BU's Stumble to Defeat

Match Report by Bryan Copeland

Four friendlies complete with 2 wins a draw and a defeat it was the start of competitive action for the BU as a new dawn beckoned with the move out the juniors to the senior ranks in the new set up of the EOS Leagues. With a host of new places to visit and new teams to welcome to Newtown Park as the season goes on the game today welcomed familiar faces in Jeanfield Swifts who also just made the switch and played junior with the BU last season.
Into the match today and it was taken in by a fair crowd with the BU 1st to get on the attack, Keast should have scored but missed the target. 15 mins in and again a good chance came for the BU this time the 1st effort came off the bar and the follow up from MacKenzie was smothered by the visiting keeper. The visitors then got forward but Murphy was alert and off his line quickly. Another good stop from Murphy prevented the visitors getting a breakthrough before another chance came and went for the Home side. The ball was soon curled towards Murphy’s goal this time going over the cross bar. Forward came the BU again and in went another goal bound effort this time it was cleared off the line before Keast had a superb left footed volley tipped over the bar by the visiting keeper and away for a corner. 36 minutes in and the blow came for the BU as the visitors broke forward quickly and the ball was dispatched low into the net BU 0 - 1 Jeanfield. With the home side having most of the possession and creating good chances and the visitors quick on the break the half ended BU 0 - 1 Jeanfield Swifts.
Into the 2nd half and the visitors were 1st to get forward with a couple of good chances 1 after another. It was then corner to corner as 1st the BU swung in a corner then the visitors cleared and broke quickly for a corner of their own. Down the right wing came the BU and a ball was flashed over the box but no one was on the middle to get on the end of it and the ball rolled away for a goal kick. In came another shot on goal from the home side this time from outside the box but the ball went high over the visiting keepers cross bar. A corner from the visitors then came to nothing and with a ho support now getting slightly frustrated the BU sims were seen warming up behind the goal. Hunter made his way into the referees book with a yellow card stopping a quick break from the visitors. Then as another effort went wide of the post from the home side the referee blew for a foul. The 1st chance came from BU manager Kerrigan as Donnelly passed the captains band to Hunter and went off for Jacobs to come on. This caused a reshuffle on the pitch as well as Snowden went to central defence with Hunter, Jacobs came on and went to right back and McDonald moved from central defence to midfield where Donnelly had just vacated. Straight after the change however the BU found themselves 2 down down as the visitors made a few passes to create a chance which was finished off into the back of Murphy’s net. BU 0 - 2 Jeanfield with 20 mins to go. The 2nd change for the BU came when McDonald was replaced by Zubadi. A free kick for the BU gave a chance to get the ball in the box but it was a poor delivery, Hunter managed to get on the end of it but the keeper punched away easily and the visitors were quickly on the break again with he score almost going to 3-0. More tactical changes came from the BU manager following the substitution with Zubadi going into central defence and Hunter (a central defender) being moved up front. As the last 10 minutes approached the visitors were looking the most likely to score as yet again the got forward and won a corner. Another corner shortly followed before with 5 mins to go the Home side got forward only to see the keeper and defence do well to clear for a corner. In it came and the effort was directed towards goal but went just over the bar