Sauchie left it late but eventually picked up a deserved win over high-flying Penicuik at Beechwood this afternoon.
Conor Kelly netted the winner in injury time to give us our fifth win in six games and take us clear of the bottom three.
There was just one change from the team which beat Camelon in the Scottish Cup, Stewart Houston replacing Graeme King at centre-back.
The front two of Kelly and David Grant looked dangerous in the opening stages, and the latter looked as though he would open the scoring when he picked up on a slack pass from Gary Hamilton, but goalkeeper Kyle Allison was alert to the danger.
The keeper then made another good stop from Craig Comrie after he had got on the end of a deflected Brian Morgan free kick.
Both Grant and Ant McTaggart were close to getting on the end of a terrific ball from Kelly, and Allison made a fine save to stop Grant opening his Sauchie account.
Jack Hamilton headed over for Penicuik, while Craig Comrie’s well-struck shot wasn’t far away from giving us the lead.
Houston was tremendous in defence and made the first of three crucial interventions when he halted Lumbert Kateleza’s counter-attack before the forward could make something of the chance.
Kelly drew another fine save from Allison before Iain Syme’s follow-up was blocked by the visitors’ defence.
Hamilton was causing a few issues up front and the 17-year-old Livingston loanee glanced a header wide of Darren Dolan’s post.
Grant could maybe have done better when he was played in by Morgan, only to send his shot over the crossbar with only Allison to beat.
Dolan was then called into action for the first time in the game, parrying away a Samuel Jones drive from the edge of the box.
We could have had a penalty when Morgan’s free kick hit an arm in the wall, but the referee waved play on and from that, Houston excelled again as he snuffed out the counter.
Substitute Darren Cummings was inches away from setting up Kelly with a fine cross, seconds after entering the fray.
Penicuik’s best chance arrived with five minutes to play and it was one they really should have made the most of. Craig Hume found space six yards out but could only send a header over the crossbar – a lucky escape for Sauchie.
Houston made yet another superb tackle to prevent Hamilton finding his way into a shooting position, before the game’s decisive moment arrived in added time.
Morgan drove into the box and cut the ball back to Kelly, who kept his composure to roll the ball home from close range and give us a deserved lead.
Penicuik had no time to respond and we saw the game out to record a vital win ahead of next week’s trip to Bellshill in the Scottish Cup.
Sauchie: D. Dolan, Sharp, Syme, Houston, Hewitt, Comrie (S. Dolan), McTaggart (Penman), Morgan, Kelly, Grant (Cummings), Morrison. Not used: Bell.
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