Musselburgh's good run comes to a frustrating end

Musselburgh ATHLETIC'S recent good run of results came to an end when they lost to Lochee United in front of a good crowd at Olivebank.

While the home side may have had one eye on next week's Junior Cup semi-final, Lochee were after the points to keep their hopes of winning the league alive.

Musselburgh started well and after only two minutes Chris King rattled the crossbar with a shot from 20 yards with the keeper well beaten. On ten minutes, Graham Beveridge looked to have been fouled just inside the box but the referee booked the Burgh midfielder for diving.

Two minutes later, Kris Renton was through on the keeper but Mark Nugent did well to come out and block the ball for a corner. On 20 minutes and against the run of play, Lochee took the lead when the ball broke to Jayson Alexander inside the box and from an acute angle he curled the ball past keeper Renton into the net for the opener.

Ten minutes later, Lochee increased their lead when Alexander cut the ball across goal and Paul Blackwood got there ahead of the Burgh defence to sweep the ball home.

Ten minutes into the second half, Kris Renton was through again but shot wide. On the hour mark, Musselburgh thought they had pulled a goal back when a free-kick was played into the box and Guy Kerr knocked the ball back across goal where Chris King tapped it home but the linesman's flag was up and again Musselburgh were frustrated.

In the end, Lochee probably deserved their victory as they made the most of the chances created.

Musselburgh Athletic: Renton, Gordon, Noble, (M. King 65), Gibson, Kerr, Morgan, (Russell 75), Beveridge, Shand, Renton, C. King, Tansey. Subs: Draper, Porteous, Murray, Ramage, Adams.

Lochee United: Nugent, Abbot, McGuire, Hay, Kirk, Cargill, Hagan, Alexander, Gallagher, Blackwood, (Grant 65), Voigt. Subs: Thompson, Pepper, Lawson, Robertson, Ross.

Musselburgh Athletic 0

Lochee United 2