15/03/08 - League Match, Lochore Welfare 3 v 2 Newburgh

Following the previous games dissapointment at Jeanfield, Newburgh travelled to Lochore to try and get back to winning ways. The game started well for Newburgh with Stuart Cargill missing an open goal after just 5 minutes. The on-form striker was left red faced when he made bad connection with the goal at his mercy. However, 25 minutes later Cargill managed to redeem himself after great work from Cumbie Bowers on the right. Cargill latched onto Bowers fine cross and made it 1-0 to Newburgh. It was a scappy first half and not one for the spectators but the sides went in 1-0 at half-time. The second half started much like the first with both sides battling it out in the middle of the pitch and not much football being played. After 60 minutes an innocent ball into the box was dropped by Martyn Melia and the ball squirmed through his legs and into the net to make it 1-1. That was the second error in two games for Melia who has been playing so well for the rest of the matches. Newburgh only took 10 minutes to respond to the set-back as substitute Darren Riddick released Cumbie Bowers down the left. Cumbie steadied himself to despatch a rocket in the top left hand corner of the net. That was Cumbie's ninth of the season and he certainly knows where the goals are. However, Newburgh again managed to press the self-destruct button and an innocent ball, high into the Newburgh box looked under control until Scott Reilly came charging into Jim Davis and the Lochore striker. The referee pointed to the spot and Lochore were level again at 2-2. Within 5 minutes of Lochore's equaliser they were in front when a scramble in the box was toe poked home and the game was over. The Newburgh management were left fuming after this self-destructing performance.

08/03/08 - League Match, Jeanfield Swifts 2 v 1 Newburgh

This important league match saw Paddy Kelly and Davie Blackwood returning to the squad and Newburgh knew that this was a must-win game. The game started very well for the Burgh and they bombarded Jeanfield for the whole first half. However, Jeanfield looked dangerous when they did venture forward and they managed to get the opener on one such occasion. A ball in behind Stuart Gray at right back released the Jeanfield winger, from the bye line he hit a tame shot that squirmed under the unfortunate Martyn Melia in the Newburgh goal. A rare blunder from the Newburgh keeper and it was very costly. The sides went in 1-0 at half-time but Newburgh came out just as strong in the second half, again chance after chance was created and Newburgh just couldn't get the equaliser. Then out of the blue Jeanfield broke just over the half way line, with no support the Jeanfield player had a go from 40 yards and it lobbed over Melia and went in off the underside of the bar. It was definitely Jeanfield's day and although Newburgh pulled one back through Stuart Cargill and Kris Reilly was denied by the inside of the post, it ended 2-1 and Jeanfield went above Newburgh in the table.

01/03/08 - Maloco Cup Match, Jeanfield Swifts 5 v 1 Newburgh

After a convincing 8-0 victory in their previous match Newburgh travelled to Jeanfield full of confidence. The only change from the previous week was youngster John Dickie making way for Kevin Stoddart. Last week's hat-trick hero Cumbie Bowers had to make do with a place on the bench. Very little can be said about the match as a spectacle. The high winds made good football imposible and Jeanfield adapted far better to go in at half-time 1-0 in front. Stuart Cargill had a few chances in the first half but Newburgh did little to impress in the first 45 minutes. 5 minutes into the second half saw Newburgh forced into a change with Jim Davis being withdrawn with a groin injury before things went from bad to worse. Every time Jeanfield went forward they seemed to score and it was 5-0 before too long. Substitute Kris Reilly hit both posts for Newburgh before Gordon Hunter pulled back a consolation goal from the penalty spot but it was a dismal day for all involved with Newburgh.

23/02/08 - League Match, Newburgh 8 v 0 Steelend Vics

Newburgh had to re-shufle their squad coming into this match wit Davie Blackwood and Barry Ritchie joining the long injury list. However, the players that got a chance took it with both hands in a fantastic display. Stuart Cargill was given his chance to get back into the team along with fit-again Stuart Gray and both players made immediate impacts. From the first whistle Newburgh bombarded the Steelend goal and chance after chance was missed or saved. It took a fantatic solo run from right winger Scott Reilly to eventually break the deadlock and it was well worth the wait for Scott Reilly's secon of the season. He cut in from the right beating 3 players before despatching hs shot past the keeper. 1-0 was the half-time scre but to be honest, it really flattered Steelend. The second half started at a frantic pace and after 10 minutes top scorer, Cumbie Bowers, was given a chance to regan his starting slot. He took it and scored a quick fire hat-trick joined by Stuart Cargill's 2 goals and a goal from the impressive new centre half, Jim Davis. However, the eighth and best of th game was left until last. Left Back, Barry Smith, travelled out of defence with he ball and across the half-way line before unleasing a shot from fully 35 yards into the top corner. 8-0 did not flater Newburgh who hi the woodwork and forced the Stelend keeper into several fantastic saves. Martyn Melia, Gordon Hunter, Jim Davis, Stuart Gray and Barry Smith are the first keeper and defence to keep a clean sheet for Newburgh this season and they were solid. Sam Buchan and Colin Potter dominated the game in the middle of the park and the wide players terrorised the Steelend defence, Special praise must go to man-of-the-match Stuart Cargill, who absolutely ran the game for 90 minutes.

16/02/08 - League Match, Newburgh 2 v 2 Scone Thistle

After a good performance against promotion favourites, Ballingry, in the previous match, Newburgh welcomed Scone Thistle to East Shore Park with anticipation that this game could kick-start a push up the table. Paddy Kelly, Kris Reilly and Dean Cunningham were all missing from last week but Jim Davis and new signing Rikki Wells made their debuts. Captain, Colin Potter returned after missing a couple of matches and found a place on the bench. Newburgh started the game reasonably well and took the lead after 10 minutes when John Dickie broke through on the Scone keeper and showed great composure to put Newburgh ahead 1-0. Scone have a great strength in their towering striker and they continuously missed out the midfield in their long ball through to him. Crosses were always a danger throughout the half and in a scrappy 35 minutes after the goal, both sides struggled to get the ball down and play. Scone's tactics seemed the better and a few crosses saw the big striker hit the post and the bar. After a poor first half from both sides the crowd were looking for a better second half display. Unfortunately, they were treated to the same scrappy football that they saw in the first half. Colin Potter made an impact when he was introduced and he did try to play football but Scone's long ball tactics seemed to take over and Newburgh again launched the ball back at them. After 15 minutes of the second half a ball was swung in by the Scone right back and the big striker pounced to make it 1-1. A has happened so often this season, the goal seemed to wake up Newburgh and they began to attack Scone, often through the impressive Sam Buchan. After 25 minutes of the second half Sam raced onto a fantastic through ball from substitute, Stuart Cargill. He rounded the keeper and made the score 2-1 to Newburgh. After the goal Newburgh created several goal scoring opportunities but the ball just wouldn't go in. After 35 minutes Newburgh were made to pay when another cross from the Scone right back was headed home by Scone's big striker. Newburgh huffed and puffed for the last ten minutes and a fantastic run by Sam Buchan was halted in the box by a crunching foul, the referee let play go on and Stuart Cargill scored only for it to be chopped off for offside and no penalty given. Over 90 minutes a draw was probably a fair result. Newburgh will climb a couple of league places but they will know that this was a game that they should have one.

