Main | Who? | News | Results | Match Reports | Squad | Stats/Tables | Pictures | Previous Seasons | Honours | Links | Contact
Three defeats from four in Bo'ness United's pre-season was followed by this, a calamitous performance in Jimmy Sandison's competitive debut as coach as the home team were brushed aside by Camelon in the League Cup. Two first half goals were followed by a third early in the second period, leaving this game over as a contest before the fifty minute mark had even been reached. Scrambling for excuses one might point out that there were three or four key players missing from the line-up, but it's highly questionable whether they could have made the difference required to bridge the gap between these sides.
Camelon took the lead early on and never looked back. With nine minutes gone, John Burroughs lost out in a challenge midway inside the Bo'ness half, leaving his defensive team mates exposed, before Camelon worked the ball out to the left hand side of the box. In plenty of space, the No.10 was able to compose himself before stroking the ball in from around eight yards out.
They might have doubled their lead on 18 minutes, but from a left-wing cross the slackly marked Camelon No.9 swung at fresh air ten yards from goal on the right - had he made contact, BU 'keeper Mark Cairns would have had little chance.
After an unimpressive start, Bo'ness went on to enjoy their best spell of the game after this. For fifteen minutes they at least managed to look the equal of their visitors - there were still concerns at the back, but the BUs were posing a threat going forward. They carved out their best chance of the game on 21 minutes with a fine move - Graeme Donald and John Jeffrey exchanging passes down the left, before Donald slid the ball across to Savage, wide open to the right at the edge of the box. The forward's hurried low shot was too close to the goalkeeper and was saved, but not held; Jeffrey rushed in to take advantage of the rebound but, with the goalkeeper prone, he failed to make proper contact with the ball from six yards out when it seemed impossible not to score. With the ball then hooked away by the defence, Bo'ness had passed up their best opportunity.
They continued to look reasonably lively going forward, but were dealt a huge blow on 32 minutes with Camelon's second. Their No.9 hit a fabulous curling shot on the turn from 20 yards out and, with Cairns rooted to the spot, was desperately unlucky to see it bounce off the crossbar. A team mate was more fortunate, however, the ball rebounding to the unmarked No.7 who lashed the ball home from close range.
That goal appeared to knock what little stuffing there was out of Bo'ness. The home team stumbled unconvincingly towards half-time, the misplaced passes of the early stages returning, while Camelon, naturally, grew in confidence. The result had an inevitable look about it by half-time, and this was confirmed just two minutes into the second half. United heads still down, Camelon attacked down the right flank, forcing their way into the box past a disorganised defence, and the ball was swept in from twelve yards. Effectively, game over.
Savage had a chance to instil a little bit of doubt six minutes later when he was picked out by a direct Jeffrey pass, but with the away defence looking exposed, he could only fire over the bar from just outside the penalty area.
It was the closest they would come for some time, Camelon knocking the ball about assuredly, finding men with long passes, while an uninspired, self-doubting Bo'ness were struggling with the basics. The visitors had another couple of chances - on 68 minutes No.16 was picked out, finding far too much space on the left wing, and cut inside to force a decent save from Cairns with a low strike. Shortly after, Camelon worked a shooting opportunity for the No.6 on the edge of the box, but his weak effort was no threat to the goal.
Bo'ness, for their part, at least could muster a couple of late half-chances of their own. With four minutes left, Jeffrey chased a long through ball into the Camelon box, but under pressure could only hit wide. A couple of minutes later, substitute Gordon Abbott found David Muirhead with a cross, but ten yards from goal the big midfielder was unable to turn the ball on target.
A dreadful performance from Bo'ness, in which even the best players could only aspire to mediocrity.
Bo'ness United: Cairns; Smith [capt], Carlin (McPherson), Burroughs, McCluskey, Donald, Struthers, Martin (Abbott), Jeffrey, Savage, Muirhead.