Lowland League:
Gala Fairydean Rovers 1 Kelty Hearts 2
KELTY HEARTS moved level on points with Lowland League pacesetters BSC Glasgow after recording back-to-back away wins on Saturday.
Having beaten them convincingly at home last Saturday, Barry Ferguson's men completed the double over Cumbernauld Colts on Wednesday night before getting the better of Gala at Netherdale.
Despite losing skipper Michael Tidser to injury in the warm-up and then Jamie Stevenson to a hamstring injury just five minutes in, Kelty showed plenty of resolve to earn a fourth win on the bounce in all competitions.
They took the lead after 11 minutes when Dougie Hill headed home Dylan Easton's free kick but a familiar face soon cancelled out that advantage.
Scott Taylor-MacKenzie, who was at New Central Park for almost two years, slotted home after a header from a corner was played into his path.
The visitors regained the initiative before the break, though, when Dylan Easton's fine turn and shot found the net and Nathan Austin was denied a third thanks to a fine stop by the Gala keeper.
Taylor-MacKenzie was thwarted by Kelty keeper Darren Jamieson as the hosts tried to find a leveller to no avail, allowing Kelty to move on to 24 points – having played two games fewer than BSC.
East of Scotland League, Premier Division:
Crossgates Primrose 1 Camelon 4
ALAN CAMPBELL is confident Crossgates can put a winning run together after Camelon inflicted their fourth defeat of the season.
The Humbug Park side saw their three-game unbeaten run – which included their first maximum of the season at Blackburn United – come to a shuddering halt against the Mariners.
After a tight opening, Connor McMullan gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half, which was doubled by Mark Stowe just before the half-hour mark.
Scott Lawrie threw Primrose a lifeline three minutes into the second period by converting a penalty but, within four minutes, Stowe had re-established Camelon's two-goal lead.
A red card for Garry Leighton in the 67th minute for what Campbell felt was two "innocuous, nothing fouls" made Crossgates' task almost impossible and their disappointing day was completed when Alan Docherty netted the Mariners' fourth.
Home boss Campbell was also left to rue what he felt was a "stonewall" penalty, for a barge on Mark McKenzie, not being given with the scoreline blank, commenting: "I'll not go on about it too much but there was a couple of decisions, really crucial decisions, that didn't go our way, the sending off particularly.
"I think it was at 0-0 we had a real good shout for a penalty which, with the way things are going just now, we didn't get. I think the referee was the only guy in the whole ground that didn't think it was a penalty.
"It was a bit disappointing but we just need to get on with it. Camelon are a good side and deserved their three points.
"We've played one team in the bottom half – Blackburn, who we've managed to beat – so it's been a really tough run of games for us. Looking at the fixtures over the next eight or nine weeks, including the Christmas spell, they're all teams around us in the league so hopefully we can get a few wins on the board and start climbing up the table."
East of Scotland League, Premier Division:
Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 0 Dunbar United 1
INVERKEITHING HILLFIELD SWIFTS' wait for a home win continues after they suffered late disappointment against Dunbar United on Saturday.
Grant Brough's men were well in this game at Ballast Bank for long periods but lost out to Grant Thomson's goal with just eight minutes left.
The hosts, who on Tuesday completed a return for 2018-19 top scorer Ryan Cowie from Lochgelly Albert, signed goalkeeper Kyle Bow – who played for the club before joining the Fife Elite Football Academy – on loan from Raith Rovers until January before the match, and he was handed a start.
He produced a fine penalty save to deny Fraser McLaren, after Pat Scullion was deemed to have felled Kieran Ingram, in the 34th minute but, prior to that, the Swifts had chances, with Josh Morris twice coming close.
Scullion forced Dunbar keeper Daniel Laing into a smart stop, before shooting wide, as Inverkeithing pressed after the break while, at the other end, Andy Jones struck the bar with a deflected effort.
With time running out and the home side looking set to claim at least a point, Mark McGovern was denied by Bow but Thomson, five yards out, pounced to earn Dunbar the victory.
East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference A:
Rosyth 1 Leith Athletic 2
ROSYTH lost ground on leaders Haddington Athletic ahead of their trip there this weekend after Leith Athletic fought back to earn victory.
Brian Muirhead's in-form team, unbeaten in their previous five games, were leapfrogged by their opponents, who maintained their perfect start with a sixth victory of the season.
It looked like it would be another good afternoon for the hosts when talisman Tam Hampson gave them the lead on the half-hour mark but, after the break, then men from the capital fought back.
With just six minutes gone in the second half, Andrew Dempster swivelled and fired home the equaliser and, in the 67th minute, Cazza Mein completed the turnaround.
Following the match, there was better news for Rosyth, however, as they confirmed that a hip operation carried out on captain Scott Gilfillan had been successful, with the club hoping to have him back "in a few weeks".
East of Scotland League, First Division, Conference B:
Preston Athletic 1 Oakley United 1
OAKLEY boss Stewart Kenny was perplexed by a penalty award that prevented his side from winning at Preston Athletic but felt a point was a fair outcome.
United looked on course for their sixth win in eight matches when Stuart Love set up Craig Martin to put them ahead in the first half but a second-half spot-kick handed the hosts a share of the spoils.
It leaves the Blairwood Park men third in the table – one point behind both Heriot-Watt University, who have played a game more, and Luncarty, who have won all six of their matches – and Kenny, who gave new signing from Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts, Reece Bernard, his debut, wasn't too downbeat about the result.
"If you were to offer me the position we're in at the very first kick of a ball, I'd have bitten your hand off ," he said.
"Since I've been in charge, we were always playing catch-up. There was always that bit more pressure on us because we were so far behind to even get near the top, so to be in the top three on a weekly basis this year is brilliant. It's credit to the players.
"It was a game of two halves. When you're in winning positions where you're dominating the game, you've got to learn to sustain it, create, keep the ball, make them run about and take them out the game. We never did that; we never really created much in the second half.
"They got their penalty and I don't think anybody knew what the penalty was for but, in fairness, our goalkeeper's made a fabulous double save to make it go for a corner leading to the penalty.
"I'd probably say a draw was a fair result."
l Saturday's fixtures: Lowland League – Berwick Rangers v Kelty Hearts (3pm). East of Scotland League, Premier Division – Broxburn Athletic v Crossgates Primrose (2.30pm), Camelon v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts (2.30pm). First Division, Conference A – Haddington Athletic v Rosyth (2.30pm). Conference B – Oakley United v Hawick Royal Albert United (1.30pm).
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