Match Preview

Preview kindly provided by JOHN SPOWART!

Saturday sees a top of the table clash as second place Camelon Juniors visit Newtown Park. Camelon have played the same amount of games but are four points behind the BUs, a situation that has remained over the last few weeks. The two teams have matched results, with Camelon even unable to take advantage of the Bo’ness loss to Blackburn United as they were going down at Musselburgh Athletic at the same time. Neither side played last week due to the freezing weather.

Camelon easily qualified for the Premier Division from last season’s Conference C and are enjoying their time in the East of Scotland League. Already this season they have achieved a league double over Linlithgow Rose as well as a cup win against them in the South of Scotland Cup. Apart from the reverse at Musselburgh, their other two league defeats actually came in the first matches of the season, losing at Jeanfield Swifts and at home to Blackburn. Camelon also played in this season’s Scottish Cup thanks to their walkover win in the Alex Jack Cup and defeat of the South of Scotland’s equivalent winners Bonnyton Thistle. That was the final Bo’ness had qualified to play but were excluded for fielding an ineligible player in the semi-final at Haddington Athletic. Camelon defeated Newton Stewart in the 1st preliminary round of the ‘Scottish’ but were then paired with the giants of the Junior world Auchinleck Talbot in the next round and lost out at home. Like Bo’ness they are working towards achieving their SFA licence to allow entry to the competition every season.

Bo’ness last faced Camelon at home almost two years ago where a Marc Kelly goal gave the BUs the narrowest of wins. The games between the sides are always keenly contested and this one is likely to be the same. A win for Bo’ness means they open up a sizeable gap on the teams below them but defeat puts Camelon within a point of them.

There is no doubt this is match of the day in the East of Scotland League and Bo’ness know they must be at their best to get a result. They played very well for a deserved triumph at Hill of Beath Hawthorn and more of the same is required this weekend. A large crowd is expected and with the majority supporting the team in blue, the Bo’ness players know there will be noisy encouragement to hopefully inspire them to success.

John Spowart
03 December 2019