St Andrews United see off Camelon Juniors 2-1 to boost East of Scotland League first division promotion bid
In the wake of the result, Camelon parted company with manager Gordon Wylde, who had fielded a team with five members of the Syngenta side which had lost at The Clayton Caravan Park Recreation Ground last season.
United’s defensive injury crisis meant Ross Cunningham, Reece Redpath and Cammy Lumsden were all missing so Tobias Davies-Browne joined Saints on loan from Dundee in time to make his debut from the start.
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Hide AdThe first chance fell to Camelon but Davies-Browne was in the right place to deflect Scott Sinclair's header past Calum Brodie's left-hand post.
Sinclair also tested Brodie with a snap shot a few moments later and it was then Saints who took the lead in the 33rd minute when Scott Reekie lashed home a great shot from 25 yards following a terrific passing move.
The hosts moved further ahead three minutes later when Gregg Wylde clearly fouled Lewis Payne inside the box and top scorer Lewis Sawers stepped up to score from the penalty spot with a low shot straight down the middle.
Payne was then unlucky with an effort which was blocked in the 45th minute and it was 2-0 at half-time, with Raeside swapping Davies-Browne for James Collins for the start of the second half.
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Hide AdCamelon pulled a goal back in the 68th minute when Declan Fitzpatrick beat Brodie from a rebound after a period of sustained pressure.
Raeside thus made further changes when Ryan Dignan and Dave Shields replaced Sawers and Payne respectively but the home fans would endure a nervy end to the game.
Collins almost eased the pressure with a shot which went narrowly over, before Roche, Reekie and Sneddon did extremely well to protect Brodie's goal.
St Andrews United under-20s won 3-2 against Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts in the Development League Cup quarter-finals on Friday. Trailing to Keiran Bundy’s opener, goals by James Hennessy (2) and Ethan Hemmings put United 3-1 up before Bundy pulled one back.
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