09/02/08 - League Match, Newburgh 0 v 2 Ballingry

It was pleasing to get back to action after over a month without a game. Newburgh welcomed undefeated league leaders Ballingry for the first match of 2008. Highly rated 16 year old, John Dickie, was making his Newburgh debut after signing a 2 1/2 year deal that same day. Craig Ness, Colin Ramsay, Robin Adair, Darren Duffy and Colin Hodge were all missing through long-term injuries. Jim Davis was unavailable due to the terms of his loan deal from Ballingry and Stuart Gray was only fit enough to make the bench. In midfield, Captain Colin Potter, was unavailable, although new signing John Dickie made his debut. 2 of the Newburgh under 17 squad made the bench to boulster the injury hit Newburgh squad. Newburgh started badly and a new shape seemed to be causing a few teething problems for the defence. After only 7 minutes Ballingry capitalised as Paddy Kelly mis-timed a through ball and the Ballingry striker raced clear to make the score 1-0. The goal seemed to spring Newburgh to life and all of sudden things began to click. Newburgh began to get their foot on the ball and the passing seemed crisp and sharp. As Newburgh began to come into the ascendency they were hit by a sucker punch after 30 minutes. A soft free-kick was given away by Captain, Gordon Hunter, and a fantastic effort was despatched into the top right hand corner. 2-0 flattered Ballingry and that was how the sides went in at half-time. The management changed the formation to a 4-4-2 at half-time and replaced the booked holding midfielder Kris Reilly for the striker Kevin Stoddart. Stoddart immediately made an impact in the second half and Ballingry found it difficult to cope with him alongside Cumbie Bowers. In midfield debutant John Dickie was putting in some excellent crosses and Davie Blackwood and Sam Buchan were dominating the centre. Newburgh's defence were also on top for the second half and Ballingry were finding it very difficult to got onto the ball. Newburgh couldn't find the goal that would really rock Ballingry and several efforts were stopped by the impressive Ballingry keeper. In the end Newburgh couldn't capitalise on their superiority and the game ended 2-0. It was encouraging stuff for the Newburgh support and manager, Kevin Huskie, was happy with the performance if not the result.

29/12/07 - Redwood Leisure Cup, Arbroath 4 v 1 Newburgh

After an excellent result in their last game the Newburgh side were full of confidence heading into the away match against Arbroath. Unfortunately, due to the Christmas holidays the squad was more than depleted with only 11 players available and the manager and goalkeeping coach on the bench. Taking all of that into account, Newburgh started the match the better of the two sides. However, after 15 minutes a Gordon Hunter mistake was pounced on by Arbroath and it was 1-0. Newburgh immediately hit back when Stuart Cargill volleyed a Sam Buchan cross in from 15 yards. Just before the break a Roy Ness slip, in the Newburgh goal, let Arbroath in to make it 2-1. Newburgh came out after halftime after some stern words from their manager and they huffed and puffed without really creating any chances. Disaster struck mid-way through the half when Roy Ness made another error to let in North end for number 3. Newburgh were in self distruct mode and with no subs to make any changes Huskie changed the formation to a 3 man attack. However, as the end neared Arbroath hit Newburgh on the counter to make the scoreline 4-1 to the home side. Newburgh were hopeful coming into this match but injuries and holidays left them with a mountain to climb. With Craig Ness and Stuart Gray coming back from injury and Jim Davis coming in on loan from Ballingry it looks as if the squad will be well boulstered for the new year.

15/12/07 - East of Scotland Cup, Newburgh 2 v 2 Dundee North End (Newburgh win 4-3 on penalties)

Following last weeks dissapointing result at the hands of Ballingry Newburgh were looking to bounce back against a team from the Premier league. Dundee North End were hot favourites coming into this game and would have fully expected to brush aside lower league opposition. Newburgh were much changed from the side that faced Ballingry. A new formation saw Hunter drop back into defence alongside one of the only players to impress against Ballingry, Colin Potter. Paddy Kelly joined Davie Blackwood in midfield and Dean Cunningham got his chance to join the impressive Cumbie Bowers in attack. Cunningham and Bowers looked very good together from the start of this match and Kelly and Blackwood were dominating the midfield battle. North End quickly realised that this would not be a walk-over as Newburgh squandered several clear chances, including miss of the season from young Dean Cunningham. Eventually, Cumbie Bowers netted the hardest chance of the match when he ran past 2 North end players before firing the ball low into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. That was Bowers 4rth goal in his last 4 matches and he is looking like a real star now. Just before the Interval North End drew level against the run of play and the sides went in level at half-time. A confident Newburgh side started the second half on the attack again and after only 7 minutes Sam Buchan picked up the ball on the half-way line. Buchan went past, one, two, three, four North End players with ease before firing the ball into the corner from outside the box. A fantastic goal from Buchan and surely a contender for goal of the season. Newburgh looked in control for the remainder of the match until a 35 yard strike from nowhere brought the game into penalities. Nothing seemed to be happening before the North End player let loose with his pile driver and the scores were level. Craig Ness' miss saw North End go into their second last penalty at 3-3 with Newburgh only one left to take. A fantastic tip onto the post saw Roy Ness save his brothers blushes and then in the final penalty Ness dived to the corner to make another unbelieveable save and send Newburgh through into the next round. A fantastic win for Newburgh.

08/12/07 - League Match, Ballingry 6 v 0 Newburgh

A strong Newburgh squad were decimated at the hands of undefeated Ballingry in this match. Newburgh did try to play football and Cumbie Bower's pace caused problems in the first half as the half ended 2-0 to Ballingry. The second half was much like the first with Ballingry looking so much sharper than Newburgh and only a squandered one-on-one miss from Cumbie Bowers gave any hope to the away side. 6-0 probably flattered Ballingry but they were worthy winners and Newburgh will have learned a lot from this defeat.

