Website designed and maintained by Website4u My thanks to John Fraser for the match report and to Tony Graham for the photos Penicuik 0 Armadale 3 Penicuik Athletic: Clark, Gallagher, McDermott, Meikle, Leighfield, Riley, Smith, Gay, Harvey, Millar, Killen. Subs, Brigain, Walker and McKay. Armadale Thistle: Walker, Brown, Wardlaw, Buchanan, Morrison, Valentine, Bonnar, Chilton, Brown, Trialist, Trialis. Subs, Finlayson, Shaw, Ross, Mauchline, Meechan, sub g/k Swinburne. Referee: Gianluca Marini. With both teams lying in mid table there was not a lot at stake in this last Premier League match of the season. Penicuik were looking to maintain their run of good league form at home against an Armadale team who had not beaten Penicuik in their previous two meetings this season. Penicuik were without Bald, McKay and Barr while McDermott returned after mid week sickness at the expense of Walker. Kicking towards the school end, Penicuik carelessly gave away possession allowing the visitors to break quickly up the park and Bald's replacement, Clark had to save a shot from Bonnar. Penicuik quickly replied but Gay shot over the top from a Harvey pass and in their next attack, a Gay free kick was headed out for a corner kick. Walker, Armadale's goal keeper had to scramble to save Miller's header from McDermott's kick. Penicuik were being caught off side frequently but Killen, Miller and Harvey all argued with the referee that they were well on side when the ball was kicked and that they had timed their runs to perfection on more than one occasion. In the twenty third minute Killen hit the bar with a header from a dangerous in swinging McDermott free kick. Three minutes later, Armadale produced the perfect reply when Brown produced a piece of trickery almost on the bye line to wrong foot the Penicuik defence and the visitor's TRIALIST number 10 had an easy job to pick his spot in the net from Brown's cut back. The goal saw confidence surge through the Armadale ranks and Penicuik were stretched to hold them in check. The lively Brown won a corner which was cleared and in the thirty seventh minute, a Wardlaw free kick was headed out by Gay only to the feet of Bonnar who shot past the post. A run by Armadale's trialist number 11 at Penicuik's hesitant defence was halted at the expense of a corner. Miller, back defending knocked Bonnar's dangerous corner kick high over the bar conceding another corner which was eventually cleared. Armadale kept at it and Clark saved an unchallenged Morrison header. Penicuik's reply was a free kick from Gay from the edge of the penalty area which curled past the post. Clark came rushing out of his goals to clear Armadale's next attack but his clearance went only as far as Bonnar. The Armadale man, who had enjoyed a good first half, hit his long range effort past the post. On the stroke of half time, Miller was again fouled on the edge of the penalty area and in an action replay, Gay curled his free kick narrowly past the post. Morrison was cautioned for remarks to the referee as the teams left the park with the Armadale contingent putting heavy pressure on the referee. Half Time: Penicuik Athletic 0 v 1 Armadale Thistle Armadale came out in determined mood while Penicuik continued with their casual approach and right away won a couple of corner kicks with Morrison again heading wide from a good position. Armadale's goal scorer then shot past with the Penicuik defence again conceding easy possession. With quarter of an hour gone Meikle was cautioned for dissent when his header hit an Armadale defender on its way over the line and a bye kick was awarded. In an attempt to keep up the pressure Brigain replaced Miller in the homer team's attack. Gay was injured and replaced by Walker in midfield before McDermott up with his attack sliced a shot over the crossbar. In the sixty fifth minute CHILTON increased Armadale's lead when he finished off a swift passing movement with a chip over Clark's head. Brigain had a shot saved before the home team were further infuriated as Killen was again pulled up for off side when running from deep. Harvey won a corner for Penicuik which was taken by Gallagher. From the kick, Armadale broke quickly up the park and Leighfield found himself isolated with two attackers in front of him. His challenge on the edge of the area was penalised giving BUCHANAN the opportunity to increase the visitor's lead from the penalty spot which he duly took. With ten minutes remaining, Armadale had the luxury of replacing numbers 6 and 10 as the game was effectively over. In the eighty fifth minute McKay who was injured in the midweek cup tie against Bo'ness was brought on for a final appearance in front of the home support before he returns to Hearts after his highly successful season long loan spell at Penicuik. Penicuik's frustration continued as Brigain was booked for dissent when he was forced out wide by Morrison as he shepherded the ball out for a bye kick. Morrison and Buchanan had kept a close watch on Harvey throughout the game after his two goal performance in the Fife an Lothian cup semi final at Armadale and thwarted Penicuik's leading goal scorer throughout the game. With two minutes remaining Armadale almost added a fourth goal when substitute Finlayson robbed Clark who tried to dribble his clearance past him but Meikle was on hand to save the day. The Armadale defence who had been resolute all afternoon kept their concentration right up to the final whistle with defenders flinging them selves in the way to block a shot from Harvey and Brigain's effort from the rebound. It was a pity that all the talk after the game was about the referee's performance when the focus should have been on a fiercely committed Armadale display against a strangely lack lustre home team. It was a disappointing end to the season for the home supporters after the fine form the team has shown in the second half of the season. Penicuik eventually finished in fifth place in the Premier League after a stuttering start, raising hopes for a successful campaign next season which is just round the corner. Penicuik Athletic 0 v 3 Armadale Thistle