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A second half header from BUs top scorer Gordon Herd won Bo'ness a deserved point from this tricky looking away league fixture, having trailed at the half in what proved to be a highly entertaining game.
In an engaging first half, the visitors played the better football, but Newtongrange's more direct approach appeared as likely to reap rewards. And it was the home team who opened the scoring around ten minutes before the interval, after Mike Dillon - in for Dougie Todd in defence - sloppily gave the ball away with a poor pass inside his own half. The grateful recipient slipped the ball into the path of Newtongrange's No.11, who, in plenty of space, made no mistake from the edge of the area with a fine finish.
The hosts could have doubled their advantage before the break; just minutes after, they flashed a shot just wide of Neil Binnie's goal from a tricky angle.
Bo'ness, however, fought back well in a splendid second half to secure a share of the points. With an hour played they had their best chance yet to equalise, when a cross found John Jeffrey in space inside the box, though he could not direct his header away from the goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Gordon Herd had an excellent chance following a bizarre incident. With the ball out of play due to an injury, Bo'ness played the ball back to a Newtongrange defender, who then proceeded to play an awful ball directly to Jeffrey. With Newtongrange apparently expecting the ball to be given back to them again, Jeffrey slipped a ball through for Herd, who tried to take the ball around the goalkeeper only to be dispossessed. It was diffiucult to know what to make of the home support's accusations of cheating; giving someone the ball back due to injury is one thing - whether it should be given back to them again due to rank incompetence is quite another. In any case, the Newtongrange 'keeper's good work ensured that score remained 1-0.
But with Bo'ness now seriously taking the game to the home team, it was only a matter of time. With 68 minutes played, a cross from the right wing was flicked on, then headed into the net by Herd for the leveller. The goalkeeper, diving to his left, was able to get a touch on the ball, but couldn't keep it out.
Within the next couple of minutes, both teams came close to putting themselves in the driving seat. First Gary Smith played in a dangerous low ball across the face of the ball from the left wing, though, with the defence beaten, no Bo'ness player was able to get on the end of it. But Newtongrange, on the backfoot for most of the second half so far, showed that they still had more to offer, drawing a good save from Neil Binnie, who was just able to tip a drive over the crossbar.
The last twenty minutes offered plenty of entertainment - quality football played at a good pace by either side, although neither was able to carve out any particularly good opportunities. The visitors probably came closest when, with ten minutes to go, Newtongrange's goalkeeper dropped a high ball, although the lurking Jeffrey was unable to turn it into the net.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable fixture - well contested but not dirty, with some fine football from both teams. The share of the spoils was about right, providing Bo'ness with a useful and well earned point.
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Smith, King, Dillon, Yates [capt], Muirhead, Ryan, Mooney, Jeffrey, Herd, Wood.