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A somewhat smaller crowd than the 7,500 who turned up to last Friday's Scottish semi-final defeat, but for those who did keep the faith this was an Easter weekend treat with an excellent (no cheap "egg-cellent" puns here, thank you very much) six goal win over Pumpherston to progress in the admittedly less prestigious Streamline Taxis Cup.
Pumpherston, however, were mostly dismal opposition. After competing well against Bo'ness for the greater part of the league meeting a fortnight previous - until they eventually paid the price for their indiscipline - this was much more like the side who visited Newtown back in November. On that occasion, the BUs had been pulled down to a similar standard, but for this cup tie they stood head and shoulders above their visitors. Pleasing also for Bo'ness was the return to a starting place for Jamie Loney, and a late subtitute appearance for long-term injury absentee Dean McPherson.
United started the contest the stronger team, the fashion in which they continue. The first notable effort on goal came after 7 minutes for Loney. Iain Ferguson played a fine ball into space down the left for Loney to run onto, though he shot wide across goal from twenty yards. Shortly after, Bo'ness had their second chance - Dale Ryan's cross from the right met by the unmarked David Muirhead at the far post, where the midfielder was just unable to make proper contact with the ball to turn it in.
Pumpherston had barely been able to attain any attacking possession in the opening stages of the game, and it was no surprise that the home team's pressure eventually paid off on 18 minutes. Ferguson's high cross from the right was met by the head of Muirhead 12 yards out, his looping header going over the goalkeeper and into the net to make it 1-0.
With the visitors, playing against the wind in the first half, unable to respond, Bo'ness continued to apply the pressure, and doubled their lead after 29 minutes when Muirhead was the victim of a clumsy challenge in the box perpetrated by Pumpherston's No.8. Needless, with Muirhead actually moving away from the goal, but a certain penalty. Muirhead picked himself up to convert the penalty kick, hard, low and central.
Muirhead came close to making it a hat-trick on 37 minutes, when he fired just over from 25 yards out following a lay off from Ferguson. However, the big forward might well have had a go himself after being played in by Martin Mooney, and it had to be considered a wasted opportunity. The BUs came close again the next minute, when Ryan's low ball across goal found Mooney at the far post, but the forward, left uncovered by the defence, couldn't turn the ball on target from a tricky angle.
The third goal did come, however, after 44 minutes. Graeme Donald headed down a high ball at the edge of the area - Muirhead was just unable to make contact, but behind him Ferguson picked up the ball and volleyed in from just inside the box. A fine finish, the goalkeeper, diving to his left, had no real chance.
That might have been game over even before halfway, but the visitors managed to pull a quick goal back in first half stoppage time. A long throw from the right was poorly defended and the ball found its way through to Dickov at the far post, who was able to knock in from inside the six yard box.
Pumpherston, then, had renewed hope going into the second period, and indeed they might have closed the gap to 3-2 with 59 minutes played. Dickov was ruled onside as he burst forward into space down the right, but as he cut inside to finish, Derek Yates made a terrific recovery with a great sliding block at the corner of the six yard box. It proved to be a pivotal minute in the game. With the resulting corner comfortably defended, David King picked the ball up at the edge of his area and surged forward, playing in substitute John Jeffrey through the middle, for the latter to produce a composed finish, sliding the ball in to make it 4-1. That was effectively the killer blow.
Donald, 10 yards out on the right, was denied by an excellent diving save on 66 minutes, but in the closing stages of the game Bo'ness turned the screw to turn a comfortable win into a thrashing. With 81 minutes gone, McPherson found Donald down the right - he played a low ball across from near the byeline for Muirhead to run onto and stab in from six yards, completing his hat-trick.
Jeffrey nearly had his second three minutes afterwards, when he did well to hold off a defensive challenge to strike the bar from the edge of the box, but on 86 minutes he did find the net again - darting between two defenders and into the penalty area, he appeared to be fouled, but stayed on his feet to turn the ball into the net from eight yards when the goalkeeper failed to gather the loose ball.
The scoring was rounded off in injury time with a calamitous seventh goal. A Bo'ness free kick on the right side was swung into the danger area, where the defence successfully converted danger into disaster. The goalkeeper came out but failed to collect as the ball appeared to bounce off a defender and back into his own net. Graeme Donald chased the ball into the net to make sure, but even a generous soul such as I will have to give this one as an own goal.
An impressive way to recover from their Scottish Junior Cup disappointment, Bo'ness remain in contention for two cup competitions as well as the Division One title and promotion. All is not yet lost...
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Hodge (Jeffrey), King, Todd, Yates [capt], Muirhead, Ryan, Donald, Ferguson (Herd), Mooney (MacPherson), Loney.
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