Kelso United 1
Easthouses Lily 2
EoS FIRST DIVISION
GEORGE RILEY reports from Woodside Park
IN A game not for the connoisseurs of football, United paid the price for squandering some gilt-edged chances in the first half and were eventually beaten by a side who played almost the whole match with 10 men.
The home team got off to a flyer – Jordan Lauder forcing the visitors’ defence into a mistake and the big front man fed the ball to strike partner Des Burnett who was bundled over in the box by Lily full back Ross Cameron.
Referee Gianluca Marini pointed to the spot and then brought out the red card to send off Cameron – after only five minutes’ play. Burnett duly dispatched the penalty past diving Lily keeper Bryan Young.
Kelso keeper Gary McBride had to make a couple of good saves when he dived left to put a Scott Borthwick shot round the post and then was at full stretch again to keep out a Paul Walkinshaw piledriver.
Good work down the right by Chris Black and Burnett set up Jamie Swailes, whose sweet 20yd shot was only denied by Young.Midway through the half, United playmaker Liam Wallace laid the ball into the path of Black. who shot straight at the keeper.
A long cross from the left touchline by Kelso full back David Richardson found Lauder unmarked at the back post, but the striker missed the target with his header.
Minutes before half-time United had another chance when Wallace ran down the right then crossed into the six-yard box, where Lauder was lurking, however he fluffed his effort in front of goal.
And on the hour mark, a cross from Black hit the top of the bar and the ball was cleared by the visiting defence.
Lily drew level in the 68th minute when a hopeful long ball from the left touchline by James Currie into the United box saw everybody static except Lily’s John Vagrie who ran from deep to head the ball past McBride.
Frustration was beginning to get to the United players and with two minutes remaining Kelso were down to 10 men when Black was sent off for his second bookable offence when fouling Vagrie, his second dismissal in three games.
United misery was complete, following the sending-off, when Vagrie took off down the right wing and swung a cross into the box, where midfielder Euan Smith was running in and placed a right-footed shot into the net to give the visitors the three points.
Kelso United: G. McBride, C. Black, D. Richardson, S. Harker, J. Waldie, D. McNulty, C. Webb (J. Milner), J. Swailes, D. Burnett, L. Wallace, J. Lauder (L. Hill).