipyard last midweek, despite finding themselves 4-0 ahead in the first half.

Boss Stewart Kenny was pleased with the Peebles result and performance, commenting before the Lochore match: "It's been a good start, especially since we're missing three recognised defenders, and have got a central midfielder filling in at centre back.

"We're missing five actually, we've got five defenders out, so we've got a bit of an injury crisis in that sense. The boys have stepped up to the plate in that sense.

"It's been a good start. The game against Lochgelly was quite a solid performance; we were never in any danger of losing the game if I'm honest. The game against Burntisland - the less said about that the better.

"To be 4-0 up after 30 minutes and not come out with three points at home is not acceptable in my book. We allowed Burntisland to get in about us and put us under pressure.

"We had a great first 10 minutes and some of the goals we scored were outstanding, really good team goals, finished with a tap-in six yards out. It was really quick football, good tempo, and then I think the boys, too many of them, expected that was the game, it was going to be easy.

"You can't do that. It just proves you can't do that. I would expect Burntisland to be up there there or thereabouts at the end of the season. I think they'll be in the top half of the table without a doubt, just like I'd expect us to be in the top half challenging. Hopefully we can learn from those mistakes.

"Peebles was a good game. Again, we shot ourselves in the foot, it should've been a clean sheet. But the boys are playing really well just now and gelling together."

Today's fixtures (kick-offs 2.30pm): East of Scotland League, Premier Division: Crossgates Primrose v Tranent, Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.

First Division, Conference A: Rosyth v Leith Athletic. Conference B: Glenrothes v Oakley United.