MATCH REPORT

ROSYTH 0 PUMPHERSTON JUNIORS 6

Sometimes in football you just have to hold your hands up and admit that you were beaten by the better side and last Saturday was one of those   occasions. The visitors came into the game with a 100% record whilst  Rosyth were looking to get back on track after their first reverse against Edinburgh United.

The visitors unveiled their attacking intentions from the outset with Ally McRitchie driving over and Zander Murray forcing Mark Rowbotham into early action, tipping his effort over the crossbar. Gary Nicholson drove straight at the home keeper, whilst Murray should have done better after Rowbotham had strayed out of his goal. This all happened in the opening five minutes and so it was with some relief that play finally switched to the other end of the park a minute later, where Mark McCulloch saw his effort charged down by the defence. Ciaran Chalmers showed the first signs of his trickery for the ‘Rec, seeing his effort       deflected for a corner, and on 12 minutes the debutant striker was played in by John McDiarmid before seeing his first time effort tipped over the bar by Connor Shaw. Rosyth were enjoying what was to prove their best spell of the match and on 14 minutes Steven Slimmings saw his curling effort turned around the post by Shaw. From the resulting corner Chalmers again went close to a goal, heading narrowly over.

Having survived this spell of pressure Pumpherston went on the attack again and it needed a good save from Rowbotham to turn Nik Rendall’s well struck effort on to the crossbar. Play was now end to end with McDiarmid scooping the ball wide for Rosyth in the 25th minute but two minutes later the Juniors made the breakthrough. Darrell Butler wasn’t picked up from a corner and his whipped in cross was powerfully finished to the net by the impressive McRitchie. Rowbotham kept out a second after saving from Murray but it proved to be only a temporary respite as from another corner in the 32nd minute Gary McLaughlin rose above a static defence to head home a second. There was almost an immediate response from the home side as McCullochs free-kick was turned over the bar and he then headed over from the subsequent corner.

At the other end McLaughlin again went close from a corner, whilst the half ended with Michael Macmillan shooting wide from distance for the ‘Rec. Half-Time 0-2

Things quickly got worse for Rosyth after the re-start. In the 52nd minute Derek Shaw’s effort was blocked on the line by the hand of Ryan O’  Connor and the home defender was shown a straight red card. McRitchie converted the resulting spot-kick to add his second of the game and his sides third. As the ten men tried to find a way back Chalmers picked out Slimmings but his effort was straight at Shaw. Nicholson’s 58th minute free-kick produced another save from Rowbotham whilst at the othet end substitute Blair Duff drove wide. Chalmers almost got the goal his       performance deserved on 63 minutes when he beat two players before  firing in a shot that was well turned around the post by Shaw. However the game was over as a contest a minute later as McRitchie completed his hat-trick with a simple tap-in on the break. Nicholson then showed great skill with his feet on 67 minutes to further increase the visitors lead before Rowbotham’s nightmare in the home goal was complete as he produced a ‘fresh air’ kick in the 69th minute whilst attempting to clear, leaving Murray with the simple task of the rolling the ball home into the empty net. It was to the home sides credit that they continued to battle and   managed to play out the remaining 20 minutes without any further       additions to the scoresheet. Full-Time 0-6

ROSYTH: Rowbotham, O’Connor, Kay, Morrison, Robertson, McCulloch, Macmillan (sub. Barry Foster 77 mins), Slimmings, Chalmers, Russell, McDiarmid (sub. Duff 56 mins).

PUMPHERSTON JUNIORS: C. Shaw, Butler, Norris (sub. Hepburn), Oliver, McLaughlin, Slessor, D. Shaw, Nicholson, McRitchie (sub. Nwanze), Murray, Rendal

MATCH STATS

ROSYTH: Shots on Target 9, Shots off Target 11, Corners 9

PUMPHERSTON: Shots on Target 13, Shots off Target 11, Corners 15

Attendance: 58.

Dave Edler