IN TERRIFIC form after seven successive victories, Musselburgh Athletic travelled on Saturday aiming to make it eight in a row against Broxburn Athletic, not so long ago above their visitors in the Superleague table but now trailing Stevie McLeish’s men by nine points.
Burgh were on a high following their defeat of Linlithgow Rose a fortnight ago and, despite the absence of Brian Martin, John Hall, Scott Gibson and Kevin McLeish, they were hopeful of overcoming Broxburn’s challenge – the West Lothian outfit also had several players missing.
Albyn Park is an artificial surface but that held no fears for Burgh, who had won on the new pitch at Kelty just a fortnight earlier.
Broxburn’s Anderson found himself in a good position just two minutes in but John Dodds in the Burgh goal came out to smother his shot and, with five minutes on the clock, his team were in front.
Sean Paliczka was allowed time and space to deliver a cross which found the waiting Jamieson, who rose to head the ball past home keeper Maley.
Chances came and went at either end but a second Jamieson counter on 21 minutes, his 18th of the season, gave Musselburgh something of a cushion. The big frontman used his head again, getting on the end of a corner from the right to flick the ball past Maley, who had come off his line to try and punch it clear.
Broxburn were left playing second fiddle for most of the remainder of the first half, with Maley called into action several times to ensure the visitors didn’t extend their lead. Anderson fired over the bar for the hosts with five minutes of the first half remaining when he might have done better, but Burgh held on to their 2-0 advantage until the interval.
The visitors maintained their lead throughout most of the second half without too much difficulty. Broxburn were a little more urgent in their play but the Musselburgh defence coped with them ably and it was they who looked for long spells likelier to claim the game’s third goal. Substitute Jed Davie came very close to putting the result beyond doubt but his fiercely struck shot flew just wide.
Burgh did have a slightly nervier ending to the game after Anderson scored from the penalty spot with barely a couple of minutes left – it proved no more than a consolation, though, and so the Olive Bank men extended their winning streak to an impressive eight games.
Eighteen points gained in six league outings have hoisted Musselburgh upwards to the point they now share top spot with Penicuik Athletic, and have a game in hand.
Attention turns this Saturday to the Scottish Junior Cup, a competition of course in which Burgh have excelled in recent seasons. They travel west in confident mood to face Petershill in a third-round tie, on the Glasgow side’s much-criticised pitch, another of the artificial variety.
Petershill sit second from bottom of the West Superleague table and were thumped 5-1 last week by leaders Pollok – they’ll nonetheless be tough opponents, as shown in their knocking out Newtongrange Star in the last round. Manager McLeish and a few of his players are familiar with the pitch, having played tenants Rossvale there in January this year.