With league placings of 9th and 10th already confirmed before the game, it may have been viewed as a game with nothing to play for. Whilst the game may have started that way, by the full time whistle it was a game with plenty of talking points and incidents, played in sweltering heat.

The game got off to a good early start for Burgh, however, when they took the lead in only the 2nd minute when Matty Mitchell and Adam Wilson exchanged a number of passes on the right hand side before Wilson sent a dangerous ball into the Ormiston six-yard box.

Unfortunately, for the visitors, Anderson’s attempted clearance sliced past his own keeper Aitken and into the far corner to put Burgh 1-0 up.

Burgh were looking the better of the two sides in the opening stages without playing as well as has been the case in recent weeks. On 5 minutes Owen McCallion played a lovely ball through that had just fractionally too much on it for Andy McCallion to reach towards the penalty spot.

Moments later McCallion was on the end of a Wilson cut back to turn and shoot just over the bar. On 11 minutes Ronnie Martin got onto a loose clearance from Alexander to hook a shot goalwards and past the far post.

So, it was a bit of a surprise when Ormiston equalised in the 15th minute when a shot from the edge of the area by Ashraf appeared to take a deflection on its way which beat keeper Joe Russell and into the top corner.

There were Burgh penalty appears in the 17th minute when Andy McCallion twisted and turned between two defenders in the area before appearing to be nudged over but the referee was not convinced.

Burgh were still putting the pressure on the Ormiston defence without finding a breakthrough and Kyle Tracey had a shot into the body of Aitken in the 20th minute, whilst Martin picked up a loose ball to put onto his left foot and fire over from 20 yards out.

Then there were two unlikely goal attempts for right back Matty Mitchell inside as many minutes. Firstly he got his foot over the ball to fire a shot into the ground and the arms of Aitken. Moments later a deep Rhys Sneddon free kick into the Ormi area was met by the head of Mitchell, but his header couldn’t quite find the target.

Eyebrows were raised when, against the run of play, the visitors put themselves ahead in the game when Ashraf ran onto a pass from Adrian to roll home into the far corner in the 36th minute.

This goal marked possibly the away team’s best spell in the game and they almost extended their advantage in the 41st minute when Cammy Newsome was dispossessed by Ashraf who then laid off Weir for a lobbed Russell who was out of position having laid off the attacking pass to Newsome. Thankfully Weir’s effort had too much on it and went over the bar.

Then just before half time a speculative free kick from distance almost caught Russell out and after stretching to get his fingers to it, the Burgh keeper recovered to get to the ball at the second attempt.

In the 52nd minute a Martin free kick again found the head of Mitchell but the Burgh defender couldn’t keep his header down to trouble the keeper.

On 59 minutes Russell pulled off a remarkable save to deny his own team mate as McLaren turned to float a dangerous ball deep into the Burgh area. Calum Leadbeatter was able to get his head to it but his touch sent the ball flying towards the corner of the goal until Russell dived full stretch to push behind.

Burgh were still trying to find an equaliser back into the game and a deep ball found Aitken challenging to get his fist to the ball on the edge of his box. The ball fell to Andy McCallion who attempted to loop the ball into a now-exposed goal but his shot had too much power to come down into the goal.

On 80 minutes substitute Owen McNally, making his 50th Burgh appearance, cut inside to send a cross into the Ormi area which was met by the head of Andy McCallion and his effort was spectacularly tipped over by keeper Aitken.

The equaliser, thankfully, came in the 84th minute as Burgh pressed for that goal and Owen McCallion sent a deep ball into the Ormi far post. Sub Lewis Stevenson got in front of his marker to send a powerful header into the corner from about 8 yards out to give the keeper no chance.

There was still time for more drama, however, as two minutes later Adrian took a tumble in the box when in a race for the ball with keeper Russell and went down seemingly untouched with the keeper in close proximity.

Whilst I have sympathy for the refs who are largely on their own and can’t be everywhere on the pitch, a lot of people around were convinced that the striker wasn’t touched by Russell (something seemingly backed up on Veo) but the ref – from his position – awarded the kick.

Justice was down, however, when Ashraf was denied his hat-trick when he dragged his penalty well wide of Russell’s right-hand post

Newburgh were now chasing a winner as the clock moved deep into stoppage time as Andy McCallion’s flick on from CJ Thomson’s free kick was diverted goalwards by Rafferty Campbell and, for a moment caused hesitation and confusion in the Ormiston defence as it went towards the goal-line before being hacked clear with several bodies closing in to either score or attempt to clear the danger for the visitors.

In the 6th minute of stoppage time there was more panic in the Ormiston defence with a panicked clearance falling to Thomson on the edge of the area, who turned his man and send a shot flying just wide of the far post, much to Aitken’s relief.

The whistle did eventually blew to end an eventful game which may not have been a classic, but provided plenty of goalmouth action and talking points as both sides finish their seasons with much to think about and plan for in preparation for the new season – in front of bigger than usual crowd basking in the sunshine.

Sponsors (Graeme Davey & Friends) Man of the Match: OWEN McCALLION
Committee Man of the Match: RONNIE MARTIN