Duns Amateurs hit by new injury blow as striker Jonny Simpson makes comeback
Duns Amateurs were hit by a double blow on Saturday, seeing striker Jonny Simpson sidelined by a new injury just 20 minutes into his return to action after a prior one and their lead at the top of the Border Amateur Football Association’s A division cut to four points.
Simpson – their third top scorer last season with 24 goals, trailing teammates Danny Simpson and Jordan Yardley by one and five respectively – dislocated a knee less than a fifth of the way into his first appearance of this term after coming into collision with Eyemouth United Amateurs goalkeeper Robbie Brown, leading to the game being abandoned by referee Kevin Home as the arrival of an ambulance was awaited.
The Dingers were 2-0 up away to the Fishermen at the time.
Wishing Simpson well, a spokesperson for the New Hawthorn Park club posted later that same day: “Thankfully, Jonny is now out of hospital in a brace and on the road to recovery.
“Everyone at the club wishes this legend a speedy recovery.”
Seconding that emotion, their hosts added: “Everyone at Eyemouth wishes Jonny a speedy recovery.”
That was one of two top-flight fixtures out of four lined up for Saturday not to go ahead, along with second-placed Gala Fairydean Rovers Amateurs’ scheduled match at home to Stow.
That game was called off in advance due to eighth-placed Stow being unable to muster a team, leading to Fairydean’s ammies being awarded a home win, taking them to 24 points from 11 fixtures, four behind table-toppers Duns, having played one match more.
The two games that went ahead saw Tweeddale Rovers beating Earlston Rhymers 4-3 away and Leithen Rovers winning 3-1 at home to Berwick’s Highfields United.
Those results leave Tweeddale third on 19 points from 11 games, Highfields fifth on 16 from ten, their Innerleithen hosts sixth on 12 from ten and Rhymers seventh on ten from ten.
This coming Saturday’s A division fixture card includes Duns hosting Kelso Thistle and Fairydean at home to Leithen Rovers.
Three other top-flight games take Greenlaw to Chirnside United, Eyemouth to Highfields and Rhymers to Stow.
All five of those games kick off at 2pm.