Wick Academy 2-2 Bo'ness United

"Fan View" match report submitted by BRYAN COPELAND! Thanks Bryan.

Scottish Cup Round 1
Wick Academy v Bo’ness United
Saturday 18/09/2021. KO 15:00
Harmsworth Park, Wick.

Bo’ness Team
Murphy (Gk). McCormack, Skinner, Hunter, Stevenson, Gemmell (c), Miller, Galbraith, Wilson, Anderson, Flynn
Subs : Macauley, Locke.

It wasn’t that long ago fans of many clubs were tuned in to the SFA live feed of the Scottish Cup draw for Round 1, imagine the Bo’ness faces when Wick academy came out followed by us.
A team bus leaving not long after 6 and a Supporters bus heading out of Bo’ness at 7am plus people making a weekend or a night of it in or around Wick.
I’m reliably informed it’s a 255 mile trip there and the same back, if that’s not dedication then I don’t know what is. I’m sure however like most that are making the trip it will be a day to look forward too and a great day out provided of course the result goes the right way, it’s a long way home if you lose but let’s not think about that!

The loyal Bo’ness support are getting used to long away trips and as fate would have it they have all been positive with two trips to Gretna and a midweek trip to Berwick all in the space of two weeks, followed by a home game then today’s trip to the North of Scotland.
Wick Academy are a well established Highland league team so hopefully Lowland League Bo’ness can out on top of this one.
I was also told the the pitch has a 9 foot slope so it will be interesting to see who wins the toss and what they decide for the first half. All in all a good day out and a good game with the BU winning will do just fine.

Into the match then and the BU got us underway after Wick winning the toss and choosing to kick up the dramatic slope in the first half. With less than a minute gone the referee should have produced his 1st card of the game but chose not too after a shocking challenge just past half way from the home side. The home side broke forward up the left and a ball fizzed over the visitors box thankfully coming to nothing. The first chance for the vistors came in the way of a free kick which was blocked by the wall. Soon after though Gemmell did well and laid a great ball off for a shot which McCormack put high and wide. 18 minutes in and the opening goal came with a corner very nicely swung into the box and with no one watching Jack Henry got a free header and made no mistake. Wick 1 - 0 BU and a worrying lead so far as the visitors were concerned as the home side are currently kicking up the hill. A corner at the other end saw a good ball swung in by Galbraith but no one was on the end of it before the ball went for a goal kick. With not a lot of action at either end for a while it was looking like the home side would protect their lead however six minutes from half time a beautiful ball curled in to the six yard area found Miller who made no mistake in scoring the equaliser. Wick 1 - 1 BU. McCormack done well down the left for the visitors and played a decent pass inside to Flynn who in turn found Gemmell who fed a ball through to the box almost finding Miller, but the ball was touched away then cleared high up towards the half way line. Flynn picked up the ball and tried to move forward however he was easily dispossessed before reaching the edge of the box.

Half time Wick Academy 1 - 1 Bo’ness United.

Into the second half and within minutes Skinner was shown a straight red card for the visitors after the referee deemed him to go into a tackle showing studs just over the half way line. A quick substitution by BU manager Max Christie saw Wilson replaced by Locke then a minute later a ball swung into the box was headed into the net by the home side making it Wick 2 - 1 BU all in an action packed opening 5 minutes. A good ball into the box from the left almost had the visitors an equaliser but when the ball was picked up by the home side they were quickly on the counter attack only for Murphy to be alert and gather the ball as it was fizzed over the six yard box. A second change for the visitors saw Stevenson replaced by Macauley 17 minutes into the half. Murphy was on hand to save a close range shot after a through ball towards the edge of the six yard box with the visiting keeper doing really well to save with his feet and send the ball for a corner. Hunter headed the ball well clear and a shot back towards goal from the home side went high over the bar. The visitors loaded the box for a free kick on the left but Galbraith put nothing on the cross and the ball never made it past the first man on the edge of the box. The visitors were giving the travelling support very little to shout about after making the long trip north but a cheer did go up with 17 minutes to go as Miller broke into the box from the right and rolled a ball across the 6 yard like deceiving the home keeper and Flynn was on hand at the back post with the simplest of finishes. Wick 2 - 2 BU. Michael Gemmell showed a cool captains head as he easily dealt with the ball coming at him from the half way line before a few minutes later the home side sent a shot from distance high over the bar. A dangerous ball was sent across Murphy’s goal from the right and hit a defender for a corner while the visitors were unhappy there was no offside from the linesman. Six minutes to go and the visitors found themselves with 9 men to finish the game as McCormack saw red and from the resulting free kick the ball had to be booted clear from the box. Just a couple of minutes to go and cheers from the away support as Murphy gathered a shot from the left side of the box as now the draw would feel like a win for the BU. With 3 minutes added on and no more action the match ended Wick Academy 2 - 2 Bo’ness United.

Both side will replay next Saturday at Newtown Park 3pm kick off.