Burgh's four of the best

Published 14 Apr 2010 17:05 0 Comments

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RED MIST: A Johnstone Burgh player lies stricken on the pitch as the teams come to blows. Photograph by Joe Mulgrew.

By Kristian Truelsen - Johnstone Burgh 4 Wishaw 0

JOHNSTONE Burgh produced one of their best performances of the campaign to demolish Wishaw and prove their promotion credentials.

George Walker's side were on form on Saturday as they fired four goals past the Lanarkshire side, who "lost the plot" as they had four men red-carded.

Home player Craig Marr also received his marching orders for retaliation, but that couldn't take the shine off his side's magnificent display.

Burgh raced into a three-goal lead through Aidan Lennon, Scott Hamilton and John Sherry before Steven Fitzpatrick completed the rout in the second half.

The win means the Keanie Park side keep hold of fifth spot and are now 10 points off leaders Shettleston with three games in hand.

And assistant Eddie McKim was delighted his charges kept up their impressive form since the turn of the year.

He said: "It was an important win for us because Wishaw are near us in the table and we really need to win games like that.

"It was good that we are taking our chances a bit better now.

"Strikers live on confidence and it is important that they are taking their chances.

"We had the game sewn up by half-time and once we scored the fourth goal in the second half, their heads went down.

"If we can take six points from our next couple of games we will be up amongst the top teams and we will have a chance of going up."

Johnstone Burgh burst out the traps in the first half and Lennon put them ahead in stunning fashion when he unleashed a 30-yard free-kick that flew into the top corner.

Hamilton then doubled their lead when he turned the ball home from a corner.

And Sherry put them on easy street just before the break when he fired a powerful shot into the top corner.

The home team kept piling on the pressure and Fitzpatrick made it 4-0 when he darted past the Wishaw defence before coolly slotting the ball into the net.

The only low points for the Burgh came when defender John Cuddihy was stretched off after he was on the end of a rash challenge followed by Marr's late

dismissal.

McKim was gutted to lose Cuddihy and insisted it was harsh Marr saw red.

He said: "It was disappointing that John was stretched off but we are not sure how serious his injury is.

"And Craig was sent off late on in the second half because he retaliated after one of their players stamped on him.

"And of course when you retaliate to a bad challenge you are always the one that is caught.

"I think Wishaw's red cards were more in frustration rather than they were playing dirty though.

"It wasn't a nasty game but they didn't expect to get turned over and just lost the plot.

"They had two players sent off for punching and you can't get away with that at any level."

Johnstone Burgh's attention turns to the Central League Cup as they face Ashfield tonight (Wednesday) at Keanie Park.

Royal Albert are the visitors to Keanie Park on Saturday (kick-off 2pm).

This article appeared in The Gazette 14 Apr 10

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