Camelon Juniors 2-4 Dunipace: Denny side deliver derby day demolition job in East of Scotland first division

Dunipace celebrate going three goals up against Camelon (Photo: Alan Murray)

The Denny side came into the East of Scotland first division outing five points behind Gordon Wylde’s previously unbeaten Mariners – but they were three goals ahead and cruising at the break after a stunning showing.

"We got the ball down and really caused Camelon a lot of problems,” Smith told the Falkirk Herald. “We were 3-0 up at half time and I don’t think anyone could argue with that scoreline. In the second half, it was always going to be tough but we responded well to losing the first goal and we won it quite convincingly.

"Credit where credit is due, Camelon’s facilities are first class now and the pitch is different class – what a job they have done to have a surface like that at this level of football. We went into the match knowing that the surface would suit them, but that it would also suit us because we want to play too.

Sam Colley rolls home for Dunipace (Photo: Alan Murray)

"Going into the match, it was a six-pointer really. We knew we had to claw back the teams at the top and if we had lost, we would have been eight points behind, whereas now we are right in the mix again. I’ve been happy with out start to the season and we have of course only had two matches at home.”

Smith, who led the club last season to two cup finals, reckons his side this season can now cope with the demands of playing in all competitions after going with a younger group. Dunipace now sit in fourth spot in the league only two points off table-toppers Whitburn.

He added: “I am seeing enough that we are going in the right direction with this group and they are young. They work for each other on the pitch and that is key. The reason we won is because Camelon couldn’t deal with how quickly we got at them throughout, the way we chased things down and worked off the ball was superb – they didn’t know what had hit them.

"They have been streamrolling other teams but we were the ones who took the game to a different level, and it probably got them thinking ‘we are a bit off it today’ and that is a hard thing to brush get over.”