Dunbar United’s 11th fixture of the season appeared likely to most junior football observers to result in a comfortable home win, with Pumpherston having shipped goals in considerable numbers this season.

Seasiders boss Geoff Jones was without centre-half Darryl Wilson after he suffered a bad injury at West Calder the previous week, and Shaun Hill and Sam Gatt were both unavailable – top scorer Sam Young, however, was back after missing four games while in Australia.

There were strong winds swirling around New Countess Park as the game got under way; Dunbar, though, coped better and it came as no shock when they took the lead five minutes in, Chris Grant heading home a Stevie Ferguson corner. Two minutes later, Young made it 2-0 with the simplest of tap-ins, John Twaddle having done the spadework.

Kevin Carter ought to have headed in a third but directed the ball wide, and Pumpherston kept plugging away, pulling a goal back midway through the first half when Downie beat Kieran Beveridge from 20 yards.

Grant and Danny Taylor forced saves from Hunter in the Pumpherston goal, and Dunbar’s two-goal advantage was soon restored. Ferguson linked up well with Liam McFarlane and the young defender claimed his first goal for the club with a glorious left-foot strike from outside the box.

It was nearly all Dunbar in an attacking sense, and a series of corners culminated in their fourth goal from captain Steven Tait a few minutes before the break, giving them a 4-1 interval lead which in no way flattered them.

The second half was just two minutes old when left-back Kevin Morrison claimed his first Dunbar goal direct from a corner kick. Six minutes later, Young made it six, turning his marker and firing home from 10 yards after Grant Thomson sent a low cross into the box.

The visiting keeper produced a double save to deny first Young then Twaddle, but he was beaten for a seventh time with 57 minutes on the clock. Ferguson was the goalscorer this time, leaving Hunter rather embarrassed – spotting the veteran off his line, he launched the ball goalwards from almost the halfway line, finding the top corner for a spectacular goal.

The pressure on the visitors’ goal faded for a time after this as manager Jones made changes, bringing on Jamie Burstow and Gary McCormack as they continued injury comebacks. Beveridge in the home goal had to pull off a great save to prevent Pumpherston’s second goal, but it was only delayed as Downie scored with nine minutes left to make it 7-2. Within two minutes, McCormack turned in a corner at the back post, but the visitors were to net the last of the afternoon’s 11 goals when Chris Hunter grabbed their third in injury time.

Dunbar can anticipate a considerably tougher 90 minutes on Saturday when they venture to the Barrhead home of West Region Superleague outfit Arthurlie for a Scottish Junior Cup second-round tie. They achieved a famous third-round victory over the same opponents at home last November. Arturlie are close to the foot of the West’s top table again this year, and recently changed manager, but with home advantage they start as favourites.