Reporter: Jim Davie

Tayport 2 Lochee United 3

Lochee United came from two goals behind at the Canniepairt to take all three points in a tough encounter against Fife rivals Tayport.

Playing against a strong wind the home side broke upfield to open the scoring on six minutes.  A minute earlier Lochee goalkeeper Josh Gorton was forced to dive at the feet of Liam McCartney to deny the striker but he had no chance when McArtney put fellow striker Dayle ROBERTSON through on goal. The Tayport hitman rounded Gorton to send the ball into the visitors’ net.

The wind was causing the ball to run away from the Lochee forwards and they struggled to put together any moves to threaten Port keeper Jack Shaw’s goal. Too often Kevin Milne was isolated up front for the Bluebells.

In fact, the home side looked the more dangerous on the breakaway and Robertson almost got a second when he just failed to get his head to a Lyall Shaw free kick.

From another Shaw cross into the box McArtney headed over.

With four minutes to go until half time Grant Lawson was given a chance after a mix-up in the home defence but his shot went narrowly past the post.

Lochee had a penalty claim denied when Milne went down in the box and, to add insult to injury, Tayport went up the park to double their lead. A long ball was chased by McARTNEY and, despite protests of offside by the Lochee defence, the striker slotted the ball past Gorton.

That was in the 44th minute, but there was still time for Lochee to throw themselves a lifeline. A Dougie Cameron corner kick found the head of skipper Greg KIRK who powered the ball home.

With that boost, Lochee began the second half in a better frame of mind and surged forward looking for the equaliser.

Scott Webster went down the left and played the ball back to Cameron whose effort went narrowly past the post.

With both wing backs finding space down the wings the Bluebells were looking a lot more threatening and Steven McNally set up Logan Davie for a shot that came back off the post.

A McNally long throw then caused problems in the home defence and Lawson’s shot was deflected for a corner and it was from that corner kick that the visitors equalised on 61 minutes.

Cameron took the kick and one of the smallest men on the park, Danny CAVANAGH, got his head to it to glance it past Shaw.

After a spell of Lochee dominance Tayport began to creep into the game and Jamie Gill flashed a shot just wide of Gorton’s left hand post.

But Lochee were soon up the other end and sub Bryan Deasley set up Cavanagh who fired over the bar.

Cameron’s corner kicks were causing lots of problems for the Port defence and from another one three minutes from time Kirk almost grabbed the winner. Unfortunately for the skipper he just failed to connect.

But the winning goal was only delayed another two minutes when Cavanagh found Milne in the home box. MILNE wheeled round and tucked the ball past Shaw to give Lochee all three points.

It was a close shave for the Bluebells who were a bit disjointed in the first half but they pulled themselves together to dominate the second period against a tough Tayport side.

Tayport:  J Shaw, O’Brien, Sturrock (Dale Robertson 46), Ness, Gourlay (Wilson 56), Rollo, L Shaw, Suttie, Dayle Robertson, McArtney, Gill.

Lochee United: Gorton, McNally, Millar, Kenneth, Kirk, Webster, Davie (Deasley 77), Cameron, Lawson, Cavanagh, Milne.