Jambos in Crues as crowd laughs it up

Three Jambos fans walked to Belfast from Larne to raise £100 for the club’s fundraising efforts — and the team went the extra mile on the park.

There might have been a lack of craft, but there was no shortage of graft and that will need to be the case all season long if they’re to overcome their 15-point league penalty.

Skipper Danny Wilson shook off a thigh injury to make his first appearance of pre-season, while fit-again Callum Paterson was back in the starting line-up after a six-month lay-off.

Paterson, looking a bit rusty in the early stages, had an early chance to put the visitors in front but he blasted straight at keeper Sean O’Neill following Jason Holt’s excellent through-ball.

At the other end, Jamie MacDonald was called into action to tip away Nathan Hanley’s ferocious strike, while a Holt thunderbolt stung the palms of O’Neill. But within just three minutes of the restart the Gorgie side had the lead.

Paterson surged down the flank, dribbled round O’Neill and clipped in an inviting cross for Ryan Stevenson to nod home from five yards.

In reply, Crues’ eye-catching playmaker Hanley nearly caught out MacDonald from 40 yards with a wonderful effort, but he tipped over.

Deep into injury time Jamie Hamill sealed the win with a clinical penalty after Chris Morrow hauled down Jamie Walker.