Dunbar United travelled to West Lothian on Saturday looking to pick up three points against an improved Pumpherston, and forget the frustration of the very late postponement of their East of Scotland Cup tie at Camelon a week earlier.

Arithmetically, the Seasiders could yet lay claim to the second South Division promotion spot but realistically it would take a most unlikely sequence of events for that to happen – nonetheless, manager Geoff Jones was keen to see his team finish their season on a high, and with 15 points still to play for Dunbar had the opportunity to better their highest South Division points tally of 48, achieved in 2011/12.

Jones made three changes to the XI who’d lined up at the start of their 6-4 win at Harthill in their previous outing – Kevin Morrison, Jamie Burstow and Danny Taylor replacing Ross Cowan, Shaun Hill and John Twaddle.

As elsewhere across the Lothians, the wind factor was not insignificant at Recreation Park, but that didn’t prevent Dunbar from taking the lead inside the third minute – Taylor’s cross hit home defender Butler on the head and the ball was diverted into the net.

Steven Tait wasn’t far off minutes later as the Seasiders began to take control, though Shave also shot just wide for Pumpherston. After this it was mostly Dunbar doing the attacking, with Chris Grant, Morrison, Burstow and Sam Young all almost adding a second goal for the visitors, while Lawrie hit the side netting in a rare Pumpherston foray forward. Connor Wood in the Dunbar goal was up to the task when he was called upon to avert the danger after Reece Cochrane was short with a header back to his keeper.

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, Dunbar deservedly doubled their lead through skipper Steven Tait, who received an inch-perfect pass from Andrew Common before advancing confidently to shoot low past veteran home keeper Hunter. Tait had another opening before the break, as did top scorer Young, but the Seasiders had to be satisfied with a two-goal lead at half-time, though it could easily have been more.

Dunbar could have gone three up in the 48th minute after Grant was fouled in the home penalty area by defender McKenzie, but Young’s spot kick was well saved by Hunter. An element of frustration crept into Dunbar’s play, their players feeling they ought to have been comfortably in front – as it was, Ross Colquhoun had to intervene with a timely challenge to deny Shave a goalscoring opportunity.

Hunter kept his team in it with saves from Young and Grant but the Seasiders’ third goal finally materialised in the 63rd minute when sub Cowan, on for the injured Cochrane, linked up with well with Young to allow the latter to turn and fire home his 32nd goal of the season. The striker could have had another two minutes later but a bad bobble impacted on things.

With 15 minutes left, Pumpherston were left with 10 men after McKenzie picked up his second booking and Dunbar controlled the game as it wound down. Cowan hit the post with four minutes left but the three points were already secure.

Dunbar make the trip to Camelon on Saturday for a second time in three weeks, having been victims of a late postponement a fortnight ago. Camelon aren’t having the best of times at present and lost 4-1 at Hill of Beath Hawthorn last Saturday – there’s no reason for the Seasiders to be overawed in any sense.