Match Preview

Bo’ness United complete their initial trio of league games with a visit to Humbug Park to play Crossgates Primrose. Having had limited contact with the Fife side the BUs met Primrose no less than four times last season including three matches in a row near the beginning of the campaign. Bo’ness won each encounter but none of the games proved easy and the first meeting at Newtown Park in the Football Nation Cup was only settled by an extra time Fraser Keast goal. The BUs won the League game at Humbug by the odd goal in three Will Snowdon and Brian Morgan on target for Bo’ness while Lyall Shaw countered for Crossgates.

The final game of the three, an Alex Jack Cup tie at Humbug Park proved an interesting contest. Bo’ness were ahead at half time thanks to Stuart Hunter and just after the break Mark Wilkie was sent off before two yellow cards saw Ryan McDonald follow his Crossgates team mate into the pavilion. Hunter scored a second and things seemed easy for the BUs particularly when Douglas Swan was also dismissed after a second caution. However Scott Hynd pulled one back for Crossgates and the eight might have drawn level in the final minutes as Bo’ness struggled to see out the game. At the tail end of the season Crossgates visited Carmuirs Park and scored early on through Darren Syme. Nicky Prentice and Ian Syme scored for the BUs in the second half and although Allan MacKenzie was red carded just before the end Bo’ness held out for the points.

Crossgates were the surprise package last season, only a few years after coming back from a period in abeyance and joining the East of Scotland League from the lower reaches of the East Region League. Not only did Bo’ness find them a hard nut to crack but Primrose took many a scalp to win themselves a place in this season’s Premier Division. Their first game at Dundonald last Saturday was washed out and last night, despite scoring two late goals Broxburn had put away four earlier in the match and the points returned to West Lothian.

As for Bo’ness, they had hoped for a better start than the draws at both Broxburn and Dundonald. In saying that, although the displays were not great in either game, the BUs came back to gain a point and particularly at Dundonald they did not give up and were rewarded with a Fraser Keast equaliser three minutes into time added on. Manager Max Christie was not happy after the Broxburn match but was delighted with the late fightback in Fife. Bo’ness will get better and on top of the determination to do well that is embedded in the squad the results will also improve. Hopefully the BUs can get a first win of the season at Humbug Park and a short jaunt across the Forth should see a sizeable number of the BU Faithfull in place for the kick off.

John Spowart
01 August 2019