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Bo'ness left it late to claim all three points in this entertaining league encounter in Musselburgh, but were probably deserving winners after creating the majority of the chances before Dougie Todd's 88th minute strike. However, they made typically hard work of the game, having to come from behind with less than quarter of an hour remaining.
It was a contest which took some twenty minutes to really warm up, though after the uninspiring opening quarter, it proved to be absorbing viewing.
The Musselburgh threat was generally slight in the first forty-five, although it was the home side who created the first genuine chance - their No.9 threw himself at a free-kick played into the box, but although he beat Mike Dillon to the ball, he headed narrowly wide, taking a clattering in the process.
Shortly afterwards, Bo'ness took the lead in controversial circumstances. Striker Gordon Herd looked a country mile offside when he was played through by Graeme Donald on 26 minutes, but was waved on and kept his head to pass the ball into the net.
Seven minutes later, Herd looked suspiciously offside again when a headed flick-on by Donald sent him through on goal, but under pressure he shot wide of the goalkeeper's post. On another day Herd might even have had a first half hat-trick - after 36 minutes, he got on the end of a brilliant pass from Todd to force a fine stop from the goalkeeper.
Musselburgh had created little so far, but looked an improved side in the early stages of the second half. However, they still needed a gift from the typically generous Bo'ness defence to get themselves back on even terms - BUs captain Derek Yates caught in possession as the last man, and as the players scrambled for the ball, it broke kindly for Musselburgh's No. 11 to charge through on goal and finish with conviction, leaving Ewan Wilson with no chance.
Bo'ness must have been disheartened and rueing their earlier misses, but there were further misses to rue, with Yates stabbing over from six yards following a corner kick, then recent recruit Scott Love seeing a header saved quite brilliantly by the Musselburgh 'keeper after 68 minutes.
With eighteen minutes left, Musselburgh put themselves in position to take the points, when a low, hard ball across the area was turned into the net by their No.9 from inside the six yard box.
But Bo'ness made a swift response. Five minutes later, Herd bundled the ball in from two yards following a downward header from Davie Muirhead.
Then, as it looked likely the points would be shared, Todd scored the decisive goal in the dying minutes. Gary Smith's long ball was superbly controlled on the left-hand side of the penalty area by Todd - whose run was not picked up by the defence - before the midfielder finished for his first competitive goal of the season.
In injury time Musselburgh made loud, and perhaps justifiable, appeals for a handball in the box as they tried to scramble an equaliser, but it would have been rough justice on Bo'ness after a largely impressive showing.
Bo'ness United: Wilson; Smith, King, Dillon, Yates, Muirhead, Love, Todd, Donald, Herd, Ryan.