28th February 2023 Bonnyrigg Rose 1 Forfar Athletic 1

 

I had hoped to have been at this match on 18th February. However New Dundas Park was waterlogged and the game was called off in mid-morning. The weather in Edinburgh was fine but with the Hearts B match at Rosewell, a couple of miles from Bonnyrigg, also called off the weather in Midlothian must have been poor. I knew Jim was going to the re-arranged fixture and when I met Alex for coffee last week he also said he was going along. I checked out the bus time tables and decided to aim to get the 18.26 bus from Haymarket. The journey to Bonnyrigg takes just over fifty minutes so I should be there in plenty time for the 19.45 kickoff. I arrived at the Haymarket bus stop where the destination board showed a bus to Ponton Mill, Bonnyrigg due in nine minutes. The board moved on to due and then suddenly the bus disappeared from the board with the next bus not due for another fifteen minutes. Thankfully the earlier bus must have been delayed in traffic and arrived around four minutes late. On the way the Bonnyrigg the bus was delayed by temporary lights at Kirk Brae and on arrival in Bonnyrigg further memory lights in the High Street lead to further delays. To make matters worse the stop nearest the ground was closed because off the roadworks and I therefore was unable to get off the bus until it turned into Dobbies Road. I walked back towards the ground and paid my seven pounds admission and bought  a £2 programme. Jim came in just after me and we walked round to a stance near the dugouts to watch the warmups. However after a few minutes a drizzle started and we headed back to the covered terrain near the entrance. Thankfully the rained eased before kickoff and we headed back towards the uncovered area of the ground taking up a stance at the fence looking towards the goal Bonnyrigg would be attacking.

Bnyrigg started the season well but have a disastrous spell since the New Year. They have fallen to the foot of the table Two points behind second bottom Albion Rovers. They have however signed a number of players in the transfer window with midfielder Robbie Mcgale(Peterhead) and forwards Zander Murray(Gala Fairydean) and Alieu Faye(Civil Service Strollers) on permanent details along with loanees Paddy Martin(Falkirk), Kieran Mitchell(Raith Rovers), Andy Rodden(Clyde) and Aaron Arnott (Raith Rovers). With ten matches remaining Rose are looking for improved results to avoid being faced with a play-off to retain their SPFL place.  Forfar were in trouble earlier in the season but the appointment of manager Ray McKinnon has lead to improved performances. He was manager at Dundee United for a spell and has taken a number of young players on loan from United which has lead to improved performances. Forward Nathan Flanagan was a Hearts youth player but only one one first team appearance as a substitute before playing for a number of lower league sides.

The match started with Forfar on top and centre forward Ben Armour shot over the bar early on after The Rose defence missed a high ball forward as Armour ran to the edge of the box but his shot was too high. Bonnyrigg came more into the game but despite a lot of possession were unable to create any clear chances. Just after the half hour Forfar broke down the left and a low cross into the box found Seb Ross on the edge of the six yard box. He scuffed his shot into the arms of grateful Paddy Martin in the Bonnyrigg goal. The first chance for Bonnyrigg came from a corner where Kerr Young's header was blocked at the expense of another corner. This time the ball fell at Young’s feet  but he screwed the ball across the goal and out for a goal-kick. 

Scott Gray was helped from the field after treatment for an injury and replaced by Mcgale. Bonnyrigg had the first chance in the second have but Callum Connolly shot past the left hand post from the centre of the penalty box. There were loud cheers from the Bonnyrigg fans after sixty-two  minutes when local hero Kieran McGachie came on as a substitute for Kevin Smith. McGachie, who has scored 108 goals for the Rose, has been injured for a long part of the season and his power and goal-scoring ability has been missed. Forfar’s Andrew Munro came close with  a header from a set piece but the ball was cleared by the Bonnyrigg defence. However it fell to Forfar’s Mark Docherty on the left and he was clipped by Mcgale as he entered the penalty area. From where we were standing it look soft but the referee awarded a penalty. Armour converted the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner in the seventy first minute. Minutes later Bonnyrigg substitute Ross Gray went down in the Forfar penalty area. From where we were standing it looked like another penalty but referee Colin Whyte waved play on. Bonnyrigg were desperate for an equaliser and had used all five permitted substitutes. It was surprising however the Faye had not been brought on as he has an awkward but effective style which troubles defenders. Mitchell was booked for diving as he attempted to win a penalty before Bonnyrigg equalised in eighty-three minutes. Ross Gray was fouled out near the right touchline. Free-kick specialist Lee Currie floated the ball towards then far post where McGachie bundled it home from inside the six yard box. Jim was taking a video at this time and this showed the ball had gone in off the strikers chest. As the match moved into injury time Connor Doan had a shot from outside the penalty box well saved by Forfar keeper Marc McCallum. In the fourth minute of injury time McGachie again had the ball in to net despite being held back by a defender in the six yard box. Unfortunately the linesman had his flag up for offside and the ’goal’ was disallowed. the match ended in a draw leaving Bonnyrigg three points behind Albion Rovers at the foot of the table. The pair meet at Cliftonhill in a couple of weeks and that should be an interesting match to watch.

It took some time to get out of the ground due to congestion at the eits. However Jim offered me a lift back into town which I gratefully accepted. To avoid the High Street roadworks we headed out towards Tesco at Hardengeen and then onto the bypass and in via Morningside. I was dropped off at Tollcross and home by ten thirty.

Teams

Bonnyrigg Rose: Martin, S. Gray, Doan, Young, Grigor, Horne, Murray, Stewart, Smith, Connolly, Arnott.

Subs: Mcgale, McGachie, Currie, R. Gray, Mitchell.

Forfar Athletic: McCallum, Gillies, Docherty, Robson, Munro, Hutchison, Ross, Slater, Armour. Moore, Flanagan.

Subs: McCluskey, Aitken, Hutton.