Last Saturday at the Bonnyrigg match Jim and I discussed the importance of todays clash between Bonnyrigg Rose and Albion Rovers and decided, despite Scotland playing today, we would go along to watch. Jim was driving and we agreed to meet at Drumbrae for the trip to Coatbridge. I had lunch at 12.00 and then left home at 12.30 to walk to Drumbrae for the 13.30 pickup. The journey to Coatbridge was uneventfull as we chatted, mostly about football, and listened to the build-up to the Scotland match on the radio. The big disappointment for me was that Scotland manager Steve Clarke had picked Angus Gunn of Norwich in goal in preference to Hearts Zander Clark. We arrived in a Coatbridge and there were no parking spaces in the road before the ground, however just after the ground Jim turned up a hill and found a parking space. We walked back to the ground and I paid by my £10 admission. The gatemen told us that the match programme was on sale in the club shop which was ‘up the stairs and turn left’. The ‘shop’ was a portcabin on the terrace just back from the pitch. As we waited in the queue we heard a fan in front wanting to buy four programmes to ‘sell on EBay’. I had a look on EBay when I got home and saw a programme advertised for £5.25. Ok, this includes postage but even then is some profit on a £2 programme. I wondered if the staff should have declined to sell knowing the purchaser was intending to resale for a profit and also to have more programmes available for genuine fans.. After buying programmes Jim and I headed into spectator area of the the ground. We grabbed a couple of coffees, £1 each but far from a Costa standard, and then took up a position with the Bonnyrigg fans behind the goal. I had only been to Cliftonhill once before and the politest description I could find of the ground was ‘a dump’. I can confirm that this view remains unchanged. There is a stand and covered enclosure available to fans down most of one side of the pitch with uncovered terracing behind one goal. The area behind the other goal is a grassy embankment closed to fans. Down the area opposite the main covered enclosure is a covered standing area which had be closed to fans for a number of years due to safety fears.
Rovers, under manager Brian Reid, have beaten Bonnyrigg three times already this season, 2-1 at home and 2-0 and 4-0 at New Dundas Park. Given they won 5-1 at second placed Dumbarton last week it is surprising they are second bottom of the table. Winger Charlie Reilly is their top scorer with twenty goals in all competitions this season. He turned down a move to SPL side Dundee in the January transfer window. For Bonnyrigg manager Robbie Horn made two changes to the starting line-up from last weeks home draw with East Fife. Andy Rodden replaced Connor Doan at left-back while Kieran McGachie returned to the eleven, replacing Aeliu Faye.
Bonnyrigg made their intentions clear from the start with two strong challenges from Dean Brett on Reilly. While free-kicks resulted from the tackles Reilly did not look like a free-scoring striker for the remainder of the match. Bonnyrigg had the first chance in thirteen minutes when a corner from the right taken by Lee Currie was not cleared by the Rovers defence. Callum Connolly's shot from around ten yards lacked power and was blocked on the line then cleared by the defence. Kerr Young had a free header from another Currie corner. The attempt however was straight at goalkeeper Jack Leighfield who made a comfortable save. Paddy Martin in the Rose goal made a good save to stop a long range effort from Blair Malcolm at the second attempt as Rovers had their first first shot on target. Bonnyrigg's main attacking efforts came from Currie's dead ball expertise and it was a major surprise when he failed to get a corner past the near post with a Rovers defender clearing the ball. However things were back to normal and just before the half-time another Currie corner was met by McGachie header which flew past the far post. McGachie was playing well on his return and his strength and power was unsettling the Rovers defence.
Rovers made an early change in the second half with Jack Bevan replaced up front by Scott Roberts. Roberts is one of the more experienced players in the Rovers squad and was brought on to assist the youngers players in the team. The rain had now started to get heavy and we moved into the covered terracing where we were entertained by the moans of the Rovers fans. One even suggested that the 5-1 win last week had been a betting coup. Bonnyrigg went ahead in sixty-two minutes when a free-kick by Currie from about thirty yards out was met by Young in the penalty area and headed back across goal. Kieran Mitchell used his strength to get away from his marker and turned around twelve yards from goal on the left of the area to hit a low left footed drive past Leighfield and into the net. Rovers were struggling now and Connolly was denied a goal by a tackle as he was about to shoot. Rovers made a number of substitutions but were unable to breach a strong Bonnyrigg defence before the final whistle blew. The win took Bonnyrigg into ninth place in the table, one point ahead of Rovers. Subsequently it was announced that Rovers managerial doubles of Reid and Scott McKenzie had left the club by "mutual consent'. A risky move by the board unless they already have a new manager lined up I would have thought.
After the game Jim and I walked ack to the car. Despite three cars in front of us turning right into the main road we made a quick et away and headed back towards the M8 listening to comments on the Scotland match on the radio. Scotland had beaten Cyprus 3-0 although two of their goals had come very late in he match. While the M8 was busy with traffic from Hampden we made good time and Jim dropped me off at Drumbrae. I caught a 26 bus into Haymarket and was home by 18.00.
Teams
Albion Rovers: Leighfield, Fagan, Fernie, Sonkur, Graham, Fleming, Wilson, Leslie, Bevan, Malcolm, Reilly.
Subs: Roberts, Wright, McCulloch, Paton.
Bonnyrigg Rose: Martin, Brett, Rodden, Young, Grigor, Horne, R. Gray, Connolly, McGachie, Currie, Mitchell.
Subs: Arnott, Martynuik, Murray, Faye
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