East of Scotland Premier League – Saturday 23rd April 2022

Dunbar United 2 (Ingram 45, Smith 71)
Blackburn United 2 (Garrad 60, Howe 70)

The first chance came after eight minutes when Laing came for a ball but it wasn’t cleared properly and Richie Hutton stabbed the loose ball over the bar. A minute later there was a lengthy stoppage as Fergus Owens and Darren Handling clashed heads, the latter appearing to have been briefly knocked out and having to leave the field after treatment.

Blackburn had the better of play in the first half but couldn’t create clear many cut chances, the closest Burnie came was in 36 minutes when a Jack Garrad turn and shot was tipped past the post by Laing. Right on the stroke of half-time Jamie Smith spilled a cross and Jamie Devlin saw his goalbound header cleared off the line for a corner. From the kick, the ball eventually fell to Kieran Ingram at the back of the box and he fired a shot across Smith into the far corner to open the scoring in first half injury time, a bit against the run of play.

Two minutes after the restart Dunbar almost doubled the lead when a raking shot from Darren Smith was heading for the top corner but Jamie Smith got up to touch it over the bar.

Blackburn then took a grip of the game in an effort to draw level, a Jack Garrad shot was parried away by Laing for a corner, then Heath’s shot from the set piece deflected over the bar. On the hour mark the equaliser did come when Hutton picked up a loose ball in midfield, before sliding in Garrad free on the left and he made his way into the box before firing a shot from a tight angle high and across Laing into the roof of the net.

Five minutes later and an in-swinging Heath corner had to be tipped over the bar by Laing, and then a curling Hutton shot was tipped round the post by the busy home keeper. The second came 10 minutes after the equaliser when from a throw-in, David Howe gathered, turned and sent an angled shot across Laing into the top corner for another great strike.

However the lead only lasted a minute. A lofted cross into the box wasn’t dealt with and the ball fell to Darren Smith to stabbed it home from close range for an equaliser out of nothing.

The final 20 minutes saw few clear cut chances as both sides tried in vein to find a winner.

Dunbar United: Daniel Laing, Michael McFarlane, Kieran Ingram, Jamie Devlin, Robert Berry, Darren Handling (Scott Hay 13), Andrew Jones, Fraser Neave, Evan Fleming, Darren Smith, Dean Whitson. Unused subs: Declan Hannan, Fraser McLaren.

Blackburn United: Jamie Smith, Jack Sayers, Kyle McClung, Fergus Owens, James Mildren (Laurie Devine 79), Daryl Meikle, Richard Hutton, Dominic Kane, Jack Garrad, David Howe (Michael Browne 79), Calum Heath. Unused subs: David McKeon, Baley Ferris, David Wilson, Craig Saunders, Gavin King.

Dunbar United 0
Blackburn United 0

After moving off the foot of the table with last week’s 1-0 victory over Penicuik Athletic, Blackburn travelled to the east coast knowing victory would haul them above their hosts and out of the relegation zone all together and on a bitterly cold afternoon and in the teeth of a developing gale both sides struggled to produce any sort of accomplished football, although Danny Campbell was perhaps a wee bit unlucky to see his glancing header from a Richie Hutton delivery sneak wide of the Dunbar goal inside the opening ten minutes. Four minutes later David Howe zipped in an effort from some twenty yards or more that took a nick off the toe of a defenders boot and that was just enough to see the ball fly over the top. At the other end Ballantyne’s half-hit shot was saved by Craig Saunders but when it fell for Tait his turn and hit wasn’t enough to get the ball past the big ‘keeper. The same two players were again denied by Saunders not too long thereafter, Tait hitting a shot that was saved as was Ballantyne’s follow-up. Before the interval a Justin Watson delivery from the Blackburn right found Campbell but his pop at goal was deflected past.

With the wind an ever present factor and the rain making frequent appearances too, the second period became a bit of a war of attrition with the hosts having the bulk of the play but with Blackburn perhaps looking just that little bit more threatening and when a long ball by Saunders allowed Campbell to head on and into the path of Hutton his lay-off to Calum McDowall was hit past the right hand post with the substitute not quite making the contact he would have hoped for. Just after the hour mark a spell of Blackburn pressure ended when the Seasiders broke quickly, McLaren getting in on the right but firing his shot too high before the same player had another opportunity seven minutes from time but found Saunders was comfortable enough in saving his effort.

Blackburn United line-up: Saunders, Welsh (McDowall 35), McClung, Browne, Drummond (Mildren 84), Smith, Hutton (Queen 60), Kane, Campbell, Howe, Watson Subs (not used): L.Devine, McIntosh, Gunn, Mitchell, Clements

Dunbar United line-up: Laing, McFarlane, Peden, Szemis, Harley, McTernan, Neave, S.Tait, McLaren, Handling, Ballantyne Subs: Cropley, McCraw, Ingram, K.Tait, Fiddler, Johnstone

Referee: Mr. Alex Shepherd
Assistants: Mr. Boise Allan & Mr. Warren Chadwick