Bo'ness United 2-4 University of Edinburgh

"Fanview" Match Report submitted by BRYAN COPELAND!

Lowland League Cup North East Section
Bo’ness United v Edinburgh University
Tuesday 15/03/2022. KO 19:45.
Newtown Park, Bo’ness.

Bo’ness Team :
Adamson (Gk) Jacobs, Gemmell (c), Macauley, McCormack, Stevenson, Locke, Macleod, Mitchell, Walker.
Subs : Hawkins, Munn

A draw in the first match of this competition away to Civil Service Strollers last Tuesday leave the BU looking for a win at home tonight to help out chances of progressing in the collection with an away trip to Spartans still to come in this section.
Bo’ness go into this game after yet another league defeat at the weekend the situation not helped by injuries and illness so it rill be interesting to see who is fit and available for tonight’s game. The injuries certainly won’t help Gaffer Max Christie with a busy schedule of weekend and midweek matches going on for the foreseeable few weeks.
Both sides have met twice already this season in the league the first a midweek match in Edinburgh where Bo’ness won comfortably however the return match was much closer ending in a goalless draw with conditions not great weather wise.
With both sides drawing their opening matches last week tonight Is a good chance at home to take advantage for Bo’ness and getting back to winning ways will certainly be what everyone is looking for.
It’ll be a tough night however with the home squad threadbare due to illness and injury.

Into the match then and inside the opening 3 minutes the 1st goal came a great cross from the right found McCormack who got up higher than anyone else to power a header past the Uni keeper. BU 1 - 0 Uni. It was a really positive start from the home side and they came close again just a few minutes later a low drive going just wide of the post. The visitors settled down over the next 10 minutes and enjoyed a good spell of possession before putting loan goalkeeper Adamson to work, sloppy play gave the ball away 35 yards out and a through ball was hit low 1st time, Adamson was equal to it getting down low and smothering the ball.
Jacobs had a shot from distance for the home side that went wide of the post on 19 minutes as they once again tried to get a hold on the game. Flynn was dispossessed just inside his own half but did really well tracking back to win the ball inside his own box then at the other end Gemmell linked up with Stevenson who played a good ball out wide to Jacobs his cross looked good but just didn’t curl back enough and the ball went out for a goal kick over the cross bar. The home side almost doubled their lead on 29 minutes as a ball was flashed across the 6 yard box McLeod was running in towards it but just couldn’t stop in time to control it and the ball hit off his body, it could have went anywhere but unfortunately for the home side it bounced and went wide of the post. Mitchell played a neat lay off to Walker who fed a ball through to Stevenson his low drive from the edge of the box went wide of the post. 33 minutes and the visitors levelled the tie most of their play was down their left hand side and this time the home side failed to stop it. into the box came the ball leaving a simple finish. BU 1 - 1 Uni. Fast forward just 1 minute and it was like a carbon copy once again the visitors came down the left hand side which was left wide open for them, a lesson the home side should have learned throughout the game but clearly hadn’t, the same ball came across the box with the same result. BU 1 - 2 Uni. Things were starting to unravel for the home side and a minute later things got worse, a cynical tackle saw McCormack summoned by the referee and after both stood together on the pitch the card was red, whether it was just for the tackle or for words spoken after I’m not sure. Down the left came the visitors again as once more no lessons were being learned this time Gemmell standing in at centre half cleared the danger. The home side are left to rue the missed chances at the start of the game while the visitors will be delighted to have turned the tie around.
Half time Bo’ness United 1 - 2 Edinburgh University.

Into the 2nd half and the visitors had a couple of early chances a cross from the left saw a low shot go wide of the post and too much space offered allowed a shot from the edge of the box which Adamson saved. 56 minutes and with the warning signs not acted on by the home side again the visitors found themselves in acres of space down the left hand side this time a perfectly weighted cross was sent over towards the penalty spot where the attacker opened up his foot and curled the ball neatly into the corner of the net. BU 1 - 3 Uni. Things only got worse for the home side on 61 minutes as the ball was given away close the their own box, a through ball was fed inside the box and struck first time high into the roof of the net. BU 1 - 4 Uni. Once again the space was there for the visitors as it looked like Bo’ness had given up acres of space on the left to cross and a man standing on the edge of the box with no one near allowing plenty time to control the ball before shooting towards the top corner only a really good save from Adamson stopped the score line getting worse for the home side. The home side did get a ball forward but as it was met near the edge of the box the flag went up for offside. As the home side got forward appeals for a foul right on the edge of the box were waved away by the referee and the visitors got the ball forward quickly, the home side looked to be caught short but got away with it when the linesman flagged for offside. Stevenson had a shot blocked on the edge of the box with just a few minutes left then a minute later the home side had a goal to reduce the deficit. Mitchell placing the ball low into the net giving the very few home fans that had turned out something towards the end. An unusually very very low crowd tonight compared to what Bo’ness normally get and no doubt this result will do nothing to encourage people back to the terraces sadly. 90 minutes and the space left for the visitors was still there on the left hand side and once again there was danger but no one seemed to deal with as a low drive flashed past the post.

4 minutes added and in that time another ball played in from the left this time to the penalty spot again Adamson called into action this time a simple save as the ball was straight at him. Full time Bo’ness. United 2 - 4 Edinburgh University.