Stoneyburn boss hails 'absolutely phenomenal' players after cup shock victory

Stoneyburn boss Steven Sharp says his players were ‘absolutely phenomenal’ after defeating Berwick Rangers despite a four division gap between the side.

The Fulshie produced a stunning East of Scotland Qualifying Cup second round upset as goals from Cameron Donaldson and Ryan Robertson sent the Fulshie through.

There was special poignancy to the result, too, coming a day before the first anniversary of the passing of long-time secretary Steven Macmillan.

The hosts got off to the perfect start as Donaldson fired them in front inside the opening 60 seconds but many will have assumed the Lowland League visitors would go on to seal a commanding win after Martin Rennie levelled things up on 11 minutes.

But the East of Scotland Division Three outfit refused to wilt and grew back into the game before Robertson fired them back in front. They passed up chances to extend their lead, with the woodwork being rattled and Berwick defender Jamie Pyper clearing another effort off the line before the final whistle brought ecstatic scenes at Beechwood Park.

A delighted Sharp told the Courier: “I think we deserved it, which in some ways is the most pleasing aspect. It wasn’t a backs to the wall performance where we’ve kind of been lucky to hold on, I think we were the better team.

“Nobody outside of this club gave us a chance but we believed. We all genuinely believed that we could win the game. We knew we had to be close to perfect, but everyone believed that we were good enough and had enough ability in that team to get a result.

“The discipline, the shape, the work-rate, the attitude, everything. The players were absolutely phenomenal.

“It proves that if you work hard, then sometimes you get the rewards you deserve. It was a special