Bo'ness United 1-0 Sauchie

Report kindly supplied by BRYAN COPELAND

Match Report
EOS League Conference B
Bo’ness United

Back to league duty this week after a home win in the Cup last week keeping Gaffer Max Christie’s all win record so far in tact. The BU know today’s visitors very well having played against them in many previous seasons in the juniors and they will know that Sauchie can pose a threat as they are a well organised hard to break down team. The weather today may not help with a strong gusting wind blowing and torrential downpours of rain and hail seen before kickoff with a bit of thunder and lightning thrown in too as well as the odd bright spell but we will soon see how both teams cope with conditions and how the game goes. With the pursuit of 2nd place in the league still high in the agenda for the BU with Bonnyrigg running away with the title today is yet another chance to bank a good 3 points.

Into today’s game and the BU started against their preferred way going forwards towards the Kinneil School end and shooting towards the Fisons end meaning we were kicking with the afore mentioned strong gusting wind. Knowing this the home side tried to make an early impact and within minutes there was a couple of good chances created 1 forcing the visiting keeper to make a decent save. The next chance again came for the home side with a corner from the far side. Stevenson swung it in and the wind took it straight onto the cross bar with the keeper beat the ball bounced back out and was cleared. 20 minutes in and the visitors managed a shot on goal that turned out to be a routine stop for Murphy in the BU goal. Forward came the home side again and a great cross fell perfectly on the head of Syme at the back post unfortunately he headed straight into the gloves of the waiting keeper. Another chance came and went for the home side as Donnelly headed wide of the post as we desperately tried to take advantage of the wind before the visitors got it 2nd half. Some good passing and movement outside the box was allowing the BU to get balls into the centre but no threats on goal came for the next 5 mins or so and now with 7 minutes to go of the half the all important goal still wasn’t coming for the home side. 3 minutes to go and Donnelly fired a good shot on target from just inside the box the visiting keeper produced a fine save and the ball was cleared for a corner. The final action of the half looked like finally the breakthrough for the home side as the ball was swung in for a corner, Hunter got his head on it and as the ball was heading towards the top corner of the net it was cleared off the line by the defence with the keeper well beat.
Half time BU 0 - 0 Sauchie.

Into the 2nd half and even through they now had the wind the visitors didn’t trouble the BU goal in the opening 15 minutes with the only chance of not being from the home side against the wind that the visiting Sauchie keeper again saved very well. 20 minutes into the half and BU manager Christie made a double change as Prentice & Keast went off for Wright & McKenzie. With the home side still looking the better team as the visitors made no advantage of the wind at their backs other than a simple free kick into the box easily caught by Murphy in the BU goal. With 10 minutes to go the visitors tried to get forward again but were stopped by a good header away from Hunter at the back for the BU. Forward came the visitors again though and this time a decent shot from outside the box had Murphy making a half decent save. He distributed the ball quickly and put the on side on the attack and with a great ball in from the right Donnelly looked sure to score rim just yards out but he put his shot low and wide of the post not even troubling the Sauchie keeper. 3 minutes to go and forward came the visitors again but no threat as the wind took a cross well over the bar and out of play. Into injury time and with match heading for a 0-0 draw an old Sauchie player with literally the last kick off the ball met a great ball forward and took a touch before putting it high into the net past the keeper for 1-0 BU. The ball was centred and as soon as it was kicked the referee blew for full time. BU 1 - 0 Sauchie.