Dunbar United welcomed newly promoted St Andrews United to New Countess Park on Saturday for their first visit since a South Qualifying Cup tie in August 2019. With both sides having struggled to make any impact in the opening three fixtures of the campaign, this game took on an added impetus. Unfortunately, St Andrews were without captain Ryan Roche due to the nasty shoulder injury sustained the previous midweek, whilst Cammy Lumsden, Lewis Sawers, Nathan Morrice and Mikey Ness were also unavailable. On a sunny afternoon, it was obvious that a very strong wind blowing across the pitch was going to make conditions difficult for the players and it was no surprise that it took both sides some time to adjust to these conditions. The first real chance of the match fell to Dunbar in the eleventh minute when Bob Berry’s cross from the right was glanced inches wide by Sean Stewart with only the keeper to beat. The visitors then responded five minutes later with a cross from the left that spun across the face of the Dunbar goal. With both teams struggling to get to grips with the wind, very little goal-mouth action took place before Alex McCreadie forced Sean Brennan into making a fine save.

Kyle Somers subsequently had a weak effort saved by St Andrews goalkeeper Logan Halliday before the visitors opened the scoring in the 41st minute. Lewis Payne held off Dunbar’s Willis Hare on the left prior to firing a low cross towards the back post for the inrushing Lewis Craik to convert. Not surprisingly, the Dunbar players stepped up the pace after the restart so it was no surprise when they equalised after a period of sustained pressure in the 53rd minute. Taylor Hendry fired in a shot which was parried away for a corner by Halliday. From the resulting cross, the ball fell nicely for Dunbar’s captain Grant Thomson, who swivelled inside the box and lashed a fierce shot high into the net to record his first goal of the season. Saints then made a host of changes with Owen Andrew, James Hennessy and Reece Redpath entering the fray before Dunbar again went close to scoring. Sean Stewart and Kyle Somers both had shots blocked and Bob Berry’s effort was deflected for a corner. With twenty minutes left, Dunbar made two changes as Sean Stewart and Brandon Archibald were replaced by Chris Robertson and Aaron Congalton.

However, Dunbar dominated proceedings thereafter and Dan Hall blocked a shot by Hendry, whilst Halliday saved a Grant Thomson header from a Kyle Somers corner. Another two changes for the hosts saw Darren Handling and Mackenzie Lawler replace Cammy Forbes and Somers respectively but they still pressed forward in search of a winner. As such, a Bob Berry cross was headed over the bar by Chris Robertson with only Halliday to beat and Chris Robertson blasted a shot over the target from near the penalty spot. Mackenzie Lawler then headed Darren Handling’s cross straight into the arms of Halliday before Hendry shot inches wide from a Berry cross. Robertson also saw a shot saved on the line by the St Andrews ‘keeper five minutes from the end and the referee ended proceedings with both sides having to settle for a share of the points. Both managers will be disappointed not to have secured all three points but the draw kept St Andrews United off the foot of the Premier Division table.

Crowd: 143
Match report courtesy of Laurie Wood/Don Burnett.
Photographs by Ben Oliver and Gordon Maitland.