01/12/07 - League Match, Newburgh 2 v 1 Luncarty

Newburgh had gone 8 games without a win coming into this match and they badly needed a win to stop their descent in the league, after a very strong start. However, signs were good before the match, Kris Reilly and Paddy Kelly returned to the squad and only Gray, Ramsay, Hodge and Higgins remained on the treatment table. Finally Huskie had decisions to make regarding his starting eleven and the side that took to the pitch proved their selection. One way traffic in the first half saw constant Newburgh attacking and constant squandered chances. Cumbie Bowers impressed again with his pace and work-rate but he was guilty of a few missed chances. Cargill was terrorising Luncarty and only the woodwork stopped him putting Newburgh ahead. Finally after 30 minutes Newburgh took the lead through a fantastic Cumbie Bowers run and finish. However, Luncarty's second effort of the half saw them draw level, 5 minutes before the interval. Yet another half-time roasting for missed chances saw Newburgh fly out the of traps after the break and they again hit the woodwork and forced the Luncarty side into goal line clearances and last gasp defending. With the game drawing to an end Robin Adair broke down the right flank and his pin-point cross found Cumbie Bowers in the box to net his 3rd goal in his last 2 appearances and give Newburgh all 3 points.

24/11/07 - Fife & Lothians 2nd Round, Newburgh 2 v 2 Broxburn (Broxburn win 7-6 on penalties)

A tough tie in the Fife and Lothians saw Newburgh face a high flying Broxburn side. They had defeated Thornton Hibs in the first round and their impressive league form meant that they came to Newburgh as favourites to despatch the home side with ease. Newburgh had a few familiar faces in the stands for this game as Paddy Kelly, Stuart Gray, Colin Ramsay were getting closer to match fitness. Newburgh were hit with a sucker punch after 5 minutes when a set piece was headed home. However, for the early part Newburgh were the better side with Cumbie Bowers causing real problems with his pace behind the Broxburn defence. Gordon Hunter, Davie Blackwood and Stuart Cargill dominated the midfield and the football was flowing for Newburgh. A cruel second goal hit Newburgh just before half -time when another set-piece was badly defended and Roy Ness had no chance in the Newburgh goal. After a real grilling at half-time Newburgh came out of the traps flying and an early goal from the impressive Cumbie Bowers gave the side hope that they could come back to win this match. Hunter, Blackwood and Cargill continued to impress in the midfield and Cargill got his reward with 15 minutes to go. Bowers pressured the Broxburn keeper into a rushed clearance and it fell to Cargill 35 yards from goal. They youngster flicked the ball up and volleyed it into the top corner for his second goal in as many matches and it sent the tie into penalties. A long penalty contest followed with Ness and the Broxburn keeper saving 1 each and another 1 being blasted over by either side. In the end it fell to Davie Blackwood who sent the keeper the wrong way but his kick came back of the post. A cruel exit for Newburgh but they were very impressive at times during this match.

17/11/07 - League Match, Bankfoot 2 v 1 Newburgh

New sigining Roy Ness made his debut in this game after completing a move from Lochgelly a couple of days before. Even with the injury list still boasting some of Newburgh's top players, this match should have been bread and butter for Newburgh. However, the worst referee in the league made it his days work to ruin this match as a spectacle, and cost Newburgh an important 3 points. A first half cruise saw Newburgh miss numerous chances, and head in at half time with the scores level at 0-0. The second half saw Newburgh bombard the Bankfoot goal, and with 3 strikers on, it was only a matter of time before Bankfoot's resistance would crumble. With 20 minutes gone substitute, Darren Duffy, layed the ball into Stuart Cargill's path and the youngster despatched it into the top corner to make it 1-0 Newburgh. Cargill was making his first start for the club since joining on loan from East Fife. Newburgh continued to press and the game looked over as a contest until the referee decided to make his impact on the game. Firstly he sent off 19 year old Sam Buchan. Nobody could understand why because it was a fifty-fifty tackle that Sam pulled out of and the opponent continued with the ball. Even Bankfoot seemed bemused. Then he awarded a free-kick every time Newburgh seemed to have possession, allowing Bankfoot to equalise in the process. His next act was sending off Newburgh captain Colin Potter after he was punched in the head by a Bankfoot substitute. To finish it off Bankfoot then went up and scored the winner. Even Newburgh manager Kevin Huskie was sent to the dressing room in this unbelievable match.

03/11/07 - Scottish Cup 2nd Round, Newburgh 1 v 3 Arniston Rangers

The Scottish Cup is always a good break from League duties and a tough home tie against Premier League side Arniston Rangers was Newburgh's first Scottish Cup match of the season. Paddy Kelly and Scott Reilly returned to the squad from injury, although their returns proved brief and Barry Ritchie and Kevin McCreadie were unavailable. That meant that Newburgh were without 8 players coming into this match and Manager, Kevin Huskie, had to put himself on the bench. Dundonald legend Darren Duffy joined the club just prior to kick-off and he started in place of McCreadie. Scott Reilly broke down during the warm-up, forcing Paddy Kelly to start at right back. The first 20 minutes was pretty dull with both sides probing for weaknesses but nothing really showing in either side. After 20 minutes Paddy Kelly and Darren Duffy had to be withdrawn through injury and with three strikers on the bench, Manager, Kevin Huskie, slotted in at right back for his first match in 1 year and Kevin Stoddart went upfront. The make-shift Newburgh side were then put under severe pressure and for a 20 minute spell they collapsed letting Arniston score 3 goals and to be honest it could have been more. When the half-time whistle went it was met by relief from all Newburgh fans and players. At half time Huskie managed to re-organise, putting Cumbie Bowers in at right back and Kevin Stoddart on the right wing with himself upfront. The changes worked and Newburgh started at a ferocious pace. Chance after chance fell and Huskie missed a great opportunity by firing wide. Then after 20 minutes of the second half Newburgh pulled one back through Barry Smith as he took a chance in behind the Arniston defence. After 20 minutes Huskie was clearly fouled in the box and only the referee didn't think it was a penalty. Still Newburgh pressed and tried to get another goal but in the end it was too little too late for the East Shore side. The match ended 3-1 to Arniston and Newburgh manager Kevin Huskie has vowed to strengthen this week before league duty re-commenses at Crossgates next week.

27/10/07 - League Match, Newburgh 0 v 4 St Andrews Utd

Newburgh's injury problems continued in the build up to the local derby match. Newburgh went into this game still missing the injured Colin Ramsay, Tony Higgins, Rabbie Sellar, Scott Reilly and Colin Hodge; Paddy Kelly declared himself fit before the match but Stuart Gray was sidelined through injury. The first half was quite evenly contested, with both sides squandering chances and St Andrews taking the lead through a goalmouth scramble. The sides went in at half-time expecting a tough second half. However, injuries to Paddy Kelly and Barry Smith meant that they couldn't continue for the second half so Newburgh's patch-work team were further depleted. The second half was a dis-jointed performance by Newburgh and St Andrews took advantage, scoring a further 3 goals to make the score-line 4-0. Newburgh's worst performace of the season was the worst possible warm-up for next weeks Scottish Cup 2nd round match against Arniston Rangers.

