Peebles earn worthy win against Dalmore

The final result was 2-1 in favour of the team from Peebles but the Dalmore players made their visitors work extremely hard for their success.

Two new Portakabins, which were donated by the Scottish Football Partnership are on site at the pitch in Auchendinny, near Penicuik, and provide excellent changing rooms for the kids.

You had to admire the commitment and effort from these two teams and the play went back and forward, up and down the big pitch without a halt throughout both halves of the game.

And you could not fault any boy on the pitch, but it was a reflection on the way the game was played that Dalmore's brilliant young goalie, Kyle Hannah, was much the busier of the two keepers on the pitch.

Hannah had a running personal duel with Peebles' big striker Ronan Baillie throughout the game and the Dalmore keeper had to come off his line several times to thwart him.

It was a great game to watch and Dalmore coach, Allan Potter, was on the move at all times, encouraging and praising his players.

Baillie went close to opening the scoring on several occasions but the combined efforts from Hannah and the home defence kept Peebles at bay. At the other end, the big visiting defenders were busy as well, with Dalmore's Gary Nicholson going close with a superb strike.

Peebles midfielder, Craig Howie, was another of the good young players on view and he also tested Hannah on a couple of occasions, along with Scott Martin. Ross Brydon was involved in several of Dalmore's best moves and he had a real crack at breaking the deadlock but it was still 0-0 at the half-way stage of a game well controlled by local referee Robert Marr.

On the restart, Baillie broke through on the Dalmore goal but Hannah denied the big striker yet again with a quite brilliant block and, when Sukraj Singh fired the rebound at the Dalmore goal, the keeper was back on his line to save again.

A goal had to come for Peebles and it was Baillie who eventually got the better of Hannah, 12 minutes into the second half, when he came in from the left side to smash a great left-foot shot low down into the opposite corner of the net.

But six minutes later, the game was all-square again when Brydon headed home the equaliser from a corner on the left by Danny Lyle.

Peebles then won another corner on the left and, when the ball was cleared out of the packed goalmouth, Howie was perfectly placed on the edge of the 18-yard box to plant a shot in over Hannah and into the back of the net to restore Peebles' lead.

In the closing minutes, the home side were awarded a free-kick in a good position 25 yards out but Scott Knight's shot from the set-piece went flying wide of the target and Peebles held on to their 2-1 lead to emerge deserved winners.

Dalmore: Kyle Hannah, Michael Watson, Scott Knight, Scott McBride, Daniel Mason, Gary Nicholson, Ross Knight, Matthew Steele, Jamie Samuel, Philip MacGregor, Danny Lyle, Lawrence Gearty, Andrew Brown, Ross Brydon, Dane Drummond, Connor Norris, Johnny Crawford.

Peebles: Gregor Amos, Stuart Young, James Parker, Elliot Winyard, Craig Howie, Thomas Penman, Brad Lochrie, Saul Keith, Scott Martin, Liam Neilson, Sukraj Singh, Kieran Clyde, Ronan Baillie, Jamie Boyd, Jamie Pincott.

Referee: Robert Marr.