Coupar Angus 2-1 Newburgh

With four triallists named on the team sheet Newburgh added both experience and youth to the line-up.

Coupar Angus opened the scoring after six minutes after Newburgh lost possession too easily in midfield allowing the swift attacking Coupar Angus to get behind the defence. The ball was driven across the box with the home side’s Maloney meeting the ball and sweetly placing it beyond McNicol.

The equaliser came on the 28th minute from a swift break by Newburgh which found Gay one on one with the home keeper.

Gay showed the keeper one way and then slid the ball past him into the opposite corner.

The second half was to be a different affair however with Coupar Angus dominating for long spells and but for some stout defending and poor finishing they would have had the game tied up early in the half.

Newburgh thought they had weathered the storm and were beginning to make an impression on the game with McKenzie and Reilly both having chances to give them the lead.

There was a sting in the tail of the game for Newburgh in the 87th minute with Maloney stepping up to take a free kick from 20 yards out on the angle which he netted.

Manager Scott Hudson was disappointed that his side lost the game so late on.

He said: “The free kick was well struck and gave Ian no chance but we were poor in the lead up to the foul and gave Coupar the opportunity to win the game from the foul.”

Newburgh are away again to Lochee Harp this coming Saturday.

Newburgh: McNicol, Rogerson, Wilson, P MacBride, Highley, Connolly, Connor (Millar 81), Reilly (Hudson 71), McKenzie, Gay, S MacBride (Brocklebank 61).