20/10/07 - League Match, Newburgh 2 v 2 Jeanfield Swifts

A depleted Newburgh side hosted Jeanfield Swifts for their seventh League match of the season. 3 wins and 3 losses so far was a decent start in comparison to last season and the performances had been very good throughout. Newburgh were missing the injured Colin Ramsay, Tony Higgins, Paddy Kelly, Rabbie Sellar, Scott Reilly and Colin Hodge; leaving only 3 outfield players on the bench. One plus point was that Kevin Stoddart returned to the squad after more than a month out, he was on the bench. Newburgh started this match with an attacking 4-3-3 formation, clearly hoping to attack Jeanfield from kick-off. However, although they started with all of the possession, the formation change took about 15 minutes to click and in that time Newburgh found themselves one goal down. The possession was mostly with Newburgh at the start of the game but time after time the final ball to the 3 strikers was short and possession was given away. After 7 minutes a Jeanfield counter down the right saw a cross into the box, Curran didn't come out and the Jeanfield striker seemed to head home unchallenged to make it 1-0. After a disjointed first 15 minutes Newburgh seemed to hold onto possession a lot more and the 3 strikers began to attack the Jeanfield defence, winning a series of corners and free-kicks. After 30 minutes Newburgh finally drew level. A great run and cross by Kevin McCreadie was handled in the area and big Gordon Hunter stepped up to calmly slot home the penalty. It was no more than Newburgh deserved and it seemed clear that they would now go on to win the game. Before the half was over Kris Reilly fired several shots at the Jeanfield goal but to no avail and the sides went in level. Colin Potter was fantastic in the first half for pulling the strings in the middle of the park for Newburgh, and the captain had Newburgh back onto the pitch about 5 minutes before Jeanfield, showing the players urgency to get back on with the game. The second half started much like the first with Newburgh having the bulk of possession but wasting it in the final third with the Dean Cunningham and Sam Buchan looking tired out wide. Again Jeanfield scored when it seemed like they weren't a threat at all. A corner was put into the six yard box and again a free header was despatched beyond Curran to make it 2-1 to Jeanfield. Newburgh immediately withdrew Dean Cunningham and replaced him with Kevin Stoddart and the little striker made an immediate impact by adding a new urgency and directness to the attack. After 70 minutes Newburgh's attacking brought them level after one of many goal mouth scrambles was only cleared to the impressive Kevin McCreadie and from the penalty spot he looped a header over the advancing keeper to make the score 2-2. Cumbie Bowers then replaced Sam Buchan as Newburgh pushed for the winning goal that their play had deserved. McCreadie came close, Hunter had a free header cleared off the line and Blackwood came close with a free-kick. Bowers then had 2 opportunities, a free header at the back post that he somehow put wide and then a shot from the penalty spot that he hit straight at the keeper. The game finished 2-2 and Newburgh will feel that they have dropped 2 points, but yet again produced an impressive performance that is leaving the Newburgh support very encouraged.

13/10/07 - League Match, Newburgh 0 v 2 Thornton Hibs

Before this match Newburgh had to deal with the loss of Right Midfielder, Scott Reilly and both right backs, Barry Ritchie and Robin Adair. Paddy Kelly replaced Reilly and left back, Barry Smith, covered in at right back. Other than that, Kevin Stoddart, Tony Higgins and Colin Hodge remained on the treatment table so 16 year old youth team players Kyle Lawrie and Adam Beattie made the bench. After 5 minutes of this match Newburgh were stunned by a goal from the Thornton captain. A harmless ball was cleared the the edge of the box and the central midfielder struck an unstopable shot from outside the box. The first half was dominated by Newburgh and Thornton rarely got forward. However, time after time the Thornton defence stood strong and dealt with everything that Newburgh threw at them. The sides went in at half time 1-0 to Thornton. The second half was more open as Newburgh tried to turn their dominance into serious opportunities but everytime they went forward the Thornton defence and keeper stood strong. A second half counter attack saw Thronton break down the left and the cross was met inside the six yard box by an un-marked striker to make the scoreline 2-0. Newburgh didn't deserve this and immediately Cumbie Bowers was added to the action and a 3-4-3 formation was adopted. Two clear one-on-one opportunites fell to Cumbie Bowers in the second half and both were passed up along with a header from Davie Blackwood that was well saved by the Thornton keeper. It ended 2-0 and Newburgh once again were rouing missed opportunites. This game saw two of the best footballing sides in the league battling it out and Newburgh will now look to bounce back agaist Jeanfield and turn their form into results.

09/10/07 - Friendly Match, Cupar Hearts 3 v 3 Newburgh

The Newburgh squad has now grown to 23 men, and although 2 of these players have been loaned out, it is still a substantial squad. This friendly was arranged to help improve the match fitness of some of Newburgh's injured players and to have a look at some of the newest signings. Cupar Hearts came into this match undefeated in their league with 8 wins and 1 draw to their name. They were defeated Scottish Cup finalists last season and they won 10-0 on Saturday to begin their attempt at winning the trophy this season. Taking all of these things into account the game was due to be a tough test for Newburgh. Kevin McCreadie and Stuart Gray were back in the squad, with Captain Colin Potter and Scott Reilly both being rested. First team players, McCreadie, Gray and Ramsay were all dropped to the bench and Rabbie Sellars, Dean Cunningham, Barry Smith and Cumbie Bowers were all given starts to try and improve on their match fitness. The first half was a poor spectacle with Newburgh taking the game too lightly and Cupar trying very hard but seeing no way through the Newburgh defence. When Newburgh did try to play they created some very good chances, the best of which fell to Cumbie Bowers who headed straight at the keeper from 6 yards. McCreadie, Gray and Ramsay replaced Bowers, Adair and Smith at half time as Newburgh looked to step it up a level. Instead it was Cupar who started the half quickest and a penalty was awarded after only 5 minutes as Ramsay was adjudged to have downed the big Cupar striker in the box. Infact it was a very soft penalty. Curran made a fantastic save from the spot kick but Cupar took the lead from the resulting corner. One was soon two as Cupar began to steamroll throw the lack-luster Newburgh midfield. Newburgh always seemed on top when they began to play football but Cupar just seemed to take the friendly a lot more seriously and wanted it more. McCreadie pulled one back for Newburgh on the hour before Cupar went straight up the park and scored their third. The third goal seemed to anger Newburgh and for the last 20 minutes they began to take the game a lot more seriously, driven on by the insperational Gordon Hunter, who seemed intent on not leaving Cupar with a defeat. Kevin McCreadie continued his fantastic scoring record for Newburgh as he added Newburgh's second with 10 minutes to go, then as the Cupar defence tried to play him offside McCreadie completed his second half hat-trick with a cheeky lob. 3-3 was a fair result for the match but it's probably the wake-up call that Newburgh needed going into a very big match this weekend. On a positive note, Rabbie Sellar and Dean Cunningham both contributed well in the match and both lasted over an hour. Stuart Gray returned from injury and worked hard in the second half and 15 year old youth starlet Calum Buist was given a run out for the first team.

