12th January 2019. Bonnyrigg Rose v Haddington Athletic 2-0
Was not sure again where to go today as there were a number of good games on despite the SPFL being on their winter break. In the Lowland League options were Spartans v BSC Glasgow, Civil Service Strollers v Whitehall Welfare or Edinburgh University v East Stirling. While in the East of Scotland League choices included Newtongrange v Penicuik, Bonnyrigg v Haddington, Musselburgh Athletic v Hill of Beath, Lothian Thistle v Dunipace or Tynecastle v Bo'ness. As I have a season ticket for Spartans I was originally going to go there but after drawing at Whitehall last week Spartans league championship hopes are all but dead. I there decided at around 12.30 to head out to Bonnyrigg and walked down to Haymarket to catch a 31 bus arriving at Bonnyrigg around 13.35 for the 14.00 kick-off.
I had not been to Bonnyrigg for almost two years when the side were in the East Junior Super League. Bonnyrigg were one of the sides who moved up to the East of Scotland League and are now part of the SFA pyramid. Bonnyrigg currently sit top of Conference B with forty points from fourteen games and a goal difference of plus fifty-six. They had beaten Haddington 4-0 a few weeks ago in the away fixture and I was therefore expecting a few goals. Haddington, who also moved up from the junior ranks, are currently eighth in Conference B with seventeen points from thirteen games but when I saw them earlier in the season at Heriot Watt they looked a fair side.
The Bonnyrigg squad contained the majority of the players I had seen when I was last there. I was interested in seeing Lee Currie play for the Rose. Currie started his career with Hibs before moving to Berwick Rangers in 2011 where he was successful and earned a trial at Hearts although he was not offered terms. He moved to Newtongrange Star in 2015 before joining Bonnyrigg in 2017. While he plays in midfield he scores regularly, particularly from set pieces. Haddington were have problems with their team selection with regular starters George Cunningham, Darren Leslie and Andy Jones all suspended, in addition to top-scorer Grant Rose having being recalled by his parent club Berwick Rangers following the end of his loan spell earlier in the week. it is a pity Andy Jones would not playing as I used to work alongside his dad Gwyn and Andy used to go to the Hearts midweek European matches with us at Tynecastle after we had a meal in the Ettrick hotel. Just before kick-off I met Jim and we moved round to the grassy side of the ground leaning against a barrier near the dugouts.
The game started with Bonnyrigg having all the pressure although Haddington centre forward Ali Simpson headed over the bar after cross from the right. Bonnyrigg centre forward Keiran McGachie had an early 'goal' ruled off when he headed home from an offside position. McGachie had another chance as he raced in as Haddington keeper Dale Cornet attempted to clear the ball. The keepers clearance hit McGachie but bounced past the post. Bonnyrigg took the lead after twenty-seven minutes when Keith Lough volleyed home a cross from Lewis Turner from around twelve yards out. Lough joined Bonnyrigg from Penicuik last season and despite injury problems this was his sixteenth goal of this season in only his seventeenth appearance. Just after the half hour marked McGachie had another goal ruled off when a Currie header hit the post and bounced back to McGachie. He shot into the net but again the 'goal' was ruled off for offside. I think McGachie had been offside as the cross into the box came to Currie and the assistant referee adjudged that McGachie was gaining an advantage from being in an offside position in the same phase of play despite the ball coming back to him off the woodwork. In first half injury time McGachie finally got his goal after another cross from Turner arrived at him around ten yards out. McGachie leapt and headed the ball into the net to give Bonnyrigg a 2-0 halftime lead.
To be honest the second half of the game was a bit of a non-event with Bonnyrigg seemingly to be content with their lead although Haddington were trying hard to get more into the game. Bryan Young in the Bonnyrigg did not have much to do as the game meandered to the end. Currie was substituted near the end and to be honest I was disappointed with my first sight of him playing. He had one opportunity to show his prowess with free-kicks but sent the ball high over the bar. While he was tidy in possession and did hit the post with a header I had expected more given the reports I had seen in the press. Bonnyrigg had previously averaged almost five goals a game in league matches so I suppose Haddington felt a 2-0 defeat was a fair result given they had sent out a weakened side
After the game I walked to Bonnyrigg High Street and got a 31 bus back into town. Had my usual walk along Melville Drive to get home. When I got home I saw Chelsea and Newcastle was on BT Sport but instead watched Toulouse against Edinburgh in the European Rugby. An excellent win for Edinburgh gives them a great opportunity to progress to the knockout stages with a win next week clinching a home tie in the quarter finals for them.
