Camelon 2 Linlithgow 0: Rose lose unbeaten league record

Two first half-goals did the damage and earned the points for the home side at Carmuirs Park.

Camelon threatened from the start and, after just five minutes, Rose keeper Kyle Marley had to be alert to get his fingertips to the ball to divert a deflected shot wide after a goalmouth scramble.

But just three minutes later, Rose were behind. Kyle Turnbull was turned in the box and the ball was passed to Alan Sneddon, who had no trouble in converting.

In the 18th minute, an optimistic long-range shot from Camelon’s Kieran Anderson wasn’t far away, before Rose looked threatening when Iain Gray and Roddy Maclennan linked well as they pushed forward. But they only earned a corner, which was easily cleared.

Anderson showed again that he was not afraid to test the keeper and his shot from outside the box wasn’t far over.

Rose came close when Roddy Maclennan, struggling to make space for a shot, managed to play a low cross across the face of goal. But there was no one there to tap the ball in for an equaliser.

Turnbull was then presented with a chance to score in the 38th minute but his shot was off target.

And Rose were punished when Camelon extended their lead five minutes before the interval. Anderson fired a screamer from outside the box which, this time, found the corner of the net.

Tommy Coyne, seeking his 300th goal in Rose colours, had a shot held by keeper Dean Shaw and Rose went in at the break two down.

Mark Bradley’s side needed a good start to the second half and Kevin McKinlay moved to play up front.

The Rose certainly pressed forward more and were unlucky to see Gary Thom’s header from Darren Smith’s 51st minute corner drift just wide of the post.

Skipper Ruari Maclennan then had two chances to claw a goal back. Firstly, his curling shot from the edge of the box was held by Shaw and then, when through on goal with just the ‘keeper to beat, his shot was blocked by Shaw’s legs.

McKinlay’s shot drifted just over the bar and Shaw made a great save to deny Coyne as Rose continued to try to get back into the match.

Coyne’s low cross was blocked by Shaw’s legs and, minutes later, there was a chance for Roddy Maclennan but he couldn’t get the ball away from under his feet.

Camelon could have scored again in the closing stages when Anderson wrong-footed John Ovenstone and was through on goal, but blasted over when he should have done better.

A few minutes later, Ovenstone was wrong-footed again but, once more, Anderson failed to capitalise.

Rose had to play the final few minutes with 10 men – Jamie Mackenzie going off injured with all three substitutes already used.

Deep into stoppage time, Thom had a shot cleared off the line but the Rose couldn’t find a way through.