06/10/07 - Kingdom Kegs Cup Match, Newburgh 0 v 2 Glenrothes

After an encouraging league start that saw Newburgh joint 3rd coming into this game, the club thought that an upset may not be out of the question as the club welcomed Super League side, Glenrothes, to East Shore Park. The league is most important to Newburgh this season and as such the management decided to rest Colin Ramsay for this match and give a chance to Barry Smith who has rejoined the club at Left back. Injuries also took their toll with Kevin McCreadie, Kevin Stoddart, Colin Hodge, Paddy Kelly, Stuart Gray and Tony Higgins all out through injury. New signing, Rabbie Sellar, had a place on the bench, alongside 16 year old youth starlet Jason Tierney. Barry Ritchie was brought back into the first team alongwith New signing Cumbie Bowers to replace the injured players. The game started very competatively with both teams testing each other and both defences standing firm. It was end to end stuff for the first 30 minutes and the game didn't seem to settle down. Then on the half hour mark the Glens broke down the right and sent a fantastic cross between the defence and the keeper for the striker to make it 1-0. A confident Newburgh didn't let this effect them and they began to attack Glenrothes for the rest of the half. Five minutes before the break Gordon Hunter's quick free-kick played through Scott Reilly for a one-on-one with the Glens keeper but his shot was well saved. 1-0 the sides went in at half time but Newburgh were buoyant and believed that they could get back into the game. The second half was just as competative and was probably edged by Newburgh. However, time after time they squandered opportunities and forced some great saves out of the Glens Keeper. With 10 minutes to go a Glenrothes counter attack made it 2-0 to Glenrothes and the game was over. Credit to Newburgh, they kept battling to the end and Dean Cunningham came close to pulling one back pulling out another good save from the Glenrothes keeper. The performance shows just how far Newburgh have come and the strength of the squad is now evident with so many injury problems. Next week it's back to league business as the club face rivals Thornton Hibs in what promises to be a very competative match at East Shore Park.

29/09/07 - League Match, Steelend Vics 3 v 4 Newburgh

2 wins and 2 defeats left Newburgh in joint fourth place coming into this match. Gordon Hunter had given the whole club a boost by signing mid-week to make his move from Dundonald Bluebell permanent. The season had started well and only one more victory would equal the same amount as the whole of last season. However, Steelend finished mid-table last season and boasted one of the strongest home records in the league. Steelend came into this match after a defeat in their last game and with a new manager in charge for his first game so the Steelend players were obviously out to prove something. Newburgh welcomed back Robin Adair to replace the unavailable Barry Ritchie at right back and fit again midfielder Davie Blackwood made his league debut for the club in place of the injured Paddy Kelly. Steelend started sharply and were off to a flyer when they broke through after 10 minutes to take the lead. Newburgh hadn't started but that seemed to give them the wake-up call that they needed and 5 minutes later Sam Buchan went on a run past 3 Steelend players before firing a shot past the Steelend keeper to make it 1-1. The rest of the half was end to end with Newburgh looking good on the ball but Steelend looking like they wanted the game more and constantly getting to 50-50s quicker. Five minutes before half-time Steelend took the lead again. The ball was clearly out for a goal kick but the referee waved play on and the resulting cross found a Steelend player in the box to make it 2-1. That was how it ended at the break with the home side worth their 2-1 lead. The second half was a different story with Steelend still looking sharp and eager but Newburgh began to play more and look a lot sharper. Ten minutes into the half Kevin McCreadie broke down the left wing and his cross found the Davie Blackwood in the box. His first time shot flew past the Steelend keeper to again bring Newburgh level. As Newburgh now sensed the victory disaster struck again; Steelend broke straight up the park and made it 3-2, much to the anger of the Newburgh management. Scott Reilly was then replaced by Rabbie Sellar and Cumbie Bowers replaced Captain, Colin Potter, as Newburgh went all out attack with 70 minutes gone. 2 minutes after his introduction, trialist Cumbie Bowers met a cross at the back post to make it 3-3, with his first touch of the game. Dean Cunningham then replaced Sam Buchan and Newburgh went in search of the winner. Dean Cunnigham came close as did Davie Blackwood as the Steelend keeper pulled off a string of fantastic saves the keep the scores level. However, in the 90th minute a free-kick was fired into the box and Davie Blackwood rose to flick the ball over the steelend keeper and into the net and make it 4-3 to Newburgh. It was an incredible match and definitely one for the nuetrals. Newburgh deserved their win in the end but Steelend had made them work hard for it. It was an impressive league debut for two goal Davie Blackwood and goalscoring trialist, Cumbie Bowers, signed after the match.

22/09/07 - League Match, Newburgh 1 v 2 Lochgelly

Coming off the back of a great victory against Scone, Newburgh faced their toughest test yet against another one of the league favourites. Lochgelly came into this match with a 100% record and Newburgh knew that they were in for a tough test. Central defender, Richard Milne, was sold to Dundonald Bluebell during the week and Gordon Hunter remained on trial at centre half after an impressive goal-scoring debut in his previous match. The only change from the previous weeks victory against Scone was the inclusion of Head Coach, Paddy Kelly, in the middle of the park to replace the unavailable Robin Adair. Within 5 minutes of the start Lochgelly took the lead. A corner was whipped in and the Lochgelly centre forward despatched his header to make it 1-0. This season's Newburgh side are up for a battle and they soon showed that they were up to the fight as they went in search of an equaliser. Sam Buchan terrorised down the left and the Newburgh midfield were completely on top. With 40 minutes gone Kevin McCreadie was played in with only the keeper to beat. McCreadie rocketed a shot past the keeper and into the top corner of the net to bring the sides in level at half time for his 4th goal in all competitions this season. Newburgh were first on the pitch for the second half and they seemed desperate to get the next 45 minutes started. The second half was all Newburgh as they went in search of a victory. Wave after wave of attack saw the woodwork struck and several fantastic saves coming from the Lochgelly keeper. Half-way through the half Kevin McCreadie rounded the keeper only to be denied by a goal-line clearance. Then the unthinkable happened. With 85 minutes gone a rare Lochgelly attack produced a goal. A ball into the box saw a scuffed shot trundle past the outstretched Jason Curran and into the bottom corner. It was a cruel blow for Newburgh who deserved more but were once again left to rue missed chances as the game ended 2-1 to the visitors.

