A LAST minute goal sealed the three points for Sauchie Juniors in a five goal thriller at Beechwood.

Sauchie welcomed Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale on Saturday as the Wee County side looked to bounce back from last week’s 2-1 defeat to Camelon Juniors.

Fraser Duncan’s men started strongly with a barrage of chances that they couldn’t convert into goals but it didn’t take the home side too long until they took the lead. A wonderful team goal on the half an hour mark put Sauchie 1-0 up as a beautiful ball from Jack Docherty found Ross Crawford’s run on the wing.

Crawford was able to deliver a precise ball to the back post for Brian Morgan to head home.

Morgan came close to doubling his tally but had a shot cleared off the goal line and Chic Bell made a heroic save in the last minute of the first half to preserve Sauchie’s lead.

Despite Sauchie’s numerous chances they ended the half with only one goal for their efforts, having missed chances that would soon come back to haunt them.

With only five minutes played in the second half Lothian Thistle drew level with a direct corner kick from Sandy Cunningham as he looped and curled the ball over the top of an outstretched Bell.

Just two minutes later the visitors managed to double their lead and Sauchie’s woes. A defensive mistake in the box from Darren Carrol resulted in the ball landing at the feet of Errol Douglas who took his surprise opportunity well and slotted the ball in the bottom corner.

With déjà vu from last week’s game setting in Sauchie showed great resilience and hit back just five minutes later with a somewhat lucky but much deserved equaliser.

Sam Davidson crossed the ball into the box and Morgan hooked the ball towards the goal and it was headed backwards and into the net by Lothian Thistle’s own centre back.

Both teams had their chances to win the tie in the second half, but it wasn’t until the last minute of the game that the two substitutes Kris Kelly and Ross Kavanagh combined for the winner.

Kelly put the ball back into the box after it was headed out from a corner and Kavanagh was able to dive forward at the back post and head it past the keeper to put Sauchie ahead. Kavanagh had just signed with Sauchie a few days prior, and this was his first game with the club.

He said after the match he was “buzzing” to score on his debut and ensure a well-deserved win for Sauchie who played the better football for the majority of the match but made it hard for themselves by conceding two silly goals.

The win means Sauchie climb to 11th in the league and are hoping to build on their win as they have two important cup ties, Preston in the League Cup and Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup, at the end of the month.

SAUCHIE: Bell, Greenhorn (Finlayson), Carroll, Cross, Syme, S. Davidson, Collumbine (Kelly), Smith, Docherty (Cracknall), Morgan, Crawford (Kavanagh) UNUSED: Tully, S. Davidson, Dickie