Newtongrange 2-3 Bo'ness United

A perspective from the terraces provided by BRYAN COPELAND!

After taking higher (Lowland) League opposition all the way to extra time in the cup last week with a very good performance in which the BU will feel robbed to have lost the team should still have plenty confidence as we return to league duty this week. With the league unbeaten run still intact for the season having played 5 games and sitting on 9 points with 2 wins and 3 draws. All league games have of course been away from home due to the work at Newtown Park but today’s game will be the last one before a home fixture awaits next week against Gaffer Max Christie’s old side Tranent. That gives the team surely an incentive to get a win today and go back home on a high and hopefully to the usual large crowd Bo’ness is used to both at home and on the road. Also adding to the BU confidence will be the earlier result in the Alex Jack Cup against Star when we came here and won emphatically by 5 goals to 1 in a brilliant display from the team.
Finally before today’s game a mention for the brave warrior, outstanding person and fantastic leader and captain of Rangers Fernando Ricksen who fought so hard and raised so much money and awareness for the horrible illness that he finally succumbed to, may you rest in peace.

Into todays match then and before it got underway a minutes silence was very well observed. Both sides tried to get an early foothold but other than a shot just wide of the home keepers post there was little action on goal in the opening 15 minutes. On 16 minutes the opening goal came and it was for the home side. A ball on from the right saw the BU defence wide open and the resulting shot on goal went last Murphy and into the net. Star 1 - 0 BU. Within minutes the score was 1-1 Morgan got brought down in the box and although the Star player should have seen a yellow card for a foul he wasn’t although the referee did point to the penalty spot. A Star player saw a yellow for a protest against the section before Morgan stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Donnelly then done well out wide for the BU beating his man and cutting inside the box, the ball cams across and was blocked before a shot could be sent towards the home keepers goal. Forward came the visitors again and a grey through ball towards Morgan was judged to be offside in what looked like a very tight call. A shot from Jacobs had the home keeper alert on the half hour mark and Morgan done well cutting inside to the box to send a ball over that was blocked and defended well by Star. For the next 10 minutes the game become rather scrappy but the visitors enjoyed most of the possession. 7 minutes till half time and a great ball forward doing Hunter for the BU but the flag went up for offside. A good ball across the box from the left was just missed but Morgan chased it down and managed to get on the end of it, he laid it back and another cross became a shot as it hit off the top of the cross bar with the home keeper beaten. The home side then quickly moved up the other end but the ball was easily gathered by Murphy as half time was now only a minute away. Right on the 45 minutes forward went the home side, down the forward went in the box and for the 2nd time the referee was pointing to the spot this time in the home sides favour. The award from distance looked as if it may have been soft but also the challenge was made way out on the edge of the box where there was no need to make it. Up stepped the Star No.9 and he took a brilliant penalty smashing the ball into the net. That was to be all for the 1st half as it ended Star 2 - 1 BU.

Into the 2nd half and for the opening 10 minutes the visiting BU dominated the possession but never showed any threat on the Star goal. 12 minutes into the half and it was homies even once again as Grant done really well out wide to make it and his ball across was met by Morgan who only had to direct the ball and make it Star 2 - 2 BU. Minutes later the home side made a change but the visitors still continued to look the better side so far. A good ball was played across the box for the BU but the resulting shot on goal was blocked by the home defence. Star then had a free kick out on the left which they played into the box, the ball was defended but it was soon heading back towards goal this time Murphy made a really good save to deny the home side going back in front again. Forward then came the BU but another effort was blocked and cleared between the home defence and keeper. The home side then enjoyed a spell of pressure with a decent ball into the box defended by the BU for a corner. The ball was well delivered from the corner and between Murphy in goal and the BU defence the ball was cleared again. Forward then went the visitors and foul was awarded allowing the ball to be played into the box, unfortunately however the chance came to nothing with now 11 minutes to go. The BU then kept possession but there was no shots towards the home keepers goal or anything really of note for the home defence to deal with. Finally however another goal came with 7 minutes remaining the visitors knocked the ball about well and saw it headed out the box a couple of times before a brilliant Stevenson cross found Brian Morgan who sent the ball into the net for his Hat trick and the score line now read Star 2 - 3 BU. The home side got the game underway quickly looking to get back into it but the BU managed to take the sting out of it by keeping possession. Right on that 90 minutes however the home side came forward but a foul awarded by the referee stopped them in their tracks and allowed the visitors to get forward. The home keeper got down well to save a shot straight at him as the visitors now looked to referee for full time. There was still time however for the home side to get forward and a shot from outside the box was judged to take a deflection and a corner was given. The appeals against it were strong on the pitch and off it and the referee went over to the Bo’ness bench before the corner was finally taken. The ball in was headed away well then booted clear high up the pitch as the game now went into the 4th minute of added on time. Finally the whistle came and the match ended Newtongrange Star 2 - 3 Bo’ness United.