Newburgh 1-3 Armadale Thistle

Armadale opened the scoring through Leiper on the 17th minute with the central defender powering a driven shot past Sutherland.

This lead was doubled just before the half hour when McLachlan headed home unchallenged.

Newburgh lost the experienced Paul MacBride with 10 minutes to go to half time to a knee injury with Nicol coming on.

The pace of Sutherland, Fraser and Robinson in the front line started to cause problems with Newburgh playing the better football in the last 15 minutes of the half.

Ryan Smart was finding more space in midfield allowing him to drive forward.

Newburgh grabbed the vital third goal of the game with four minutes to play in the first period.

Some great work by Smart and Fraser Robinson combining allowed Craig Robinson to make space in the box to receive the ball and drive it low into the Armadale net.

With 20 minutes remaining Hudson introduced Ryan Hughes and Sean Hastie for Sean MacBride and Craig Robinson, both of whom had had excellent games. Hughes almost made an immediate impact with a vicious drive that just flew by the post.

Newburgh almost grabbed an equaliser on the 82nd minute. Hastie’s pace got him goal side of his defender with time to drive a well struck shot at goal, Leiper’s outstretched leg deflected the ball taking some of the pace off the shot allowing the Armadale keeper to fingertip the ball on to the bar and behind for a ‘Burgh corner. The corner was well defended and a quick break by Armadale found Rodger driving in on goal. Sutherland narrowed the angle but Rodger made no mistake.

Newburgh: C Sutherland, Milton, S MacBride (Hughes 70), P MacBride (Nicol 25), Johal, Smart, F Robinson, Skinner, C Robinson (Hastie 70), Fraser, S Sutherland.