Superleague football returned to Olive Bank last Wednesday night when Burgh hosted their first competitive match at the old ground since May 30 – their last victory there came on May 6 with a 5-4 win over Armadale Thistle, after which they failed to win their final four home games.

Stevie McLeish’s men had started their 2015/16 campaign four days earlier with a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Carnoustie Panmure, while visitors Penicuik had been held to a 2-2 draw at home by Broxburn Athletic. McLeish made five changes to his starting XI, with recalls handed to Ecky Christie, Brian Martin, Gary Hamilton and John Hall, the latter making his competitive debut, as was youngster Jack Bruce.

Musselburgh started promisingly with a series of early corners, while their visitors had three decent efforts on goal over the course of the opening 10 minutes. In a good open contest, Burgh’s seventh corner came a couple of minute short of the half-hour mark and when Steven Thomson laid the ball back to Kevin McLeish the ex-Bonnyrigg man hit a super strike goalwards, but Penicuik keeper Beaujoui brought off a terrific save. Thomson threatened the visitors’ goal again before veteran Cuikie defender White had to head the ball off the line, and Beaujoui was in action again when he was equal to a Sean Jamieson strike.

Little more than a minute later, Penicuik went in front when Montgomery hammered the ball home at the second time of asking, his initial effort having been blocked. Five minutes later, though, Burgh were level; Thomson, taking advantage of Penicuik players focusing on the berating of an assistant referee over a contentious decision, hit an angled shot which came back off the base of the back post – Martin was well-placed to bury the rebound.

Hamilton headed the ball off the Burgh goal line following a Penicuik corner, but the visitors went on to restore their lead with 49 minutes played when Somerville headed in from a cross delivered by one-time Olive Bank man Keith Barr. Penicuik had the better of the chances overall in the second half but it took them until 10 minutes remaining to go two goals up. Martin’s second goal of the game in injury time reduced the deficit but it came too late for Burgh and Penicuik collected all three points.

There was no time to dwell on defeat as Hill of Beath Hawthorn visited the Honest Toun less than 70 hours later for the third game of the Superleague season. The Haws arrived in East Lothian with no points from their opening two games, the same as their hosts, and with games between these teams usually tight affairs it looked a tough one to call, particularly so given both are in the process of rebuilding.

Kick-off was delayed by half an hour due to traffic issues affecting the visitors’ arrival, and when play did get under way there were few incidents deserving of mention over the course of a goalless first half. Just five minutes into the second half, however, the Fifers took the lead when a corner to the back post was headed in by McKenzie – the same player doubled their lead just two minutes later when he ran on to an inviting through ball and rolled the ball past Jackson.

Burgh couldn’t recover from the setback of conceding two goals in quick succession, and the afternoon’s frustrations were compounded when Jackie Myles was red-carded for a bad challenge. It was a first win for new Haws’ boss Bobby Wilson, who took over in the summer after the retirement of legend Jock Finlayson, in charge for the previous 40 years.

On Wednesday night, Musselburgh faced another stern test at Newtongrange Star but succeeded in picking up the first win of the season, 1-0.

Tomorrow they’re away again, to Sauchie Juniors.