24th April 2019 Bonnyrigg Rose v Edinburgh United 4-0


Another trip out to Bonnyrigg for this King Cup second round tie. Had been child-minding in the afternoon and by time I got home I did not have time to have something to eat before heading out for this 18.30 kick-off as Bonnyrigg do not, as yet, have floodlights. Caught a 31 bus at Haymarket and, despite a hold-up due to roadworks  at the Murray's, arrived just after 18.00 at the ground. I got off the bus at the first stop after the Bonnyrigg Toll traffic lights and walked the short distance to the ground. I had forgotten I was not on a 31 to Bonnyrigg which stops just outside the ground rather than the Poltonhall bus which turns right at the lights and does not go directly to the ground. Paid my £6 entry and £2 for a programme and then headed for the sack bar. Got a coffee and a pie for £2.50 which was far tastier than the Tynecastle equivalents which would cost £4.80.

Bonnyrigg are still in the Challenge Cup, League Cup, Football Nations Qualifying Cup in addition to the King Cup and the EoS league play-offs. With a heavy fixture list to come the Rose made five changes to the starting line-up at Penicuik on Monday night. Surprisingly goals-scorers Keith Lough and Lee Currie were not included, being replaced by Keiran  McGachie, who has twenty-one goals this season, and Louis Swanson. Kyle McClung, previously with Edinburgh City, came in on left midfield with assistant manager David Burrell included as a substitute. Edinburgh United included Sonny Swanson, Louis' cousin, who was previously with Leith Athletic, although I am not sure if he was on loan or had been released by Leith whose season is now over. 

Bonnyrigg were expected to win this game convinced so much so that Jim had texted me saying he would not be going as Bonnyrigg would wallop United. The game started with Bonnyrigg having most of the possession. The first chance of the game fell to United after fifteen minutes. Shaun Conlan headed a Rose corner clear and found Sonny Swanson thirty yards from goal in his own half. He broke away up the left wing chased by Bonnyrigg defenders and cut into the penalty box where he squared the ball to David McKinlay. The strikers shot from around sixteen yards was parried away by the diving Michael Andrews. Bonnyrigg continued to dominate although were generally shooting from long range and did not trouble Shea Dowie in the United goal. Rose's best chance in the first half came when Aaron Murrell latched onto a through ball but was blocked by an excellent last ditch tackle by Rhys Kerr as Murrell pulled back his foot to shoot entering the penalty box. Murrell had another chance just before halftime but his free kick from twenty yards was blasted against the defensive wall with his attempt from the rebound also being blocked.

I do not know what manager Robbie Horn said to his players at halftime but Bonnyrigg found their shooting boots in the second half. Swanson tried a shot from twenty yards just after halftime which was touched away for a corner by the leaping Dowie. The first goal came after fifty-one minutes when McGachie challenged for a high ball with a United defender. McGachie's physical presence meant the clearing header did not go far and it fell at the feet of Murrell just inside the penalty area. He took the ball to the side of a defender and shot low past Dowie. The second goal arrived ten minutes later from a Swanson free-kick out by the left hand touchline following a foul on Neil Martynuik. The ball was fired into the six yard box and flicked on by full-back Jonathan Brown. The flick then came of a United defender, Sean Guiney, and flew past Dowie for an own goal. By this time United seemed rattled and three players were booked in quick succession although shouts from their bench seemed to indicate that the referee was favouring Bonnyrigg given none of their side were booked. After sixty-four minutes Lewis Turner scored an excellent third goal. He gathered a throw-out from keeper Andrews and raced up the field from his own half. About twenty-five yards from goal he flicked the ball out to the overlapping Brown and continued his run into the box. The full-back's return pass found Turner around fifteen yards from goal on the right hand side of the penalty box. The winger took the ball first time and shot into the far corner to put Bonnyrigg three ahead. Bonnyrigg were now well on top and a fourth goal came after seventy-six minutes when a one-two left Brown through on goal with only Dowie to beat. His shot came of the keeper to an unmarked McGachie to score from the edge of the six-yard box. United had a last chance for a consolation goal with a couple of minutes to go when Martin Maughan crossed into the penalty box after a run down the right. His pass found fellow substitute Gabri Auriemma whose shot was blocked by the legs of the diving Andrews. The final chance of the game came in injury time when Swanson was fouled on the edge of the United penalty box. Substitute Dean Brett took the free-kick which flew high and wide.

After the end of the game I walked to the bus stop in the High Street and caught a 31 back into town. At that time of night I was back in South Clerk Street in around twenty minutes and walked home from there along the Meadows. Still hungry when i got home I had a couple of rolls with sausages and then took Rufus out for his last walk of the day.


Teams
Bonnyrigg Rose: Andrews, Brown, McClung, K. Young, Horne, Martynuik, Turner, Stewart, McGachie, Swanson, Murrell.
Subs: Brett, Gray
Edinburgh United: Dowie, Kerr, S. Murray, Guiney, Conlon, Swanson, J. Murray, Mckinlay, Hay, Robertson, Brockie.
Subs: Auriemma, Maughan, Spalding.

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