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My thanks to Andy Penman for the match report and to John Crawford for the photographs Penicuik Athletic 4 Livingston 0 Penicuik Athletic: Bejaoui, Ross, Trialist, Meikle, Cunnison, McPartlin, Gay, Barr. McCallum, Knight, Killin. Subs: Lister, Harris, Montgomery, Young & Hill Livingston United: D Dolan, C Thomson, S Dolan, Cane, S Russell, Burns, C Russell, Drummond, Thomson, Murphy, McWilliams. Subs: Wilson, Kay, Baxter & Hepburn Referee: Mr Simon McLean The match went ahead having passed a morning pitch inspection and manager Meikle made three changes from the side beaten at Jeanfield the previous week with Gay and Knight returning to the starting line up with a ‘trialist’ replacing the injured McDermott at left back. Penicuik kicked off and made a whirlwind start creating a number of excellent scoring opportunities in the first ten minutes but failed to capitalise on any of them. A combination of poor finishing, good goalkeeping and the woodwork keeping the score line blank. A rejuvenated Knight threatened with two shots held by Dolan before with three minutes gone Killin breaching the offside trap missed the easiest of chances when clean through on the keeper and shot weakly past. Knight and Killin again missed chances before Barr shot wide, and McCallum’s shot on the turn was saved. With barely ten minutes gone Knight latched onto a pass rounded the keeper but saw his shot cleared off the line. The whirlwind saw no signs of calming as on fifteen minutes a superb McPartlin shot from 18 yards was met by an equally good save from the fluorescent clad Dolan in the visitors’ goal. Three minutes later a great move between Knight and McPartlin saw McCallum’s shot saved and he then hit the post from the rebound. The visitors mounted their first meaningful attack with 25 minutes gone as Thomson’s shot from 20 yards was turned around the post by an alert Bejaoui for a corner. Cuikie went back on the attack and Killin broke free 30 yards out and passed to Knight who shot weakly into the arms of Dolan. Livingston were starting to pose problems on the break and only an excellent save by Bejaoui from a shot by the in rushing Thomson kept the scores blank. With 33 minutes the home side had a shout for a penalty turned down by referee McLean when McCallum and keeper Dolan came together in the box chasing a loose ball. A minute later Livingston were next on the attack and from a corner Cane powered a header into the back of the Cuikie net only to see the referee blow for an infringement. With five minutes remaining of the first half a driving run by Barr saw the ball go wide for McCallum who’s shot from 16 yards fizzed over the bar and the half ended with the trialist in the home sides colours breaking forward and unleashing a shot from 30 yards which was well held by Dolan. HT Penicuik Athletic 0 Livingston United 0 The second half started with the forecast snow having failed to arrive and it was the home side who made the breakthrough with 54 minutes on the clock when Ross found McCallum 22 yards out and he played in a ball over the defence which was met by McPARTLIN who controlled the ball and swept it past Dolan from eight yards. The visitors were un-deterred and went up the park and as Bejaoui spilled a cross he bravely blocked the returning shot to keep his goal intact. Cuikie went back on the attack and on the hour mark Ross saw his shot saved and from the breaking ball Killin was denied by the post. Two minutes later Ross saw his header go narrowly over as the home side mounted the pressure and only a great save from Dolan denied McPartlin a second. The home side were not to be denied and on 64 minutes a long kick out from Bejaoui was met by McCALLUM at the edge of the Livingston box and as he controlled the ball he fired past the helpless Dolan to make it 2-0. The home side maintained the pressure as they pushed for more goals and in 69 minutes McCallum saw his shot go wide into the side netting and ten minutes later Killin got to the bye-line and crossed to Montgomery who sclaffed his effort wide of the upright. Cuikie were not to be denied and with 15 minutes left Killin latched onto the ball wide right and his cross to the back post was played into the six yard box by Montgomery to the feet of McPARTLIN who coolly controlled the ball, made space and fired home his second. The home side finished the scoring in the last minute when MONTGOMERY collected the ball from a Harris pass on the half way line, hurdled a despairing challenge and raced for goal, cutting inside Russell in the box before slotting past Dolan to make it 4-0. A good three points for the home side, taking their goal scoring opportunities in the second half, which cuts Fauldhouse’s lead at the top to four points with the Cuikie having a game in hand. FT Penicuik Athletic 4 Livingston United 0