Match Preview

Match preview courtesy of JOHN SPOWART!

After the narrow Football Nation Cup tie win at Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts Bo’ness United now face three home league games on the bounce starting this weekend with the visit of Sauchie Juniors. Sauchie are bottom of the division but are hoping the return of former manager Fraser Duncan will give the team the lift they need to get out of their current predicament.

The sides met earlier this year in what was the final competitive match on the grass at Newtown Park and thanks to the only goal of the game in time added on by former Sauchie player Craig Comrie the BUs scraped the win. Bo’ness also have Iain Syme and Brian Morgan both who came to Newtown from the Clackmannanshire side. Despite the defeat Sauchie was promoted to the Premier Division as the best sixth placed team from the three conferences.

Sauchie’s league form has actually improved in the last two games winning four points from back to back fixtures against Whitehill Welfare. Before that they lost to Penicuik Athletic, Jeanfield Swifts and Dundonald Bluebell but all closely fought contests. Despite their position they clearly have the potential to turn things around.

Interestingly Bo’ness have come out on the right side of some tight contests in recent weeks and have won five games in a row. They got off to a good start at Inverkeithing on Saturday with a Thomas Grant free kick strike, his first for the club, and a goal from Mark Mooney. However Inverkeithing pulled one back in the second half through Callum Strang and, but for some poor finishing, Swifts might have taken this game to extra time, or better.

Bo’ness were missing a number of players at Inverkeithing and want to get back to having their limited squad all available to play. There is work to be done. After Sauchie, Hill of Beath Hawthorn and Newtongrange Star come calling, all difficult matches, but the BUs want to take advantage of this home run of fixtures to accumulate, hopefully, maximum points. A tall order no doubt but the BU Faithful can also enjoy the extended home run while doing their bit to encourage their favourites in all of these games.

John Spowart
14 October 2019