Bo’ness United did not get the start to the season they were looking for as they suffered a home defeat to Jeanfield Swifts in the first game of the season. The BUs want to atone this Wednesday as they host Leith Athletic in the second of the three games to qualify for the later stages of the League Cup.

Leith Athletic is one of the existing members of the East of Scotland League and provide the first of the new opposition that Bo’ness will face this season. Leith are a long-established club with a range of teams from under 13s upwards as well as having a girls’ team. Like Bo’ness Leith lost their first match, going down at home against Oakley United.

If last season’s form is anything to go by, Leith will provide a stiff test for the BUs. The Edinburgh side finished fourth in last season’s table and is one of the better sides in the East of Scotland League. In saying that they were expected to do better against Oakley at the weekend and past form may count for nothing as it is difficult to compare sides from what were completely different Leagues.

Saturday’s game against Jeanfield Swifts saw Bo’ness create a number of early chances any of which converted might have made a difference to the outcome. However, once the Swifts got ahead it was always going to be hard for the BUs who in a lacklustre second half just seemed to run out of ideas. There is clearly still work to be done by both players and the manager to get individual and team form sorted out.

Bo’ness must learn from Saturdays defeat and have an early opportunity to put things right. They need to find the way to goal, converting any chances made while eradicating the mistakes that has proven to be their downfall in the past.

John Spowart
30 July 2018