Lochee United 2 Downfield 1

All the goals came in the first half of this league match at Thomson Park but all the talking points came in the second as a flurry of bookings and sendings-off coloured the action.

The home side threatened early on with Scott McComiskie and Danny Cavanagh both having headers that troubled Spiders keeper Grant Adam.

However, Downfield came even closer at the other end and the home side had keeper Jordan Millar to thank for getting down to foil Lee Cameron’s effort.

On nine minutes Lochee took the lead. A deep Stephen McNally cross appeared to strike the arm of Calvin Colquhoun and a penalty was awarded. Dougie CAMERON made no mistake, blasting the ball high into the net.

On 17 minutes it looked like it was game over when the Bluebells notched their second. Reece Ritchie crossed from the right and CAVANAGH was there to head past Adam.

Five minutes later Kevin Milne had the chance to put the game out of the visitors’ reach but he miskicked in front of goal after being set up by Cavanagh.

Downfield’s only effort at this stage was a 30-yard effort by Jonny Snowdon which flew over Millar’s bar.

Cavanagh then came close to making it three, but his shot was tipped round the post by Adam.

The Spiders were thrown a lifeline three minutes from the break when Kerr Hay went down in the Lochee box and a penalty given. Lee CAMERON gave Jordan Millar no chance and made it 2-1 at half time.

Downfield had a great opportunity to equalise when Marc Ogg bore down on goal in the opening minutes of the second period but new signing Ryan Blair put in a goal-saving tackle to deny the Spider.

With more than half an hour to go the Bluebells were reduced to 10 men when McComiskie was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Adam and Milne followed him into the book shortly afterwards.

Despite being short-handed the home side were never under too much pressure but that all changed 10 minutes from time when Milne also saw a second yellow for kicking the ball away and he was sent to the changing room, leaving Lochee with only nine men.

Downfield sub Connor McLeod spurned a good chance when he blasted wide of the target, but their hopes of salvaging a point were dashed when they too had a man ordered off, Dale Davidson the culprit for a fresh air swing at Cavanagh.

Despite that, there was one more great chance for the visitors in the dying seconds when Lee Cameron found himself in front of goal but Jordan Millar bravely blocked the striker’s shot, earning Lochee a narrow victory.

Lochee United: J Millar, McNally, D Millar, Kirk, Blair, Cavanagh, Cameron (Davie 72), Ritchie, Lawson, McComiskie, Milne.

Downfield: Adam, J Colquhoun (McLeod 73), Snowdon, C Colquhoun, Sivewright, Duffy, Cameron, Ogg (Davidson 65), Hay, Tracey, Roy (Hunter 60).

Match report by Jim Davie