28th January 2020 Bonnyrigg Rose v Bo’ness United 3-0

I was originally going to watch Tynecastle v St Andrews at Meggetland but changed my mind when I saw the Bonnyrigg had re-arranged their Football Nation Cup match with East of Scotland Premier League leaders Bo'ness United for tonight. Jim is just home from a holiday in Italy but he texted me to say he was also going and we arranged to meet at New Dundas Park. I caught a 31 bus at Haymarket to head out to Bonnyrigg at 18.5. It is normally a journey of just under an hour so I took my iPad to read to keep my occupied. I am currently reading a book about Borussia Dortmund called "Building the Yellow Wall" and it is a very interesting account about the rise of the club in both German and European football. My reading was interrupted by a couple sitting in the seat behind me loudly discussing items in a restaurant menu in the seat behind me. By the time we reached Bonnyrigg around 19.10 I was feeling hungry although I had eaten before I left home. I paid my £6 to enter the ground and another £2 for a programme before taking a pace in the covered area around 19.15. Jim arrived about five minutes later and we had a chat about his holiday. He had managed three matches in his ten days away and showed me pictures of the grounds. Como looked stunning with views of the Alps in the background.

Bonnyrigg are currently second in the Lowland League after winning promotion from the East of Scotland League last season. They are six pints behind leaders Kelly Hearts although they have two games in hand. The two sides have not played each other yet and it looks as if the two league fixtures will decide this seasons champions given there is currently a further five point gap to the third and fourth placed sides. Bonnyrigg made few changes tonight to give some fringe players match time. Regular players Jonny Stewart, George Hunter and the Gray brothers Scott and Ross did not start. Into the side came Daniel Baur, Lewis Turner and Jamie Docherty. Bo'ness currently lead the East of Scotland Premier League by eleven points although second place Hill of Beath Hawthorn have four games in hand.  Their side included goalkeeper Ryan Adamson and defender Devon Jacobs. Adamson was with Burntisland Shipyard last season and signed for Edinburgh City for the current season. he was released by City after a short period and has now joined Bo'ness. Jacobs previously played for Livington alongside his brothers Keaghan, Sheldon and Kyle. Devon, Sheldon and Kyle are triplets and made history when they played alongside their brother for Livingston in 2010 as the first time since the nineteenth century that four brothers had featured in a competitive first team match for a senior side.

Bonnyrigg suffered an early blow in the match when centre half Euan Moyes went down injured after a challenge near the halfway line. The referee stoped the game to allow treatment but Moyes was unable to continue and limped off to be replaced by Neil Martynuik. I hope the injury is not serious as Moyes is not only a good defender but also a threat in the opposition box from set pieces as his four goal tally this season shows. Bo'ness had the first chance when Mark McKenzie forced Mark Weir into a save by pushing his shot from inside the penalty box away for a corner.The early stages of the game were, however, mainly in midfield until Bonnyrigg took control of the match after around fifteen minutes.  Lee Currie had the first chance the Rose after a through ball from Jonathan Brown but the midfielder shot past the post from the edge of the penalty area. Currie was again in the action when a one-two lead to him being pulled done by Will Snowdon just outside the penalty area on the left. After Snowdon was booked, Currie took the free-kick himself and Adamson got down well in the Bo’ness goal to keep the ball out of the net. Bonnyrigg took the lead in controversial fashion after thirty-nine minutes. Docherty went to chase a through ball on the right hand side of the penalty area but stopped as he realised he was offside. The ball was cleared by Boness’ Ross Campbell. Campbell’s clearance was intercepted by Dean Brett who passed forward to Turner on the right. Turner playing a one-two with Docherty, who was now onside, and from near the byeline crossed to the far post for Keiran McGachie to head home from inside the six yard box. The Bo'ness defenders were not happy as they were claiming the assistant referee should have flagged for offside against Docherty in the first phase of the move. Given that Docherty had stopped and not gone for or played the ball I do not think their claims were justified. Minutes after the goal Martynuik tried a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Adamson could only push the ball away as he dived but the keeper adjusted his position quickly to push away Turner's follow-up effort for a corner.

The second half started in showers of sleet although we kept dry under the cover. Docherty had an early chance but shot one the bar from a pass by turner. The second goal came form the penalty spot in fifty-four minutes. Turner was taken down just inside the penalty box and Currie sent the spot-kick low into the net to the right hand side of the diving Adamson. That goal killed the game as no-one could see Bo’ness making a comeback from a two goal deficit. After sixty-eight minutes Turner had a shot from outside the box which Adamson did well to tip over the bar. Both sides used their permitted three substitutes but there were no further goals until the match moved into injury time. Bonnyrigg were awarded a free-kick on the left hand side of the penalty box about twenty yards form goal. Dead-ball specialist Currie moved towards the ball but Brett took the kick and curled the ball over the defensive wall into the net. That was the end of the match because the referee blew for full-time as soon as Bo’ness restarted the game. 

After the game Jim offered me a lift back town. We walked back to his car, thankfully the rain having stopped, and he dropped me in Lothian Road. I walked along Fountainbridge and got home around 22.15, in time to take Rufus for his last walk of the day.

Teams

Bonnyrigg Rose: Weir, Brett, Brown, Young, Moyes, Baur, Turner, Horne, McGachie, Currie, Docherty.

Subs: Martynuk, S. Gray, Hunter

Bo’ness Unite: Adamson, Jacobs, Hunter, Campbell. Comrie, Snowdon, Stevenson, Donnelly. Keast, Grant, McKenzie.

Subs: Morgan, Nimmo, Ritchie.