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As in the previous round against Newburgh, Bo'ness again needed extra time in the Fife and Lothians Cup, and again ultimately prevailed in a fabulous tie against Whitburn. The fourth time the sides have met this season already, but the spectators won't get bored of seeing games like these - drama, controversy, and two teams giving full effort and playing some fine football. Whitburn were unlucky losers, but defeat would have been equally hard on Bo'ness.
It was unquestionably Whitburn, though, who started better. Four times they came close within the opening ten minutes. An open goal was somehow missed after a minute; then they drew a fine stop from Binnie from close range, saw a long range effort go just wide, and almost forced in a scrappy goal from a corner kick.
An ominous start for Bo'ness (and matters were not helped with Jamie Loney, just back from an injury lay-off, limping off after five minutes), but they quickly improved. With quarter of an hour played, Gary Smith went on a dangerous raid down the right, reached the byeline and cut inside, but hit his shot over the bar from a good position on his weaker left foot. Just a couple of minutes later Smith was again threatening, but this time saw his effort from the edge of the box blocked by a defender.
The rest of the first half was an evenly balanced affair. Both teams had chances. After 25 minutes, Whitburn's No.11 found space on the left side of the penalty area, and was unlucky to see his shot go just the wrong side of the post and into the side netting. Four minutes later, Gordon Herd was in menacing mood down the left for Bo'ness; his low ball across the goal was touched by the goalkeeper but only as far as Smith, whose effort was deflected over. In stoppage time, Graeme Donald drew a smart save from the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.
Bo'ness probably shaded the second half, a period punctuated by a few too many niggly fouls, but it was Whitburn who had the better opportunities. McGlynn found himself unmarked inside the box with a little over an hour on the clock, but Binnie made himself big enough to close down the forward's angles and get in front of his shot. With seventeen minutes left, Whitburn had their best chance of the second period when a low ball from McGlynn found the No.9 eight yards from goal, but his effort was struck weakly into the arms of Binnie when he should really have done much better. Bo'ness edged the second half territorially, but Whitburn defended capably and denied them clear cut opportunities. With a minute left, Herd and Martin Mooney combined well, but the latter was unable to turn the ball past the 'keeper from a tight angle.
If the ninety minutes had been absorbing, the game really exploded in extra time. Wood and Flynn both went close in the early minutes for Bo'ness and Whitburn respectively. Then Bo'ness were reduced to ten men, when Donald had to limp off following a clash with the Whitburn 'keeper as both chased a high ball. Coach Brian Fairley had already employed his full compliment of substitutes, and Bo'ness had to soldier on with a numerical disadvantage.
But this only seemed to invigorate them. With a hundred minutes played, Gary Smith cracked a fine drive off the crossbar from 25 yards out. Then, at last, a breakthrough. Whitburn failed to clear a corner kick from Wood, and the ball broke to Mooney at the edge of the area to fire a low shot through a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner with 102 minutes played.
A goal up and a man down, the home team naturally adopted a more defensive posture, defending with reasonable comfort, and still posing a threat on the counter. From such a break, they doubled their lead in the second period of extra time. Wood demonstrated his pace down the left, cut inside and played a low ball into the box for Herd, who went down under a challenge from behind, with the referee awarding a penalty kick. Bo'ness missed two penalties before scoring a third in the previous round, but this time they accepted the first invitation, with Davie Muirhead stepping up to convert with the minimum of fuss with seven minutes to play.
That should probably have been that, but Whitburn refused to surrender and, as the Bo'ness defending grew more panicked, the visitors pulled a goal back from a corner kick with five minutes left, the ball bouncing off Davie King before being swept into the net on the turn by Whitburn's No.6 from six yards.
But as the teams geared up for a tense finale, Whitburn lost their man advantage, with their No.5 needlessly (but correctly) receiving a second yellow card for dissent, and that after being awarded a free kick.
Herd could then have put the result beyond doubt, but was denied by a brilliant block by the Whitburn 'keeper. Hopes still alive, the away side threw everything forward but were unable to rescue the match as Bo'ness repeatedly scrambled clear. A well positioned free kick deep into stoppage time proved Whitburn's last chance, but it was harmlessly put over the bar.
A fine performance from Bo'ness, and an important morale boost ahead of next week's Scottish Junior Cup tie at St Andrews.
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Smith, Loney (Muirhead), Todd, Yates, King, Love (Hodge), Donald, Herd, Mooney, Ryan (Wood).