8th January 2020 Bonnyrigg Rose 2 The Spartans 2

 

Finally going to my first match of 2020.  Had been looking to go and see Spartans on Tuesday in their local Derby against Civil Service Strollers. However despite being played on a plastic pitch the match was cancelled due to a frozen pitch. I believe that it can be difficult to clear a frozen plastic pitch as the plastic can tear in the process so I can understand why the game was called off. I was then going, again to Ainslie Park, to watch Edinburgh City v Elgin on Friday but I was late home and did not have enough time to get there. Today however it was first v third in the Lowland League with Bonnyrigg v Spartans at New Dundas Park. Further Covid restrictions have been brought in by the Scottish Government limiting attendances at outdoor event to 500.  I have no idea why that figure was chosen given Tynecastle can hold 20,000 while Ainslie Park around 3,000 but limit is the same for both. Maybe the government should spend time enforcing mask wearing on public transport and in shops to prevent the spread of the virus rather then penalising those who want to be outdoors. As a result of the crowd limit todays game was all ticket and I was lucky enough to get one. Most lower league clubs use the Fanbase app for ticketing however Bonnyrigg use Pitcheroo. As a consequence I had to order online and then collect my ticket before kick-off for entry to the ground. I caught a 31 bus at Haymarket and 13.00 anticipating arriving at Bonnyrigg around 14.00 to collect my ticket. Bus however seemed to have an uninterrupted run to Bonnyrigg and arrived at the outskirt around 13.40. I got off the bus at Broomieknowe and had a walk around the centre of Bonnyrigg before going to collect my ticket at 14.10. I was directed to the players entrance and collected my handwritten ticket from the Bonnyrigg secretary. 

It was still early so I went for a coffee before returning to the ground just before 14.30. No programmes were available as Bonnyrigg have said that issues will be suspended until the crowd limit is removed in an effort to prevent queueing at the entrances to the ground. I headed towards the covered  area and met Ian. We took up position at a barrier towards the High Street end of the ground prior to the game starting. 

Bonnyrigg had a few changes in their side. Full-back Johnny Brown, a firmer Hearts player,  who had retired through injury at the end of last season. He decided to return and has been on loan at Dundonald but was now recalled and starting at right-back. Upfront Ross Gray partnered Keiran McGachie with usual co-striker George Hunter on the bench. For Spartans Ian McFarland was missing in midfield. Alan Brown came in to replace him both in midfield and as captain. Euan Smith also started in central defence alongside Kevin Waugh. The recent thaw and heavy rain overnight had made the pitch look very heavy with sand having been spread in both goalmouths and the centre circle. However despite what the BBC website said the game was on. 

Bonnyrigg started well and opened the scoring after seven minutes. McGachie bundled his way past two defenders on the right and ran in the penalty area. He then shot from about six yards from the byeline and halfway between the goal and the edge of the penalty area. Blair Carswell got down well to block the shot at his near post. However the ball rebounded to McGachie who fired it back across goal. Smith was back pedalling to cover and the goal rebounded off him into  his own net to give Bonnyrigg the lead. McGachie ran away celebrating the goal but there was no doubt it was an own goal. Minutes later Bonnyrigg could have gone two ahead When a cross from the left was met by Gray about eight yards from goal. His shot beat Carswell but Waugh got back to clear the ball off the goal-line before the defence finally cleared. Michael Herd was booked for a challenge on Gray on the half-way line before Bonnyrigg scored again from the resultant free-kick in twenty-even minutes. The ball was played to Bradley Barrett who raced towards the goal line on the left. He passed the ball to McGachie on the edge of the penalty area. McGachie’s return ball found Barrett who had continued his run towards the byeline. The winger sent a low cross into the centre of the penalty area and the ball deflected into the net of , I think, Waugh to give Rose a two goal lead from another own goal. Spartans came back into the game and Sam Jones fired a shot over the bar from the edge of the penalty area. Spartans had another chance just before halftime when Blair Henderson headed a free-kick back across goal towards Jamie Dishington. Dishington was unable to get any power behind his header from twelve yards and Michael Andrews in the Bonnyrigg goal saved comfortably. 

The second half started being played mainly in midfield but neither side was really creating any clear chances. Just after the hour mark Spartans made a change when Alan Brown was replaced by his namesake Sean Brown. The substitute moved upfront alongside Henderson with Dishington dropping back into midfield. Strangely we had just been talking about Alan Brown and saying that he was not as effective in midfield now as he had been in the past as he no longer seems to want to take players on. Maybe of course it was due to the managers instructions given he was playing in McFarland’s defensive midfield role.  Cammy Russell had a a chance from a free-kick shortly afterwards but his effort from the left hand side of the penalty area flew over the bar. Spartans pulled a goal back after seventy-five minutes when they were awarded a free-kick near the left hand touchline about thirty yards from goal. The kick was floated towards the far post and missed by the Bonnyrigg defence. Ryan Finnie ran in to shoot past Andrews from around eight yards.  Bonnyrigg than had a chance when substitute Nathan Evans tried a shot from the left. The ball again took a deflection and rebounded off the crossbar. With five minutes to go Spartans equalised. Substitute Calum Burns sent a long ball into the Bonnyrigg penalty area. Th ball was headed into the air by a defender rather than being headed clear. The ball fell at the feet of Spartans substitute Brown and he shot past the diving Andrews at his near post. Some Bonnyrigg fans felt the keeper should have done better with his attempt to clear but I felt that any blame should be given for the failure to clear the initial cross into the penalty area. The final whistle went shortly afterwards after what I felt was a deserved draw between two good sides. The result was probably better for Bonnyrigg than Spartans as I cannot see Spartans making up an eleven point deficit over the remaining nine league matches.

After the final whistle Ian headed for the Lothian Street exit to catch his bus back to Dalkeith. I went out the main entrance and walked to the High Street. A 31 arrived after four minutes and I got off at Bernard Terrace to walk home along the Meadows. I was back just before six o'clock after a good day out at my first match of 2022.

Teams

Bonnyrigg Rose: Andrews, Brown, Martynuik, Horne, Young, Connolly, R. Gray, Stewart, McGachie, Currie, Barrett.

Subs: Turner, Evans

Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Maxwell, Waugh, Finnie, Jones, Dishington, A. Brown, Henderson, Smith, Russell.

Subs: S. Brown, Burns, Newman