Musselburgh Athletic went into last Saturday’s match with Sauchie in great form, with 10 wins in 11 outings – they hadn’t drawn a game since 20 September when under caretaker management they shared two goals at Penicuik Athletic.

Sauchie arrived at Olive Bank just a place behind their hosts in the Superleague table, having accrued four points fewer but with two games more played.

Home boss Stevie McLeish made two changes to the eleven who’d started at Stoneyburn a week earlier, with recalls for Michael Hunter and Steven Thomson – Ecky Christie and Jed Davie dropped to the bench.

The game started in open fashion with both sides creating chances early on – Sauchie were first to threaten when Diack attempted an ambitious overhead kick, while Hunter had Burgh’s first effort though it was a harmless one. Another Diack effort from distance sailed over Ally Adams’ crossbar, then Hunter again for the hosts put a shot wide from a Graham Beveridge cross.

On 13 minutes the visitors went in front – Kelly was brought down in the box by Burgh’s on-loan Airdrieonians defender Robert Wilson and Cummings stepped up to send his spot kick past Adams.

Sauchie were looking good at this point and a couple of minutes later Kelly put a shot over the bar after a strong run down the right. Musselburgh were far from firing on all cylinders and their luck in front of goal was out, with Thomson shooting wide and the usually clinical Jordyn Sheerin spurning a chance with a fresh air shot.

Sauchie extended their lead on 28 minutes following a short corner, Syme taking advantage of home skipper Brian Martin’s failure to clear by forcing the ball home.

In the first half’s later stages Burgh started to see a bit more of the ball, with Darren Smith in the centre of midfield an influential figure with some telling passes – from one such pass nearing the break he found Lewis Turner, who was unfortunate not to score with Harkness in the Sauchie goal bringing off a fine save. The visitors held their two goal lead at the interval, increasing the possibility Burgh would fail to win at home for the first time since Lochee United beat them 2-1 on August 23.

The wind was strengthening as the second half got under way and this favoured Burgh, who attacked from the outset. Sheerin mis-headed in front of goal from a Thomson corner but wasn’t disheartened, forcing Harkness into another good stop on 51 minutes with an excellent strike.

Within a minute, however, the hosts were a man down, Turner picking up a second booking shortly after his first, the referee of the view he’d dived under the challenge of a Sauchie defender as he’d been about to shoot from a good position on the right.

This looked to damage further the Musselburgh cause, but keeper Adams kept them in things with a string of good saves from Kelly, Diack and Samuel as Sauchie sought to kill the game off.

With 19 minutes left to play, Sheerin’s 27th goal of the season raised Burgh hopes, his curling shot finding the net to most people’s surprise given its lack of pace – it was reckoned keeper Harkness must’ve been unsighted.

Sheerin brought another save from the keeper minutes later, then with nine minutes left he drew his side level from the penalty spot after the ref judged Sauchie defender McCulloch had handled in the box.

Hunter had a chance to steal the victory five minutes later but Harkness was equal to his headed effort, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw – Musselburgh’s McLeish will have been the happier of the two managers all things considered.

This wasn’t one of Burgh’s best performances and it’s hoped they’ll show improvement tomorrow away to Lochee United, who’ve found points hard to come by since their early season win in East Lothian.

The following Saturday, Burgh are back at Olive Bank for their Scottish Junior Cup quarter final tie against either Penicuik Athletic or Arthurlie, who meet in Midlothian tomorrow.