15/09/07 - League Match, Scone 1 v 2 Newburgh

Newburgh travelled to Scone looking to bounce back from an undeserved defeat to Luncarty in their previous league match. There were two changes from the team that started against Luncarty; Ex-Dundonald Captain, Gordon Hunter trialed at centre half, replacing Richard Milne and Barry Ritchie replaced the unavailable Kevin Stoddart. Barry Ritchie came in at right back with Robin Adair slotting into centre midfield and Sam Buchan going to the left side. Scone were much fancied coming into this match after being relegated from the Premier League last season and an undefeated first 2 games saw them enter this match full of confidence. The favourites were shocked as Newburgh took the game to Scone from the first minute and were denied several goals by a mixture of good goalkeeping and poor finishing. It was an unbelievable start to the game from Newburgh who looked on top form as the first half was just one-way traffic. The fear as the half ended goalless was a repeat of last weeks game. The second half calmed down with Scone's long ball tactic getting them further up the pitch. However, time after time the Newburgh defence looked equal to anything Scone could throw at them. With 75 minutes gone Scone took the lead; a ball played wide looked to have gone out of play but when play was allowed to continue the cross was met by the towering Scone centre forward. He bulleted an unsaveable header past Curran and the score was 1-0. Newburgh manager, Kevin Huskie, responded by replacing Scott Reilly with Rabbie Sellar, Sam Buchan with 16 year old youth star Sean Murphy and Robin Adair with Dean Cunningham. The decision to go all out attack soon paid off when, 5 minutes later, a Rabbie Sellar cross was hand-balled in the Scone box and the referee pointed to the spot. Gordon Hunter stepped up to despatch a cool debut penalty and make it 1-1. With 5 minutes to go it looked as if Newburgh would have to settle for a draw until Kevin McCreadie broke through the Scone defence, his shot was only parried by the keeper and super-sub, Dean Cunningham made it 2-1 to Newburgh. This was a fantastic victory for Newburgh and it was a very solid performance.

08/09/07 - League Match, Luncarty 3 v 1 Newburgh

'How did we lose that match' was the question on every Newburgh fan and players lips. The same eleven that started against Lochore started this match but Mikey Laing and Colin Hodge, who had both come on and played well against Lochore, were both injured and out of the squad. However, Dean Cunningham did make his return from injury onto the bench. Luncarty are a big strong side and they started the game by launching balls on top of the Newburgh defence, perhaps a tactic that will work against many sides this season that travel to Luncarty. Newburgh are more than capable of bringing the ball down and playing but at the start of this game they seemed intent on blasting the ball back at Luncarty and the opening stages were a poor spectacle. After only 5 minutes Luncarty were in front when a ball was played into the box and was not read by Jason Curran or his defenders. At the back post the unmarked striker simply placed it into the empty net. 10 minutes later a carbon copy of poor defending let Luncarty make the score 2-0 and Newburgh had not even started. For spells Newburgh bagan to pass the ball but they seemed a bit shocked at the start that Luncarty had made. A battling first half looked like it would end 2-0 until Kevin McCreadie popped up at the front post to make it 2-1. The management team were furious with the first-half performance in contrast to last week and the players were all made aware of this at half-time. The second half was a totally different match with Newburgh bombarding Luncarty, and time and time again, missing the opportunities. Kevin McCreadie hit the bar twice, the post was struck and the Luncarty keeper pulled of some fantastic saves. Even a 3 on 1 and a Colin Potter volley from six yards wasn't enough to give Newburgh the equaliser. As Newburgh pushed more and more men forward it seemed only a matter of time before the goal would come and then in the last minute of injury time the game was over. Richard Milne received a thrown in and he seemed to get the ball stuck in his feet as everyone bombed forward. The Luncarty striker simply disposessed Milne and raced up the pitch to make the scoreline 3-1 and end the game as a contest. The result definitely did not reflect the match and Newburgh now have to pick themselves up next week for an away trip to much fancied Scone.

01/09/07 - League Match, Newburgh 2 v 1 Lochore

The first league match of the season was played at a sunny East Shore Park. An excited crowd came in their droves to watch a new look Newburgh squad, hoping that they could finally give the supporters something to cheer about. It took until March last season until Newburgh recorded their first league victory and only 2 more followed in a poor second from bottom season. The fixture list was not kind to Newburgh, The 50-1 outsiders for promotion were drawn against the side that had lost only 1 league match since Christmas 2006, and one of the promotion favourites. Jason Curran, Robin Adair, Colin Ramsay, Richard Milne, Stuart Gray, Scott Reilly, Kevin Stoddart, Kris Reilly, Colin Potter, Sam Buchan and Kevin McCreadie was the starting line-up for the match and they proves the management team right in their selection. Right from the start Newburgh began to attack Lochore and the away side seemed unable to prevent wave after wave of Newburgh attack. The pressure finally broke Lochore mid-way through the half when Kevin Stoddart was played through and he cooly despatched the ball over the advancing Lochore keeper. Newburgh were not content with 1-0 and neither was the home support who hadn't seen this kind of play for many a year. Just 15 minutes later Kevin McCreadie advanced onto another through ball and he places his shot through the legs of the Lochore keeper to make it 2-0. The half could have ended 5-0 to Newburgh if it hadn't been for some good fortune and some bad Newburgh finishing. Nevertheless 2-0 was more than anyone outside the club had expected before kick-off. The only change at half-time was Colin Hodge replacing the impressive Kevin Stoddart. As expected, Lochore did come at Newburgh in the second half and Jason Curran showed why he is rated as one of the leagues top keepers, pulling of a string of fine saves. Mid-way through the half a through ball split the Newburgh defence and the striker was up-ended in the box by Curran. The ref pointed to the spot and Lochore made it 2-1 with a fine penalty kick. Newburgh did have plenty of chances in the second half to wrap up the game but in the end 2-1 was to prove the final score-line. A very impressive performance provided a real suprise result many people and Newburgh are off to a great start.

25/08/07 - League Cup Match, Glenrothes 5 v 0 Newburgh

The last League cup match of the season was an abysmal Newburgh performance against a very solid and well organised Glens performance. As the Newburgh management team have said all along, this pre-season cup was to be used to get match fitness for players and have them ready for the start of the league campaign. Robin Adair was rested for this match after an excellent performance against St Andrews and the Newburgh injury list still boasted names such as Tony Higgins, Davie Blackwood and Dean Cunningham. Right from the start the big Warout pitch was proving a serious test for Newburgh as the Glens moved the ball around and stretched the fragile Newburgh team. The Glens attacked for 90 minutes and were well worthy of their 5-0 scoreline with Newburgh rarely threatening. That being said as always Newburgh did string some nice moves together but at this early stage in the team building process the big Warout pitch showed up a lot of Newburgh weaknesses. Newburgh have had a tough pre-season and this game, like many others, was a great fitness builder before the real matches start of the 1st of September.

