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This was largely uninspiring fare in the Doug 'n' Al Cup on a sunny but breezy afternoon at Broxburn's Albyn Park, but Bo'ness progressed to a possible semi-final against Linlithgow Rose thanks to two fine late goals from Dougie Todd and Dale Ryan. It was something of a relief for the visitors, whose recent record against Broxburn has been less than excellent, and who toiled for forty-five minutes of this encounter against a Division Two side reduced to ten men.
Bo'ness did, though, make an encouraging enough start. Just two minutes in, David Wood - who had an excellent first half - used his pace to get down the left flank and deliver a low cross to the near post, though Iain Ferguson's attempt to turn the ball goalward was deflected wide.
Ten minutes gone, and John Jeffrey was making a nuisance of himself, again down the left wing; his excellent cross to the far post was wasted, however, when a poorly marked Dean McPherson - making his first start in over a year following long-term injury - headed over from eight yards.
But these were early signals that there was joy to be had down the left side. On 21 minutes, the BUs won a free kick down that flank, swung into the danger area by Wood - but Derek Yates headed an excellent opportunity over the bar from little more than six yards.
The home side had offered little as yet, but might have taken the lead with their first opportunity of any note on 26 minutes. BU goalkeeper Neil Binnie's failure to convincingly punch clear a high ball into the box led to a scramble on the edge of the area, but with the defence panicked, Broxburn could manage nothing better than a volley wide of Binnie's left hand post from twenty yards.
Having offered so little in the opening half hour, Broxburn's hopes were dealt a further blow when they were reduced to ten men with 32 minutes played. Wood, causing all sorts of trouble down the left, was harshly fouled late and high by Broxburn's No.7, who was justifiably shown a straight red card by the referee.
Ultimately, all this succeeded in doing was forcing the already conservative home team into a more negative stance. The BUs were unable to create any more clear opportunities for the remainder of the first half - and, in truth, except for a reasonably promising start, United were looking disctinctly half-whipped by the time the first half ended.
Unfortunately for the spectators, this continued into the first half hour of the second half. With the home team - perhaps understandably with a man disadvantage - so unadventurous, the onus was on Bo'ness to provide some sparkle, but this rarely materialised. With a sense of urgency missing, and invention lacking in the final third of the park, a frankly dismal period of the contest provided only one incident of note. Jeffrey was sent through on goal by a headed flick on after 57 minutes, lifted the ball over the goalkeeper from the edge of the area, but the apparently goalbound chip ended up bouncing just wide of the post.
With the prospect of penalties looming, at last the away side produced a much-needed moment of magic after 77 minutes. David Muirhead, under pressure on the left, clipped the ball back over to Dougie Todd in the centre, who, with space to shoot from 25 yards, sent a magnificent volley into the goalkeeper's top left hand corner.
With Broxburn, excepting one reasonable free kick effort a few minutes earlier, so lacking in punch, that might have been that. But within a minute of the opening goal, Bo'ness captain Yates was ordered off for a second yellow card offence after a clumsy challenge thirty yards from his goal (the first yellow awarded earlier in the half for a fairly innocuous challenge from behind in midfield).
With a goal needed quickly and parity of numbers restored, Broxburn upped their efforts. The free kick resulting from Yates' challenge was struck well and bounced awkwardly six yards from goal, but Binnie held with comfort. On 83 minutes, Broxburn's powerful No.10 stole in ahead of Todd to get his head to a bouncing ball in the box, but from a tricky angle couldn't keep his effort away from Binnie.
Six minutes from time, Wood nearly got a deserved goal after he linked up well with Jeffrey to go through on goal, but his low strike was well blocked by the legs of the goalkeeper, before the ball was scrambled away for a corner.
But having dominated for so much of the game, Bo'ness found themselves on the backfoot for the final few minutes. Broxburn, though, faced a tightly-packed defence and were unable to forge a clear chance, coming closest after 90 minutes when their No.6 got his head to a free kick cross from eight yards out, but was unable to keep his attempt down.
It was to be the last of few opportunities for the home team, and Bo'ness put the win beyond all doubt in stoppage time, when the hard-working Jeffrey picked up a long ball from Binnie in the corner on the left, turned inside and delivered a cross from the bye line which Ryan easily finished off with a header into the net from two yards.
By no means a classic encounter, and questions will have to be asked about the unconvincing, at times half-hearted, performance by Bo'ness. However, a win is a win, and following their Scottish exit, the BUs did enough against a poor team to remain in contention for some lesser silverware come the end of the season.
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Ryan, Loney, Todd, Yates [capt], King, McPherson (Smith), Muirhead, Ferguson, Jeffrey, Wood.