Rose bag points despite Musselburgh fightback

The supporters who braved the elements at Olivebank were rewarded with an intriguing game.

Linlithgow started well and breezed into a two-goal lead inside the opening 12 minutes. The first arrived when Derek Strickland played Tommy Coyne in and Linlthgow's top scorer showed great composure to slot the ball past goalkeeper Renton.

Linlithgow's second strike also came from Coyne when he nodded in John Adam's pinpoint cross.

Rose were rampant in the opening half hour of the match and Coyne almost completed his hat-trick when his shot rattled off the underside of the cross bar.

The game turned, however, when Musselburgh pulled a goal back in the 36th minute. Paul Tansey was the supplier as his flighted cross was nodded in by Matti King.

The home team were back on level terms on the hour when Tansey was brought down by Kevin Donnelly and Matti King squeezed home the resulting penalty.

Chris King, who was making his debut for Musselburgh against his former club, came close when his shot glanced the post.

The game could have gone either way, but it was Linlithgow who bagged the three points when substitute Steven Manson's 20-yard drive rifled into the top corner of the net with only five minutes remaining.

Musselburgh Athletic: Renton, Gordon, Noble, Shand, Kerr, Morgan, M King, Beveridge, Renton, C King, Tansey (Draper 79 mins) Subs: Porteous, Russell, Ramage, Adams

Linlithgow Rose: Pinkowski, Donnelly, Virgili, Ward, Quinn, Tyrrell, McArthur (Nimmo 66 mins), Adam, Strickland, Coyne, MacLennan (Manson 66 mins) Subs: Nelson, Kelly, McPherson.

Musselburgh Athletic 2

Linlithgow Rose 3