TeamsThe Bonnyrigg squad contained the majority of the players I had seen when I was last there. I was interested in seeing Lee Currie play for the Rose. Currie started his career with Hibs before moving to Berwick Rangers in 2011 where he was successful and earned a trial at Hearts although he was not offered terms. He moved to Newtongrange Star in 2015 before joining Bonnyrigg in 2017. While he plays in midfield he scores regularly, particularly from set pieces. Haddington were have problems with their team selection with regular starters George Cunningham, Darren Leslie and Andy Jones all suspended, in addition to top-scorer Grant Rose having being recalled by his parent club Berwick Rangers following the end of his loan spell earlier in the week. it is a pity Andy Jones would not playing as I used to work alongside his dad Gwyn and Andy used to go to the Hearts midweek European matches with us at Tynecastle after we had a meal in the Ettrick hotel. Just before kick-off I met Jim and we moved round to the grassy side of the ground leaning against a barrier near the dugouts.
The game started with Bonnyrigg having all the pressure although Haddington centre forward Ali Simpson headed over the bar after cross from the right. Bonnyrigg centre forward Keiran McGachie had an early 'goal' ruled off when he headed home from an offside position. McGachie had another chance as he raced in as Haddington keeper Dale Cornet attempted to clear the ball. The keepers clearance hit McGachie but bounced past the post. Bonnyrigg took the lead after twenty-seven minutes when Keith Lough volleyed home a cross from Lewis Turner from around twelve yards out. Lough joined Bonnyrigg from Penicuik last season and despite injury problems this was his sixteenth goal of this season in only his seventeenth appearance. Just after the half hour marked McGachie had another goal ruled off when a Currie header hit the post and bounced back to McGachie. He shot into the net but again the 'goal' was ruled off for offside. I think McGachie had been offside as the cross into the box came to Currie and the assistant referee adjudged that McGachie was gaining an advantage from being in an offside position in the same phase of play despite the ball coming back to him off the woodwork. In first half injury time McGachie finally got his goal after another cross from Turner arrived at him around ten yards out. McGachie leapt and headed the ball into the net to give Bonnyrigg a 2-0 halftime lead.
To be honest the second half of the game was a bit of a non-event with Bonnyrigg seemingly to be content with their lead although Haddington were trying hard to get more into the game. Bryan Young in the Bonnyrigg did not have much to do as the game meandered to the end. Currie was substituted near the end and to be honest I was disappointed with my first sight of him playing. He had one opportunity to show his prowess with free-kicks but sent the ball high over the bar. While he was tidy in possession and did hit the post with a header I had expected more given the reports I had seen in the press. Bonnyrigg had previously averaged almost five goals a game in league matches so I suppose Haddington felt a 2-0 defeat was a fair result given they had sent out a weakened side
After the game I walked to Bonnyrigg High Street and got a 31 bus back into town. Had my usual walk along Melville Drive to get home. When I got home I saw Chelsea and Newcastle was on BT Sport but instead watched Toulouse against Edinburgh in the European Rugby. An excellent win for Edinburgh gives them a great opportunity to progress to the knockout stages with a win next week clinching a home tie in the quarter finals for them.
Bonnyrigg Rose: B. Young, Brett, Martyniuk, K. Young, Moyes, Horne, Turner, Stewart, McGachie, Currie, Lough
Subs: Wilson, Nelson, Gray,
Haddington Athletic: Cornet, Tufail, Harris, Hamill, Keenan, Chapman, ?, Hill, Simpson, McNeill, Nicholson
Subs: Cropley, Sives, Edmonston
Haddington Athletic: Cornet, Tufail, Harris, Hamill, Keenan, Chapman, ?, Hill, Simpson, McNeill, Nicholson
Subs: Cropley, Sives, Edmonston
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