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League

My thanks to Andy Penman for the match report and to John Crawford for the match photos

Glenrothes 2 Penicuik 3 Glenrothes Juniors; Roberts, Hush, Henry, Newbiggins, Kinness, Hunter, Anderson, Napier, Murray, Celetano & Trialist . Subs - Dolan, Blyth, Shaw, McKie & Small (GK) Penicuik Athletic: Trialist, Cunnison, Thomson, Meikle, Reid, McPartlin, Roxburgh, Barr, Millar, Patterson & Montgomery. Subs - McDermott, Kerr, Killin, Gay & Bald (GK) Referee - Mr J Stokoe Penicuik completed their travels for the season with a fourth consecutive journey and victory across the Forth as they fought to keep their promotion hopes alive against a Glenrothes side who had drawn at Armadale on Saturday. There were no changes from the team who won at Violet with the management team keeping faith with the same starting eleven. The visitors were first on the attack as a dangerous Cunnison cross was well held by Roberts, before the persistence of Patterson set up Millar who shot straight at the keeper. With 5 minutes gone Millar had another opportunity when he was set up by McPartlin but shot wide. The home side launched their first attack with 8 minutes gone when Trialist shot wide from 12 yards, closely followed by Celetano who saw his shot go wide with the trialist keeper untroubled. As the game settled down, both sides had opportunities with Patterson having a shot blocked, and at the other end a Napier shot from 18 yards was well held by the visiting keeper. After 15 minutes the best opportunity of the game, so far, fell to Celetano who found himself in acres of space and with only the keeper to beat shot past the post. Two minutes later the trialist no11 broke free again and saw his strike saved, before Cuikie went up the park through Cunnison who fed Millar who raced towards the keeper and in attempting to find Patterson in front of goal put the ball behind him and the chance was squandered. Both teams were threatening and the prominent home trialist got in behind the offside trap and with only the keeper to beat shot past. At the other end Cunnison saw his strike from 22 yards held by Roberts, before his low cross aimed at Patterson was again held by the home keeper. Midway through the first half the match was fairly even with the home side having the better chances . Penicuik had a great opportunity to take the lead in the 34th minute when a Barr free kick found the head of the unmarked McPartlin six yards out but his header just went over the bar before the home no11 again caused havoc down the right only to see his cross deflected into the arms of the keeper. The visitors were starting to push for the opener and with 40 minutes gone a ball from Thomson found Roxburgh down the left and as he drove into the box he was upended by Newbiggins and referee Stokoe had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Barr stepped up but his poorly hit shot was easily saved by Roberts diving to his right. Glens hit back and again no 11 was prominent before  being dispossessed by Meikle, on the edge of his own 18 yard box,  whos' pass found Barr, who set up Millar who failed to pull the trigger with only Roberts to beat and the keeper gathered. On the stroke of half time Cuikie stayed on the attack and Paterson supplied Millar whos' shot was blocked by the keeper and put out for a corner. A second corner followed from which Meikle's header was cleared to the edge of the box where it fell to ROXBURGH and his shot from 18 yards ended up in the back of the net via a couple of ricochets to give Cuikie a deserved lead based on the pressure built in the latter part of the half. Half Time: Glenrothes Juniors 0 Penicuik Athletic 1 The second half started at a slow tempo with few incidents of note, a shot from Reid from 30 yards out sailing wide in the 50th minute and it took until the hour mark for the next real chance as Patterson knocked the ball down to McPartlin but his shot was blocked for a corner.  It was the 65th minute before the home side had a real effort on goal as both keepers could have been 'rested', as McKie's free kick from 25 yards was well held by the keeper. Glens made a double substitution as they attempted to raise the tempo while Gay replaced Millar for Cuikie. In the 70th minute a surge forward by Barr was ended when he was brought down and McPartlin's free kick was deflected out for a corner from which Cunnison's header flashed past the post. Cuikie were made to pay for missed chances in the 75th minute when CELETANO  rose unmarked in the box to power a header past trialist. Controversy followed with 79 minutes gone when Glens sub Shaw was booked for simulation when he seemed to take a boot to the head from Reid at the edge of the Cuikie box. The game had finally come to life and two minutes later Meikle got in a fankle when attempting to dispossess Celetano and pulled him back with ref Stokoe again having no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Meikle receiving a yellow card for his troubles. CELETANO dusted himself down and cooly slotted home the spot kick to put the home side ahead and Cuikie's promotion hope in dire straits. Killin replaced Thomson as Cuikie went for broke and he joined Roxburgh and Patterson in a front three. With four minutes left on the clock McPartlin, still driving forward from midfield, found space on the left and delivered a superb cross which found the head of the diving ROXBURGH and his header beat the despairing Roberts for the equaliser. Penicuik were back in the hunt  and a minute later Roxburgh found himself running into space in the box only to be upended by Roberts and ref Stokoe pointed to the spot for the third time in the match. PATTERSON grabbed the ball and stepped up confidently and smashed the ball high into the net with the keeper diving the wrong way - the comeback was complete and the action moves back to Penicuik Park this Saturday for the final league game against Broughty Athletic. Full time: Glenrothes Juniors 2 Penicuik Athletic 3