SATURDAY was a good day for the five local East of Scotland League sides with wins for four of them.

Meanwhile, Lochore Welfare produced an encouraging show in collecting a point from their match at Thornton Hibs.

Hill of Beath Hawthorn 5 Glenrothes 1

HAWS were the big winners of this Premier Division Fife derby at Keirs Park with another five star performance.

They followed up their 5-0 demolition of Newtongrange Star in a cup tie the previous week with another excellent display.

Hill of Beath got off to the perfect start when, in three minutes, John Smith was fouled in the Glens box and Dan Watt converted the resultant penalty.

They doubled their lead when Lewis Elder opened up the Glenrothes defence and Jordan Tosh applied the perfect finish. Just before the break Callum Deas headed in a Brandon Luke corner to make it 3-0.

Glens were struggling to contain the eager home side, with Hill of Beath continuing to create openings, and in 70 minutes young striker Tosh struck again to make the points safe.

Glenrothes never gave up and, with five minutes to go pulled one back, but as the game went into time added on, Luke fired a brilliant free-kick into the top corner to complete a fine day for the Haws.

The win gives them seven points from their four starts.

Coach Darrin Wright was again in charge for this one, and he will also be at the helm for Saturday’s Scottish Cup second preliminary round tie at Fort William this weekend.

He said: “It was a very good performance by the lads in a potentially tricky game, and sets them up for the Scottish Cup tie at Fort William on Saturday.

“It is so important for the club to get as far as we can in this prestigious competition.”

St Andrews United 2 Dundonald Bluebell 4

AN impressive show from the ‘Bell at St Andrews moved them into a solid mid-table Premier Division position.

Dundonald made a good start to the game and took the lead in 25 minutes when a Lewis McKenzie cross into the box struck a United defender and rolled past the 'keeper.

However, an equaliser came soon after Tyler McKenzie mis-timed a tackle in his penalty area, with the home side converting from the spot.

This gave United confidence and they grabbed the lead shortly before the break. 

However, seconds from the whistle, Reece Brown sent over an angled ball into the St Andrews box and the gusty wind helped it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-2 at the interval.

The second half saw Bluebell have the better of things, and their third goal came after 65 minutes when Ross Drummond’s cross was perfect for Barry Sibanda to head home.

The home side had to chase an equaliser, but the Dundonald defensive work was sound and, with 15 minutes left, Lewis McKenzie was fouled in the St Andrews box.

He got up to strike home the penalty to make the result safe, and take the ‘Bell on to seven points and ninth place in the table.

Boss Jason Dair was happy with his team’s performance: "The first-half saw us punished for a few errors, but in the second period we played really well and were deserved winners.

"It will give the players confidence going into this Saturday’s home Scottish Cup tie with Premier Division side, Edinburgh University, a competition we dearly want to make progress in."

Crossgates Primrose 2 Kirkcaldy and Dysart 1

THIS First Division derby produced a keenly contested match with the sides overcoming the strong wind to produce some good chances.

Primrose got the best possible start, with a goal in only three minutes, when James McAteer was perfectly placed to knock the ball past the Dysart ‘keeper.

Kirkcaldy tried to come back quickly, but Crossgates dealt well with their attacks and started to create a few good chances. 

From one of them, Scott Hynd finished well to make the half-time score 2-0.

The visitors saw more of the ball after the break and in 58 minutes they pulled one back.

Kirkcaldy upped their game after this boost, but Primrose had chances to put the game out of sight, only to be denied by some good defensive work by the visitors.

Kirkcaldy and Dysart tried hard to get a leveller but Crossgates defended solidly to earn the win which puts them in fourth top spot in the First Division table on 10 points.

Thornton Hibs 0 Lochore Welfare 0

A USEFUL point for the Welfare against a team which has made a good start to life in the First Division.

The first half saw both teams defending well, but Gregg Page went clear and saw the Hibs ‘keeper make a great save, whilst James Kirby saw a neat finish go only inches wide.

In the second period, Thornton had a few more openings and Lochore ‘keeper, Declan Morgan, had to pull off a point blank save to keep his side level.

In the closing stages of the game, the Welfare’s Sean Cusick had a free header, only to watch as the ball slipped wide.

Lochore have two points from five games, and are in the bottom three, but only three points from the main body of the table.

Manager James Adam was happy with his team’s showing at Thornton: “It was a good away point and we maybe should have taken all three.

“We have signed three loan players from East Fife and two of them made their debuts at Thornton and did well.”

Lochgelly Albert 6 Pumpherston 1

THE Berts cemented their position at the top of the Third Division table with another emphatic win at Purvis Park on Saturday.

Pumphy have caused Lochgelly problems in recent seasons, but on Saturday they were blown away at a gusty Tap of the Toun.

The hosts got off to a great start by creating a lot of chances against the wind, and in 11 minutes, they went ahead when full-back Kieran Annandale took a free-kick on the edge of the Pumpherston box and, after his initial shot was blocked, the youngster blasted the rebound home.

The visitors were breaking fast with the wind behind them, and in one raid in 20 minutes, they equalised.

However, 10 minutes before the break, Lochgelly went ahead once more when they won another free-kick and Annandale this time fired his first shot past the ‘keeper.

A third goal came before the interval when Scott Russell did the spadework and his pass was perfect for Dylan Geddes to shoot home.

In the closing stages of the first half home ‘keeper Adam Shaw made two fine saves to preserve the Lochgelly advantage.

In 57 minutes it was 4-1, when Martin Woods latched on to a Callum Bennell pass to net, and in 63 minutes a corner from the left was deflected into his own by a Pumpherston defender.

Lochgelly kept attacking and, with nine minutes to go, Russell made another good break and he teed up Annandale to complete his hat-trick.

In the closing minutes of the game Pumphy were reduced to nine men as their frustration boiled over, and the Albert were down to 10 when Geddes picked up a second yellow card.

The result puts Lochgelly on 13 points from five games, at the top of the table. 

Committee man Derek Patrick was delighted with the performance of the side on Saturday: “The strong wind made it difficult for the players of both sides but again the lads created some very good chances and the finishing of young Kieran was first class.”

Saturday’s fixtures, Scottish Cup second preliminary round: Dundonald Bluebell v Edinburgh University (3pm), Fort William v Hill of Beath Hawthorn (3pm). Alex Jack Cup second round: Crossgates Primrose v Whitburn (2.30pm), Lochore Welfare v Peebles Rovers (2.30pm).