Fourth place Ballingry Rovers were the visitors to Penicuik Park for this Premier League encounter with the home side needing to pick up three points to lift them from the relegation zone. However, indiscipline by Penicuik players saw them reduced to nine men before half time and consequently lose the game.

The game started evenly and it took to the 10^th minute before the first scoring opportunity arrived, however a Ballingry free kick just outside the penalty box was blasted high over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Penicuik were on the counter attack and Coleman’s net bound shot was headed over the bar by Roberts. From the corner, Lynch’s 30 yard strike went wide of the target. In the 17^th minute keeper Ramage came to Penicuik’s rescue with a superb instinctive save to deny Adam. However, Ballingry took the lead in the one minute later when McAINSH rose unchallenged to head home a free kick from the right. Then Ballingry thought they had doubled their advantage when a rasping Moffat shot was heading for the top corner of the net, but Ramage somehow managed to turn the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

In the 24^th minute, a long range effort by Moonie went narrowly past Connolly’s left hand post. Four minutes later, Connolly fumbled a deep cross by Gallagher, but Penicuik were unable to take advantage of the error. The game swung from end to end with neither side being able to penetrate the opposition defences. Then in the 44^th minute, Penicuik’s new signing, Murray was late with a tackle on the touch line and with several Ballingry players surrounding referee Campbell, he produced a red card to send off Murray. Then two minutes into injury time, Moonie who had been booked earlier, received a second yellow card to join Murray in the dressing room.

Half Time: Penicuik 0 Ballingry 1

It only took two minutes for Ballingry to double their lead against the nine men of Penicuik when MOFFAT scored with a superb 30 yard strike that gave Ramage no chance. In their next attack, McCabe got the better of Meikle, but Ramage did well to save the shot low down to his left. In the 63^rd minute, following a throw in to Ballingry, FRASER picked up the ball unmarked in midfield, strode forward and let fly from 25 yards. The ball curled past Ramage and went in off the upright to make it 0 – 3. Four minutes later, Penicuik substitutes Korinek and Montgomery combined well to test keeper Connolly who got down well to save Montgomery’s strike. Ballingry increased their lead in the 69^th minute when FRASER finished off a great passing move that carved open the beleaguered Penicuik defence. Two minutes later, Fraser should have completed his hat trick, but he blasted over the crossbar with only Ramage to beat.

In the 78^th minute, Ballingry substitute Smart, was just about to finish off another excellent move, but was rightly ruled offside. With six minutes left, keeper Ramage pulled off a great double save to keep the score down to four. At the other end, Cole and Montgomery cut through the Ballingry defence, but the strike by Cole hit the back stanchion of the goal and rebounded back into play. Referee Campbell waved play on believing the ball had hit the post. Right on full time, a corner to Ballingry was laid back to the edge of the box, but the shot flashed past the right hand post.