Whitburn lose final league game in controversial match

Whitburn were well poised to take all three points in this game as they were 2 up at half time and playing against 10 men, but ended up losing 4-3. They got of to the best possible start as a Darren Liddell chip in the 5th minute came back off the post and Reece Duncan reacted quickest to knock the ball into the unguarded net. Broughty's Farquharson was adjudged to have stamped on Duncan midway through the half and was red carded though those on the far side felt this harsh. Duncan went on a great run in the 32nd minute before firing the ball under the keeper to double both his tally and the lead. After the break the wheels came off as a poorly judged back pass to Grant Hamilton saw him slip on the greasy surface (may have been contact?) and several Broughty attackers advanced almost unhindered on the goal with McConnachie eventually firing home a life line goal. Midway through the half pacy Louis Appere who had bothered Whitburn all game headed in at the back post following a free kick though the linesman initially put his flag up for offside but seemed to retract it. Meanwhile Andy Thomson went on a run through the centre of the home defence only to be sandwiched between two defenders which caused him to tumble in the box and yet the referee denied an obvious penalty. Appere went on a similar mazy run with 10 minutes to go and fired Broughty into an unlikely lead. Whitburn kept fighting however, despite being on the wrong end of many 50/50 decisions and looked to have salvaged a point in injury time when sub Andy McQuillan netted. It was not to be since the home side went back up the other end, Iain Griffin appeared to be bundled to the ground and the ball came off him for a corner. McCunnie headed the resulting left wing corner into the roof of the net after which the final whistle sounded. All credit to Broughty for grinding out the win but, in the end, Lochee's 6-1 drubbing of Thornton almost guarantees them the league as they are level with their near neighbours but have a 22 goal differential to them. Whitburn ended a creditable fourth in the league - an marvellous achievement as mant 'pundits' reckonded they would be the league's weakest team.