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It was harder work than expected, but Bo'ness recovered from a half time deficit for the second week in a row to win in Pumpherston and move into the semi finals of the East of Scotland Cup, thanks to strikes from John Jeffrey and Kevin Donnelly. Few would have predicted an upset in this tie, but it was not until the 78th minute that Donnelly's goal settled matters.
Certainly the early pattern of the game did little to suggest that the BUs would have to dig deep to carve out a favourable result. In the opening minutes Jamie Loney latched onto a Martin Mooney cross from the right but his header was easily saved by the goalkeeper. With eight mintes played, David Muirhead had a shot blocked in the box, but the loose ball landed kindly for Loney - this time, with a good chance from the edge of the box, he hooked his disappointing effort wide right. On 14 minutes, Donnelly, Jeffrey and Billy Struthers all combined in a splendid, flowing move which ended with George O'Boyle shooting over from inside the box. Three minutes later, O'Boyle came closer when a low strike from outside the area whistled just past the post. And a minute after that, Donnelly gathered a lay off from Struthers in the penalty area, but, centrally placed and with more space than he should have had, the midfielder shot too close to the 'keeper who blocked well.
Okay - this list of chances probably suggests a Bo'ness side full of urgency and applying constant early pressure, which is a little misleading, as low-key as the start was. However, there did appear a creeping inevitability at this stage, and after Pumpherston responded with a couple of off target shots of their own, Bo'ness had another excellent chance on the half hour. A low cross from the right was cut out by a defender but broke for Struthers inside the box. The winger, however, lacked composure and fired straight at a grateful goalkeeper. The BUs were to be punished for their profligacy. On the counter, Pumpherston moved quickly up the park, finding Bo'ness somewhat undermanned at the back, and took the lead when No.9, under pressure, laid the ball off to No.11 on the edge of the area, the latter then controlling well and planting the ball beyond Cairns for a 1-0 lead. One shot on target, one goal - easy when you know how.
The weather was by now reflective of the visitors' mood, the heavens opening up for an almighty deluge which forced the abandoment of several of the afternoon's junior fixtures. Not this one, though, so Bo'ness had to struggle on in search of a an equaliser. They thought they'd found one when, on 34 minutes, Mooney thundered in a low effort from twenty yards through a crowded box, but somehow - defender or goalkeeper? - the ball was kept out on the line. From a resulting corner, Jeffrey only just failed to connect with a dangerous, pacy ball across the six yard box. Three minutes later there was more frustration when a fine free kick strike from Donnelly was pushed away from the bottom corner by an alert goalkeeper.
Trailing at half time, then, Bo'ness at least had some consolation in the shape of last week's comeback at Bonnyrigg, and indeed their recovery from a goal down on their last visit to Pumpherston, almost a year ago to the day, on league duty. (Not that many of these players would remember - only four of the twelve players used were involved in the previous trip to Recreation Park.)
Pumpherston's scrappy start to the second half gave Bo'ness some heart, although the BUs themselves were hardly in glowing form immediately after the restart. That needn't have been a barrier to finding an equaliser, however. The hosts nearly did the job for them, their tall centre half misplacing a header back which left his goalkeeper scrambling back to just prevent the ball from crossing the line. It was the 'keeper to the rescue again on 55 minutes when a low 25 yard strike from O'Boyle brought a finger tip save from him.
Eventually the leveller did come, though. With 58 minutes played, Bo'ness were awarded a free kick for a wild tackle on the left wing which earned Pumphy's No.4 a caution. The ball swung into the box was headed by Gary Smith on to Struthers at the far post, from where he lobbed the ball back across goal. Jeffrey was on hand to squeeze a close range volley past the goalkeeper at the other post, making it 1-1.
Bo'ness were firm favourites once more and continued to apply most of the pressure for the next twenty minutes, but without making much in the way of chances - the most notable effort being a twenty yard shot from Muirhead which flew wide right. Pumpherston's attacking threat, such as it was, had been extinguished, perhaps by the rain. But the deciding goal did eventually come on 77 minutes. Donnelly had just seen his accurate volley from the edge of the box well pushed wide by the goalkeeper when, from the following corner, a short pass found him in a surprising amount of space fifteen yards from goal. He took a touch to control, turned, shot, and got lucky when his shot deflected wickedly off a defender trying to charge him down, directing the ball past the helpless goalkeeper who was already moving the other way.
Oddly enough, as the downpour had heralded the goal which took Pumpherston ahead, Donnelly's goal soon brought the sun back out. There was no real doubt about the outcome now - and the score might have been better for Bo'ness as substitute Jamie Winning threatened to add goals. He came closest on 89 minutes when, picking the ball up midway in the Pumpherston half and charging through the now threadbare defence, he fired wide right going for the top corner when one-on-one with the 'keeper.
Not to worry - the two goals were enough and take Bo'ness into their first local semi final for two years.
Bo'ness United: Cairns; Smith, Loney, Todd [capt], Burrows, Muirhead, Mooney, Donnelly, Jeffrey (Winning), O'Boyle, Struthers.