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The first day of the new junior league set-up provided old woes for Bo'ness United, failing to win their opening league match, beaten again at a park which has rarely been a happy hunting ground, and continuing the pattern of recent seasons of failing to win matches in which they created the great majority of chances.
This was certainly a frustrating day for the away side, and a real comedown after the encouraging performances against Scottish Junior Cup holders Linlithgow Rose and a reasonably strong Partick Thistle XI in their warm ups. Those matches at Newtown had seen Bo'ness able to play some very watchable football, but there were only glimpses of that today. The home side harried their visitors throughout and relied themselves on the long ball approach.
Simple, but ultimately effective. It made for a scrappy first half, which was fairly even until a penalty award to Bo'ness midway through the period set the action rolling. A somewhat clumsy and needless foul on Gordon Herd provided Dougie Todd with the opportunity to put Bo'ness ahead from twelve yards, but his effort was excellently saved by the Armadale 'keeper. It was the first serious indication of the frustrations to come for Bo'ness.
The BUs' susceptibility to the counter-attack in recent seasons has been a constant source of concern, and it was in evidence again in this match. Only for a brief spell of no more than five minutes towards the end of the first half did Armadale genuinely pressurise their opponents; the rest of the time they were content to watch Bo'ness squander a series of half-chances, and look to hit on the break. They did so to great effect after fifty minutes, a hopeful punt up the park catching the visitor's defence out, leaving Armadale's No.8 to take the ball around goalkeeper Banner and open the scoring.
For the next thirty-five minutes, it was one way traffic. An account of the many missed opportunities - few actually glaring chances, but a succession of scoreable half-chances - is probably unnecessary, but one episode with around quarter of an hour to play summarises United's day. Herd, picking the ball up at the edge of the area, for once managed to work his way past Armadale's quite superb No.5, got to the bye-line and cut the ball back for an unmarked Alan Ward. Ward - just on as a substitute - hit a first time shot which rebounded off the bar, bounced on the line, and was recovered by the goalkeeper.
The best of Bo'ness' chances, and the last of the really good ones. With six minutes to go, Armadale's goalscorer wriggled away from the Bo'ness defence, ran into the box, and promptly fell down under the slightest of challenges by King. The resultant penalty was converted by Armadale's no.10, to kill the game.
Worryingly reminiscent of many games of recent seasons, a match which might cause many to revise any optimistic pre-season ideas. Time will tell whether Bo'ness' laudable attacking, football-oriented approach will serve them any better this season than previously.
© 2000 GScotland@hotmail.com
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