Crossgates defeat Tynecastle in East of Scotland League Cup

CROSSGATES PRIMROSE progressed to the third round of the League Cup on Saturday after gaining revenege on Premier Division rivals Tynecastle.

Seven days after the capital club recorded a 3-1 league success at Humbug Park, Alan Campbell's side made the return journey across the Forth and turned the tables with a 2-0 victory.

The visitors, who were without Dunfermline Athletic loanee Jake Sutherland and Cammy Muirhead, through injury, restricted their opponents to few opportunities throughout - although goalkeeper Miko Komocki was needed to produce a fine stop just before the half-time break - and carried a greater threat themselves in the second period.

Despite going down to 10 men, a fate which would also befall Tynecastle late on, Crossgates made the breakthrough in the 69th minute through man of the match Alex Barnett, before substitute Craig McGuire sealed victory with five minutes to go.

"I thought we deserved to win. I was pleased with the performance and the result," Campbell said.

"We set up with a wee bit of a different shape and it worked a treat. We limited them in the first half - I think Miko made a really good save just before half-time - but we didn't carry much of a threat on the break. That changed in the second half - we looked a threat going forward.

Primrose boss Alan Campbell was pleased with his side's efforts. (Image: David Wardle.)

"I was really pleased with how we took our goals, and we scored at the right times."

It was a second successive win on the road for Crossgates, following a 3-2 derby success at Hill of Beath Hawthorn on league business last month.

That ended a nightmare run of 14 Premier Division fixtures without a victory, and Primrose sit second bottom of the table, four points from safety, but with games in hand on the teams above them.

"That's been two good away performances, although I even thought against Luncarty (a 5-3 loss before the Hill of Beath clash) was played ok.

"It's something to build on and I was pleased with the clean sheet. I thought we limited them to not much at all, and we actually took our chances.

"We've got to the semi-finals of this cup a couple of times in my time. We didn't do too well in the cups earlier in the season - in the autumn time we were knocked out a couple poorly - so we'll be looking to do as well as we can.

"We're also looking for this to transcend into our league form. We need to put together a string of results to try and get us away from where we are in the table."

Elsewhere, Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts' Premier Division clash at Luncarty, and Oakley United's First Division match at home to Kirkcaldy and Dysart, were both postponed.

Saturday's fixtures (kick-offs 2.30pm): East of Scotland League, Premier Division: Crossgates Primrose v Haddington Athletic, Sauchie v Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts. First Division: Oakley United v Whitburn.