Southside claim win in top of table clash

Newington started sharply and took the lead on 10 minutes when slack marking in the Southside defence allowed the visiting striker time to place the ball past the helpless Lewis Erwin in the Southside goal.

This was a wake up call for the Southside team who refused to lie down and came back into the match with good flowing football and Leon Bonnes pulled the team back into the game on 20 minutes when he picked up the ball just outside the area before neatly placing his shot into the bottom corner of the visitors net.

Big William Allen, the Southside centre half, had to leave the field of play following a high tackle on 22 minutes and on 30 minutes when it looked easier to score the Newington forward struck the post.

Southside were struggling to cope with the movement of the Newington forward line and again on 35 minutes were lucky to escape when the cross bar was rattled with another good chance for the visitors with the half time whistle a welcoming sound for Southside manager Colin Stewart.

With reorganisation complete, Southside looked the more likely team to score in the second half and on 70 minutes, the influential Stewart Nixon who raced onto a through ball before being hacked down inside the box.

The pressure penalty was taken by captain Jonny Logan who calmly slotted the ball neatly into the corner of the net with the keeper diving the wrong way.

Southside saw both Leon Bonnes and Josh McCready limp off with injuries as they battled to maintain their team’s lead but Southside were indebted to keeper Lewis Erwin who made two top class saves late on to cement his side’s position at the top of the table.

The team have no game this Saturday but will continue to prepare for the challenges which lie ahead during the season. Southside: Erwin, Kirk, McCready, Livingstone, Logan (C), Allen, Nixon, Bonnes, McNiece, R Stewart, Corrigan, Hamill, J Stewart, McDowell, Calderwood.