22/08/07 - League Cup Match, Newburgh 2 v 5 St Andrews

Newburgh's best performance of pre-season was still not enough to beat a determined St Andrews side at East Shore Park. Newburgh were the better side in the first half and played some great stuff without taking any chances. St Andrews, on the other hand, were struggling to cope with Newburgh's determination and pace but seemed to capitalise on every error and their finishing was superb. The first half ended 3-0 to St Andrews and that was the result of 3 Newburgh errors and only 3 St Andrews strikes on goal. Newburgh came out in the second half keen to make amends and get themselves back into the game. They bombarded St Andrews from the start of the half and after 7 minutes Scott Reilly came in at the back post to drill home Newburgh's first goal of the game. It was a fantastic finish from Reilly and it's a goal that he thoroughly deserved for his play over the past few weeks. Newburgh didn't stop at that and they hit the post, and forced the St Andrews keeper into a string of saves before disaster struck at the other end. Another Newburgh error let in St Andrews for one of their only attacks of the half and it was 4-1. Newburgh still felt that they could get back into the game and Kevin Stoddart was thrown on to add some pace to the attack. Stoddart came close on several occasions before Kevin McCreadie went through on the keeper and skilfully chipped the ball over him as he advanced. McCreadie now has 5 in the pre-season and is looking very dangerous. As Newburgh threw men forward in search of a come-back, St Andrews ended the scoring to make the scoreline 5-2 to the away side. The result did not reflect the game and Newburgh are finally looking like the new signings are gelling together. Newburgh's defence were very strong and Colin Potter and Sam Buchan were fantastic together in the centre of midfield. Out wide Rikki Wells and Scott Reilly were flying and finally McCreadie and Hodge in attack played as a unit. All eyes look the the Glenrothes match to see if Newburgh can continue their progress in their last game before the League season starts.

18/08/07 - Friendly Match, Newburgh 3 v 2 Greig Park Rangers Under 21s

Club captain, Colin Potter, was rested for this match, along with Kevin Stoddart. Colin Ramsay was missing also along with Kris Reilly and the injured Tony Higgins and Dean Cunningham. Experienced Centre half Craig Duncan played as a trialist. The makeshift Newburgh side started this game badly and were taken a bit by surprise by some fantastic passing and movement from the Greig Park side. The opening 10 minutes of the game was all Greig Park and Newburgh really struggled to cope with their pace and movement. As Newburgh began to get more of the ball Davie Blackwood began to stamp his authority on the match. Davie was dictating play for Newburgh and linking up well with Newburgh target man, Colin Hodge. Robin Adair was also working hard in a makeshift Newburgh midfield and he was a good backup to Blackwood who began to drive Newburgh forward. After 20 minutes a Davie Blackwood corner was met at the back post by Central defender Stuart Gray and Newburgh were in front. Greig Park responded well and began to pass and move there way through the Newburgh side without ever really troubling Jason Curran in the Newburgh goal. Just before the break Newburgh hit Greig Park on the counter attack and Rikki Wells flighted a ball to the back post for Kevin McCreadie to score his fourth goal in six starts for Newburgh. McCreadie is looking lively but as of yet Newburgh have failed to use him to full effect. Neverthless 4 goals in 6 starts isn't a bad return. The sides went in 2-0 at half-time. Newburgh replaced the impressive Colin Hodge at half-time with Richard Milne but the second half started with Greig Park on the offensive again and their pressure paid off after 65 minutes when slack Newburgh defending let them pull the scores back to 2-1. Newburgh immediately responded and it was Davie Blackwood who began to drive the side forward again. The ball was played out on the left wing to makeshift left back Mikey Laing. Mikey took a touch and flighted an inch perfect cross into the box for the oncoming Davie Blackwood. Davie's header was well saved by the Greig Park keeper but he stuck the rebound into the top corner to make it 3-1. Greig Park ended the game on the offensive and pulled one back with ten minutes left to make it an uncomfortable finish for the Junior side. In the end the game was a good run-out for Newburgh and it gave a chance for a few of the other squad members to stake a claim for a first team place. Trialist Craig Duncan looked good at times but needs match fitness. On a positive note Mikey Laing and Robin Adair, who have been on the bench during most of pre-season, played well in unfamiliar roles.

11/08/07 - League Cup Match, Newburgh 0 v 4 Thornton

The first competative match of the season didn't go as planned for Newburgh's new look side. Many clubs treat these League cup matches as an extension to pre-season and as such too much shouldn't be read into them. However, what the game did show was some of Newburgh's vulnerabilities that will need addressed before the league campaign begins. The game started at a frantic pace and Thornton Hibs, with a very much Kirkcaldy YM looking side, took the game to Newburgh. Thornton had four of Kirkcaldy's championship chasing midfield alongside Alan McAllister, a player rated as the league's finest midfielder, in a five man midfield. The Thornton side seemed keen to show how good they were and they wasted no time in taking the lead when a close range effort was spilled by Jason Curran to let Thornton capitalise. Thornton quickly added a second and a third from the penalty spot to put them 3-0 up after half an hour. The penalty was very soft but Barry Ritchie found himself on the wrong side of the Thornton winger and he made the most of it. Newburgh did play some good stuff at times during the first half but experienced veterin John Wright, in the Thornton midfield, ran the game throughout the first 45 minutes. Newburgh changed to a 4-3-3 at half -time, withdrawing the dissapointing Sam Buchan and replacing him with the returning Davie Blackwood. Davie Blackwood returned from a two week holiday on the Wednesday before this match and he has been one of the most eagerly anticipated of Newburgh's new signings. The second 45 minutes was completely different largely due to the introduction of Blackwood. Newburgh began to dominate the midfield and for the first 15-20 minutes of the half Thornton could not get the ball from Newburgh. It must be said that Kevin McCreadie and Colin Hodge were looking very good in attack for Newburgh but the lack of support in the first half kept them fairly quiet. The Thornton defence were very strong in the second half to stop the two new strikers from pulling a goal back. Kevin Stoddart also began to shine in the second half, and playing upfront alongside McCreadie and Hodge seemed to suit him a lot better. After 25 minutes Thornton broke away and with their fourth shot of the match they made it 4-0. The fourth was really against the run of play and the rest of the match was a battle back and forward with no real clean-cut chances being created. The game ended 4-0 and Newburgh's new boys have been given a baptism of fire at their new home ground. The management team still seem confident that the new side will gel before the season begins and the spirits are still high.

