SATURDAY saw a mixed bag of results for the five local East of Scotland League sides, but Premier clubs, Hill of Beath Hawthorn and Dundonald Bluebell, pulled off good victories.

For Crossgates Primrose and Lochgelly Albert though, there were league defeats, and for Lochore Welfare the day saw the end of their defence of the King Cup.

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 2, Kinnoull 1.

VETERAN Haws attacker, Calum Adamson, came back into the Hill of Beath side and was a key man in this Premier League success.

Kinnoull are fighting for their lives in the top division, and they made sure that the early stages saw Haws have to work hard to create good chances.

The visitors defended well, but on the half hour the breakthrough came for the home side, when Kai MacDonald laid on a chance for Adamson and he finished well.

That was what separated the sides at the break, and two minutes into the second period Dan Baur’s pass set Adamson up and he again showed his experience with an expert finish.

Kinnoull never gave up though, and kept at it, then in the closing stages Haws were reduced to ten men when, with all their available subs on, an injury saw them left short-handed but although Kinnoull pulled one back, Hill of Beath saw out the game to collect the win that takes them up to 37 points and seventh spot.

Manager Alan Moody was fit again after his bout of illness saw him miss last weekend’s fixture, and he was delighted with the way his team tackled the game: “We were without a few guys through injury, but the reshuffled pack did well with everyone playing their part in the win.

“We had to defend well in the closing stages, but that we did to keep our good run going.”

Penicuik Athletic 1, Dundonald Bluebell 2.

BLUEBELL started this game well and engineered some good chances in the first period.

Calum Strang’s movement was posing the Cuicky problems, but they defended well to keep the score level.

Then before the interval a good ‘Bell move saw Jordan Orru and Luke Kennedy combine with Regan Lumsden, to give Strang a good opening and he finished well to give them a half-time lead.

The second period saw Dundonald continue to have the better of things and Athletic had to defend well to keep them out, but the second goal came in the 70th minute when substitute Ross Brown showed good composure to make it 2-0.

Dundonald could have got a third but were denied by some good goalkeeping, then with the game into time added on, Penicuik pulled a consolation goal back.

The result puts the Bluebell on to 32 points, from 18 matches, sitting in eighth spot, but with games in hand, and manager Stephen Husband was delighted with his team’s performance: “It was a good away win and it keeps us very much in touch with the leading pack of clubs with matches in hand, so it is up to us to keep on collecting the points to give us a really good finishing position.”

Crossgates Primrose 1, Sauchie Athletic 2.

PRIMROSE came close to taking something from this match, with sixth top of the Premier League, Sauchie.

Athletic started the game strongly and posed questions for the home side, which they dealt with pretty well.

However, the Clackmannanshire side started to create chances and the took one of them, but Cammy Muirhead and David Cross were threatening for the home side.

Crossgates were keeping attacking but they just could not get level before the break.

The second-half saw Crossgates create some good openings, but somehow Sauchie remained clear and then they grabbed a second goal.

The home efforts were contained by the visitors although in the closing minutes Ross Philp got one back.

Primrose kept working hard and Sauchie had to defend well to get the win, which leaves Crossgates on 13 points from 19 games, three behind Glenrothes who sit just in the safety zone, but Primrose have a game in hand.

Heriot Watt University 3, Lochore Welfare 0.

THE Welfare’s successful defence of the King Cup came to an end at the Orium, as the students wore down the visiting challenge.

The opening stages saw both teams create openings, but defences dominated and after half an hour the score was level.

However, in 33 minutes the home side went ahead with a good finish, and then two minutes later they got a second as the Lochore defence was caught out.

Just before the interval a good Welfare move created a fine opening for Gregg Page but from close in he blasted over.

The Welfare needed to score early in the second period, but the goal just would not come and their King Cup defence came to an end on the hour with a third goal, on the break, from Heriot Watt.

Welfare boss, James Adam, was disappointed with the way things went: “It was a really right game but we got caught out in that two-minute spell before the interval and struggled to recover.”

Lochgelly Albert 2, West Calder United 3.

THE Berts’ seven game unbeaten run in the East of Scotland Third Division came to an end against title challengers West Calder, at Purvis Park.

United have returned to winning form after a lean spell, and made a strong start to this one, but Lochgelly were defending very strongly, until the 24th minute, when a mix-up at the back let a West Calder forward through to fire them ahead.

Then in the 28th minute Rhuaridh Garvie was adjudged to have fouled an advancing West Calder attacker on the edge of the Albert box ,and the free-kick was fired into the net to let the visitors lead 2-0 at the break.

Lochgelly started the second-half positively and forced several corners, but these did not produce a goal and in 54 minutes United went three up, but almost immediately Lochgelly won a penalty, only for Calum Bennell to fire wide from the spot.

However, the Berts’ pulled one back soon after, with a looping Innes Marr header beating the United ‘keeper, then Martin Woods headed in another and it was game on.

United were struggling now and Lochgelly kept attacking and as the game went into time added on a shot hit a United post but the ball stayed out and West Calder held on to end Lochgelly’s unbeaten seven game run.

The Berts are still in sixth place, on 26 points from 22 games, but committee man, Derek Patrick, was disappointed at the first-half performance: “We made a couple of key errors in the opening 45 minutes, and it gave West Calder an advantage, but after the break we started to produce some good stuff and it almost earned a point.”

Saturday’s fixtures, Groundhoppers Day, East of Scotland Premier Division: Luncarty v Crossgates Primrose 11.15am, Sauchie Athletic v Hill of Beath Hawthorn 8pm, Tynecastle v Dundonald Bluebell 2.30pm. East of Scotland First Division: Vale of Leven v Lochore Welfare 2.30pm. Third Division: Lochgelly Albert v Bathgate Thistle 2.30pm.