Newburgh 1-5 Dundee North End

Dundee North End..............5

Newburgh faced top of the table Dundee North End at East Shore Park on Saturday.

The reverse fixture resulted in a 5 – 0 defeat for Newburgh against a side that are well deserving of their position at the top of the table.

Alan Fortune drafted in John Millar and Kyle Meaney into the starting line-up both at centre defence.

With Steve Fortune missing Callum Connolly stepped forward from central defence into midfield.

Dundee North End controlled much of the opening exchanges playing an expansive game moving the ball around the park probing the Newburgh defence.

On 17 minutes the opening goal of the game came from a miss placed Newburgh pass back into the defence with North End’s Scott pouncing on the slack pass to round the keeper and slot the ball home. Scott was to prove a real thorn in the Newburgh side defence adding two further goals to secure his hat trick before half an hour had been played.

Newburgh were struggling to match up to North end and in the final 10 minutes of the first period two further goals were conceded to put the game well out of Newburgh reach.

A stern team talk at half time was called for and it appeared to have worked with the home side proving a far more difficult team to break down in the second period.

Lumsden replaced Woods up front for Newburgh and the youngster’s energy added to the closing down play that Newburgh had been trying to force on the visitors.

With 70 minutes on the clock some smart inter passing play between Foy, Wilson and Brocklebank found Tabengwa in space on the 18 yard line.

The North End defence looked favourite to clear the ball to safety but the ‘Burgh strikers tenacity crafted a half chance for himself allowing him to slide the ball below the diving keeper to give Newburgh the only goal of the second half.

Alan Fortune was happy with his team’s second half reaction.

Following the game, he said: “We talked before the game about concentration levels required to play against a side as good as Dundee North End, each lapse in concentration is punished as we found to our dismay in the first half.

“I was happy that the team went out and won the second half, we showed some real grit and determination and this gives us something to build on.”

Newburgh - Warrender, Rogerson, Millar, Meaney, Brocklebank, F Wilson, Connolly, J Wilson, Foy, Wood (Lumsden 45), Tabengwa.

This weekend the side makes the journey to meet Coupar Angus.

• Newburgh Juniors remain on the hunt for a new manager.

Current boss Alan Fortune has already informed the club’s committee of his intention to stand down from the position but will stay with the side until a replacement is found.

A club statement said: “The committee respect Alan’s decision and would like to record our thanks to him in the work he has put into the squad and also for offering to assist with the running of the team until a suitable replacement can be found.”

For more information on the manager position, please, e-mail the club at [email protected] or call 07516 625033.