04/08/07 - Friendly Match, Hill'o'beath 5 v 0 Newburgh

The final friendly match of Newburgh's pre-season schedule was the toughest yet, against Super League side, Hill'o'beath. The only missing players for Newburgh were Mikey Sampson(injured), David Blackwood(Holiday), Dean Cunningham(injured) and Tony Higgins(Unavailable). Otherwise, Newburgh went into this match with a very strong squad. The game started lively and both sides looked very sharp and keen to impress their respective management teams. The scoring opened when a ball was played through to the Hill'o'beath striker who was ten yards offside. The Hill'o'beath bench agreed with the Newburgh protests but the striker was allowed to continue and his feeble effort somehow slid underneath Jason Curran in the Newburgh goal. Newburgh did get plenty of the ball and kept it well against a really well organised Hill'o'beath side. The only other goal of the half came about 7 minutes before the break when the Left winger cut inside Rikki Wells to fire the ball across the box and it was knocked in at the back post. 2-0 at half-time was cruel on Newburgh and they had chances in the first half mostly through the impressive Colin Hodge. The second half was similar to the first; a high tempo match and both sides were trying to play football. Hill'o'beath capitalised on some slack defending in the second half to add 3 goals to their tally and make the scoreline 5-0 which didn't truely reflect the game. It was a great pre-season match for Newburgh, a perfect work-out and a great lesson for some of the young defenders in the Newburgh side about what happens when mistakes are made at this level.

30/07/07 - Friendly Match, Newburgh 5 v 2 Kirrie Thistle

Newburgh went into this match with more of a full squad after resting players against Cupar Hearts on 28th July. Roy Ness trialed again for the first half in goal, whilst Stuart Gray and Richard Milne returned to central defence. Scott Reilly came back into right back and Colin Potter and Rikki Wells returned to the midfield. Newburgh started lively and after 8 minutes they were infront through a superb Tony Higgins header. Tony managed to direct a header into the bottom corner whilst he was running away from goal from about 18 yards out. The second goal came when Kirrie tried to take a quick free-kick and the alert Colin Potter nipped in the take the ball the length of the field and round the keeper for a composed finish. The third and fourth goals were scored by the impressive Kevin McCreadie, quick feet and fantastic finishing for both goals and he seems to be setting in really well. 4-0 up after 30 minutes and Newburgh were not flattered at all. After 35 minutes Stevie Patterson disposesed the Kirrie winger and tried to dribble clear through his own box. He was then disposesed himself and the ball was cut-back to the Kirrie striker for a simple finish. Only this mistake took away from what was a very impresssive Newburgh first half. The second half wasn't as interesting as the first with both sides running out of steam. The game turned into end to end action and Kirrie pulled another one back when Richard Milne complacently headed back short to Jason Curran in goal and the Kirrie striker nipped through to make it 4-2. Newburgh were never in any danger of losing the match and Colin Hodge ended the scoring with an impressive finish mid-way through the half. Colin Hodge and Kevin McCreadie were very impressive throughout the match and they look to be a fantastic partnership. The game ended 5-2 and a lot of positives will come out of the game for the new Newburgh management team.

28/07/07 - Friendly Match, Cupar Hearts 3 v 2 Newburgh

This friendly match against last season's amateur Scottish cup finalists was arranged at the last minute to help out Cupar Hearts. Newburgh rested many of the first team due to Monday nights Kirrie Thistle friendly and used this game to try and build up match fitness for a few of the other players. Barry Ritchie, Stuart Milne, Mikey Laing and Tony Higgins in particular were given opportunities to build up match fitness, along with Sam Buchan who is just back from injury. Colin Hodge also managed a half to try and build up his fitness. Newburgh started the game fantasticaly. They attacked Cupar constantly and Kevin Stoddart and Sam Buchan were flying down the wings. After 7 minutes Tony Higgins played a fantastic through ball in the corner, cutting through the Cupar defence. Kevin Stoddart showed unbelieveable pace to latch onto the pass and rifle a left foot shot past the Cupar keeper and in off the underside of the bar. The second goal came 10 minutes later as Cupar managed to clear more Newburgh pressure to the edge of the box. The ball fell high to Colin Hodge who took one touch on his chest and then volleyed the ball into the top corner of the Cupar net. 2-0 and Newburgh were flying. After about 20 minutes Newburgh began to tire and the lack of matches began to show on some players. A few hard tackles later and Newburgh stopped playing football and began battling it out with a strong Cupar team. Cupar drew one back when Stuart Milne tripped over his own feet when attempting to make a routine clearance and this allowed the Cupar striker a clear run at goal. The second came via a penalty and the sides went in level at half time. The second half was a typical pre-season match with little action. Cupar scored the winner when the Newburgh defence switched off again and the Cupar striker ghosted in unmarked at the back post. The game ended 3-2 but Newburgh were happy to give a run-out to many squad players and two of the under 17 squad.

24/07/07 - Friendly Match, Star Hearts Under 21s 1 v 1 Newburgh

This match was a good match to have a look at all players in the squad. Newburgh used this game to play two separate starting elevens and have a look at the whole squad. In the first half they played a trialist striker who failed to impress, along with many of the squad. Although Star didn't create many chances Newburgh were giving the ball away far too much and not having any noticeable strikers caused a few problems. The half ended 1-0 to Star and saw young Dean Cunningham stretchered off with a hamstring injury. The second half was completely different; Colin Potter gave some urgency to the midfield,  Kevin Stoddart and Rikki Wells were attacking with pace down the wings, and the strike force of Colin Hodge and Kevin McCreadie looked very dangerous. Many chances were missed by the Junior side but they did draw level mid-way through the half when Colin Hodge layed the ball into Rikki Wells path and the youngster despatched the ball past the impressive Star keeper and into the net. The game ended 1-1 but it was a good exercise for Newburgh and the management team will have learned a lot from the game.

21/07/07 - Friendly Match, Newburgh 5 v 0 Buckhaven Town

This match was a good start to Newburgh's pre-season. Due to the injury to Mikey Sampson and Jason Curran being on holiday the squad contained a trialist Keeper from Dundee University. The starting defence was full of new signings. Scott Reilly made had an impressive first half debut at right back, likewise Colin Ramsay was very strong on the left. Mikey Laing and Stuart Gray played in the centre of defence. Last seasons wide men, Rikki Wells and Stevie Patterson played wide midfield and new central midfielders Colin Potter and Kris Reilly started in central midfield, Kris captained the side. Kevin McCreadie made his debut in attack alongside Dean Cunningham. Newburgh dominated the match from the start and Kevin McCreadie opened the scoring with a composed finish, rounding the keeper. McCreadie looked very sharp and will undoubtedly be a major part of Newburgh's season. The second goal came after some great work from Stevie Patterson on the left and he squared it to Rikki Wells who came in at the back post to finish for 2-0. Captain, Kris Reilly then made it 3 and then 4-0 before half-time with some great strikes. Half time saw the introduction of Stuart Milne for Stevie Patterson and Robin Adair and Richard Milne for centre halfs, Mikey Laing and Stuart Gray. Robin and Richard looked very strong in the second half and although there was only one more goal in the game, a penalty from the very impressive Colin Potter, Newburgh dominated the second half. There was some fantastic football played at times and it was a very comfortable performance from Newburgh. Youngsters Page and Henderson played the last 15 minutes for Newburgh and gave very good accounts of themselves.

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