bridge to nowhere

Satisfying to get the 3 points last night in a game which looked to be heading for a draw. Tynecastle will no doubt be disappointed to leave with nothing after putting in a decent shift. I didn't think Dunbar were at their best, albeit in challenging conditions, but they ground out the result anyway. This habit of finding a way to win close matches was vital to last season's success, so long may it continue. Quick mention for the referee. He's officiated a couple of matches at NCP I've attended this season and had a good game on both occasions. Generally lets the game flow and not blowing the whistle/flashing cards at every strong tackle like many do - refreshing to see. Penicuik will be another difficult match on Saturday, but another 3 points should be the target to set us up nicely going into the Scottish cup tie.

Interesting draw for Dunbar in the next round. East Fife you'd expect will be strong favourites but hopefully with a big home crowd behind them the lads can make a real game of it. With the pyramid being structured the way it is (44 teams vying for a single promotion place to the Lowland League) limiting the promotion or relegation prospects of many, there are plenty of clubs across the divisions yet to find their true competitive level in the pyramid. The opponents in the previous 2 rounds are probably good examples of this. I'm not saying that East Fife are such a team - they were playing League 1 football last season and have some very experienced players - but it will be a good opportunity for Dunbar to test themselves against SPFL opposition, and one they shouldn't be daunted by.

It really was a game of two halves. Dunbar didn't look like scoring in the first half and Haddington deserved their lead. I've been impressed with Barfoot in the games I've watched this season, and thought he was a miss for Dunbar after limping off midweek. Hopefully he isn't out for too long. The second half was a different story. The defence splitting pass for the equaliser was great, with a cool finish from Stewart. The winning goal itself wasn't pretty but credit to Handling for persistence. Great to see such a large crowd at NCP, with a healthy travelling support too.

It's good to see youngsters following their local team and attempting to create a bit of atmosphere at games, but there were a couple of times yesterday at NCP that some of them appeared to overstep the mark. Kids messing about with pyros is never going to end well, and from the chat round about us it sounds like it is a regular occurrence. It also looked like a few individuals were defacing the Dunbar sign behind the Haddington goal in the first half.

I've only started following Dunbar this season after moving to the town last year, but that was one of the best wins I've seen from them so far, in challenging conditions. Credit to all the fans who braved the weather, including a good few making the journey from Midlothian. Newtongrange started like a team who knew they realistically had to get a result to keep their title hopes alive. Dunbar did well to soak up that pressure and take their own chances when presented with them. I thought Goldie's defence splitting pass for the 3rd was excellent, and from what I've seen of him so far he's a player with the potential to play above this level if he keeps developing. There's a great setup at Dunbar which wouldn't look out of place in the SPFL. Let's hope that the club continues to build on and off the park and this could be a realistic target in the coming years.