St Andrews United fell to a frustrating 2-0 defeat against Dundonald Bluebell in difficult conditions at Moorside Park. A heavy pitch made slick football hard to come by, and after Dundonald raced into an early 2-0 lead after only 15 minutes, it was to prove to be a very long afternoon for Saints. United will however feel unlucky not to have found the net with John Tod going closest on two occasions. His powerful first-half header looked destined for the top corner, only for the Dundonald goalkeeper to produce a superb save. In the second half, Tod’s looping cross deceived everyone, crashing off the crossbar as St Andrews pushed for a way back into the game.

The return of Lewis Lorimer and Freddie Rowe on loan was a welcome boost for United, but Rowe’s afternoon ended early after he received a second yellow card with ten minutes to play, leaving St Andrews with a mountain to climb.

The focus now shifts to next week’s crucial home fixture against Dunbar United. With only eleven points separating 4th and 12th place it’s still very much all to play for in the East of Scotland Premier Division!