Penicuik Athletic (1) 3

Sauchie Juniors (2) 2

SAUCHIE left Penicuik with nothing on Saturday after throwing away a two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat last weekend.

They were two goals up in just over thirty minutes but allowed the home side to claw a goal back just before half time and it was game on in the second half.

New signing Alan Comrie started for Sauchie in place of the suspended Gary McCulloch. Fraser Duncan stuck with a back three which was made up of Jordan Tapping Roger Duffin and Jon Tully allowing Sauchie to be attack minded.

Sauchie took the game to Penicuik with Josh Flood clipping a cross into the area with Tapping heading inches over. Brian Morgan then picked out Flood with the Trialist keeper rushing from his line to deny a shot at goal.

The goal came in 10 minutes. Morgan pushed the ball forward to Ryan Millar who turned and split the ‘Cuik defence allowing David Morrison to advance on goal and slot into the bottom corner.

The home side were quick to attack following this set back. Ryan Gay was given space on the right to send the ball into the box with Ryan McCallum taking a flying volley that came back off the upright. McCallum again found room inside the area but placed his effort wide. Then a Darrell Devlin cross went past Tully with Keith Lough stroking the ball just past.

Morgan, Morrison, Iain Syme and Flood brought Sauchie back onto attack. Michael McDermott, David White and David Liddle were being kept busy with Sauchie pressure bringing a series of corners. Morgan took a right wing flag kick which was powered into the net by the head of Tully to put Sauchie two up in 33 minutes.

Morgan was covering every blade of grass winning the ball on the edge of his own box and starting attacks which he would be on the end of. Syme was marauding down the left with his crosses being cleared before Ian Diack could get near. Syme got on the end of a Flood cut back but sliced wide of then target from a central position.

A quick clearance down the home left gave Gay space to dart forward and fire a low hard cross into the box that screwed off the boot of Tapping and evaded the valiant attempt at a save by Ross Harkness and Penicuik had pulled a goal back in 40 minutes.

Penicuik were a different side after the break with defender Darrell Young making way for attacker Aaron Sommerville with a change of game plan easily noticeable. The home side were quicker to the ball and hungry to control the ball chasing every lost cause.

Harkness was well placed to deny a strong header by the substitute inside the six yard box. Sauchie were having to defend deep with McCallum leading the line and assisted by Gay and Sommerville.

Sauchie broke quickly with Millar moving through the middle and again released Morrison to go one on one with the keeper only to fire his shot against the post.

The home side sped to the other end with Sommerville stepping away from Tully but fired into the side netting. It was end to end stuff.

Duffin closed down Lough on the bye line with the ball going out of play and Mr Hogg awarded a corner much to the anger of the Sauchie man who then saw a yellow card for his dissent. The flag kick flew to the back post with a stramash breaking out following a Lough robust tackle on Duffin saw the defender retaliate with both players receiving a yellow and an early bath for the experienced Sauchie man in 70 minutes.

Penicuik turned the screw and drew level two minutes later. A gay cross into the six yard box was turned into his own net by Tapping for his second own goal of the game.

There was no way out of defence for Sauchie even although Morgan and Morrison strove to get forward and release Syme or Millar the extra man allowed the home side to clear and kept the pressure on the visitors goal.

In 81 minutes the ball swung from right to left with Sommerville cutting back into the path of McCallum to slam home the winner.

Sauchie – Harkness, Duffin, Syme, Tapping (McFarlane), Tully, Comrie, Flood (Dolan), Morrison, Diack, Millar, Morgan.