BO’NESS UNITED MATCH SUMMARY SEASON 2025/2026

Date – Saturday 01 August 2025
Competition – Park’s Motor Group Lowland League

East Stirlingshire 1
(O’Neill 47)

Bo’ness United 3
(Stevenson 3 57, Armstrong 83)

Bo’ness United showed their fighting spirit as despite playing most of the second half a man short they rallied to the cause, leaving East Stirlingshire with all the points.

The BUs made a great start scoring in three minutes, a Ryan Stevenson curling cross deceiving everyone including Shire keeper Jay Cantley who despaired as the ball went in just inside his post. The Shire worked back into the game without creating any clear chances and it was Bo’ness who continued to create opportunities, Jack Hodge seeing a shot saved by Cantley while Conor Scullion’s first contribution after coming on for Tom Grant was to crash an effort off the Shire crossbar.

Just into the second half the complexion of the game changed as Dan Irving pulled Matty Flynn in the box resulting in a red card for the Bo’ness player and a penalty for East Stirlingshire. Ben Fry saved Jamie Hislop’s spot kick but the BU keeper was unable to hold the ball and Stephen O’Neill was quickest to react, firing home the rebound.

East Stirlingshire’s tails were up and Callum Murray was unlucky to see a shot go narrowly past while a Morgaro Gomis effort just cleared the back post. Bo’ness weathered the storm and with just under twenty minutes left they regained the lead, a Kieran Mitchell pass across the eighteen yard line finding Ryan Stevenson who steered a shot past Jay Cantley. Joe Cassidy and Ben Hobbs both had headed efforts on the Bo’ness goal, one easily saved, the other missing the target. These lost opportunities proved costly as with just over five minutes remaining Bo’ness sealed the points. A Kieran Mitchell pass sent Jack Hodge through on goal but Jay Cantley made a great save though at the expense of a corner that resulted in a scramble in the Shire box, Jordan Armstrong taking advantage to poke the ball home from close in. Just before the whistle Lewis Duffy who had just come on made a great goal line clearance and it proved the last action, Bo’ness rightly given a standing ovation from the travelling BU faithful.

Bo’ness United have shown a spirit that was a feature of the past but perhaps missing last season. Hopefully they can keep it going and will certainly need it with two cup ties against Dundonald Bluebell and Johnstone Burgh sandwiching another Lowland League challenge at home to Gretna 2008.

Bo’ness United: 1 Ben Fry, 3 Ryan Stevenson, 4 Dan Irving, 5 Aldin El-Zubaidi,
6 Jordan Armstrong, 7 Jack Hodge, 8 Kyle Johnston (Capt), 9 Ryan Schiavone (Watson 53).
10 Tom Grant (Scullion 39) (Masson 53), 11 Roan Fitzpatrick, 16 Kieran Mitchell (Duffy 90)

Subs: 2 Adam Masson, 12 Jamie Watson, 14 Mark McLuckie (Not Used), 15 Lewis Duffy,
17 Keir Macaulay (Not Used), 18 Conor Scullion, 19 Cameron Mulvanny (Not Used).