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Underdogs Bo'ness United secured a famous victory away to West Premier League leaders Arthurlie with an incredible defensive performance in a remarkable match to advance to the semi-finals of the Scottish Junior Cup. Striker Gordon Herd, who had missed the previous game against Camelon through injury, didn't see out the first half, but proved to be the hero with his winning goal after half an hour.
The game started on a positive note for Bo'ness - in the first minute, David Wood was causing trouble down the left flank of Dunterlie's very tight pitch, but his dangerous low cross was cleared by a combination of defender and goalkeeper.
But this was to be something of a false dawn, and the visitors found themselves under the cosh for the next half hour. As they struggled to retain possession and adapt to the minimal playing surface, Arthurlie pushed the ball around with greater confidence. With six minutes gone, it looked like they had taken the lead - making a swift break down the right, Arthurlie's No.8 rode Dougie Todd's challenge just inside the BUs' half to burst through on goal - but after he coolly slid the ball through Neil Binnie's legs, Gary Smith rushed back to slide in and clear the ball off the line.
The warning given, Bo'ness wouldn't be caught out in such a fashion again, but the pressure was relentless, and it took a packed and organised defence to deny Arthurlie any clear cut chances for the next twenty minutes. Set pieces were defended largely with comfort, and though the home team were able to fire off a few long range efforts, Binnie was able to keep them at bay. On 27 minutes, however, it took more last gasp defending as Derek Yates headed clear a dangerous cross from the left inside his six yard box, his intervention surely saving a goal as the forwards lined up to knock the ball into the net.
It was, then, decidedly against the run of play that Bo'ness took the lead after 31 minutes. A Wood thrown-in from the left deep in Arthurlie's half reached Herd in the six yard box with his back to goal; he controlled on his chest and, rather than trying to turn, flicked the ball back over his head, over the head of the goalkeeper, and into the corner at the far post.
The goal certainly appeared to give the away team a boost, and for the next five minutes they threatened to extend their lead as, at last, it was they who were applying the pressure on Arthurlie. Bo'ness came closest to making it 2-0 on 34 minutes, when Graeme Donald won the ball in a threatening position on the right, and played in a fabulous cross which Herd was just unable to turn on target with his close range diving header, the ball flying just wide of the goalkeeper's right post.
But if the BUs thought they were going to assume control of the contest from here, they were mistaken. The continuing threat from Arthurlie was re-emphasised just three minutes later, when Donald made his presence felt at the other end, clearing the ball off the line after the ball had been delicately chipped over Binnie at the corner of the six yard box.
Bo'ness - minus Herd, who was replaced by John Jeffrey - survived to the half, but it was to be an anxious 45 minutes to follow.
The first twenty minutes of the second half saw Arthurlie pick up where they left off. They had the majority of the attacking possession, but in the face of more stout defending from their visitors, were unable to carve any real opportunities. Corner kicks abounded - over the course of the game, Arthurlie must have broken some sort of world record for corners won, yet they were to yield no dividends.
As home frustration grew, Bo'ness had a shout for a penalty kick on 68 minutes when Donald looked as though he may have been bundled over at the edge of the box as he cut inside to shoot, but the referee allowed play to continue. Arthurlie swept up the park, a cross from the right finding the head of their substitute No.14 at the far post, though his header from ten yards was weak and directed straight at Binnie. Having just spurned their best opporunity of the second half so far, Arthurlie then had their own shout for a penalty just a minute later - another ball in from the right taken off the head off their well-placed striker by Yates. The home support screamed for a handball, but the referee looked long at the incident, looked at his assitant, and again allowed play to continue. Television replays were not conclusive, but suggested that it may indeed not have been Yates' diving header which saved the day.
Having been effectively held at bay for the second half so far, Arthurlie were now once more beginning to pose serious problems for Bo'ness. On 73 minutes, yet another corner kick from the right found the head of the unmarked No.10, but he would have been disappointed with his poor header from 10 yards which flew harmlessly wide.
Three minutes later, the No.3 did well to beat the tiring Smith on the left flank, cutting inside into the box, but from a tight angle his drive was always rising and went over the crossbar.
But Bo'ness did have chances of their own in the half. They might have given themselves a cushion on 79 minutes, when the home side's 'keeper, under pressure from Iain Ferguson, failed to hold the ball at the edge of his area, but Jeffrey - a tireless worker up front since replacing Herd - was just unable to reach the loose ball before it was hooked away to safety. Two minutes later, Ferguson was played in at the left hand side of the penalty area, but the goalkeeper closed him down well and he was just unable to cut the ball back for the lurking Jeffrey and had to settle for a corner.
Hopes, then, of a second goal to relieve the late nerves were dashed, and it proved to be a very dramatic finale as Bo'ness hung desperately onto their lead under intense pressure.
With four minutes of normal time remaining, Arthurlie's No.9 looked offside as he was played in down the right, but the linesman's flag stayed down - and from the right hand side of the penalty area, with only the 'keeper to beat, the forward hit a low, hard drive which was superbly saved by the fingertips of Binnie. Well, half saved - the ball dribbled to a halt on the six yard line, and Todd was just able to beat a scavenging forward in a race to the ball to hammer clear with Binnie on the floor and the goal wide open.
Binnie was called on again in the dying minutes, as the home team's No.12 picked the ball up on the left side of the penalty area from a corner kick, but his shot was parried by the 'keeper, and the loose ball hacked away unceremoniously by Yates. Still, though, there were to be further chances for Arthurlie - a cross from the left met by a forward's diving header six yards out at the near post, but it was a tricky chance to take and he was unable to direct it towards goal.
Then, with four minutes of stoppage time played, and the visiting support baying for the final whistle, Arthurlie won one last corner. There was mayhem once more as this was swung into the box, and with the ball bobblinhg around six yards from goal, an Arthurlie boot was just unable to connect with the ball to send it into the net.
The final whistle was greeted with relief and jubilation by the healthy away support, although the Barrhead fans had a right to feel hard done by. Arthurlie, though, paid for their inability to make their pressure count - at times unlucky, but mostly denied by a remarkable display of defensive fortitude by from their visitors. And who would have thought that, after the rearguard's at times awful displays recently against Bonnybridge and Camelon? But never mind that. A real smash and grab job brilliantly executed. Onwards and upwards in the Scottish.
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Smith, King, Todd, Yates [capt], Muirhead (Hodge), Donald, Mooney, Ferguson, Herd (Jeffrey), Wood (Ryan).