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Two-nil and then 3-1 up in the first game of this East of Scotland Cup tie, Whitburn shouldn't have needed a second attempt to see off Bo'ness, but made amends with this narrow win at Central Park. After edging the first half with a superior showing from their midfield, Whitburn held on - thanks to some remarkable goalkeeping - as Bo'ness pushed forward in the second half.
It was Bo'ness who had the first chance of this enjoyable tie after 12 minutes. Scott Love - who has looked a fine addition to the BUs' squad since his recent signing - got to the bye line on the right flank, and put in a low cross for Dale Ryan to throw himself at. Ryan's diving header looked net bound, but spun just past the post with the Whitburn 'keeper helpless.
Though both sides had half chances, Whitburn were enjoying the better of the midfield battle, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 21 minutes with a brilliantly taken goal. Their No.6 received the ball on the edge of the box, and turned to hit a great left foot shot into Binnie's top right corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
They might have extended their lead five minutes before the break, with Glynn going on a charge down the right side. Under the pressure of three defenders, however, he sliced his shot wide of the post.
Two minutes later, Bo'ness were unlucky not to be back on level terms. David Wood, putting in his best performance down the right side since his return from injury, fired a low shot through a pack of players from 20 yards, but his effort was superbly turned round the post. Though Whitburn were the better side in the opening 45 minutes, their superiority was not overly pronounced, and Wood's strike provided a reminder of the threat posed by the visitors.
Certainly, in a one-sided second half, it was the visitors who posed the only threat. However, as all too often in recent games, Bo'ness had the great majority of possession and territorial advantage, but could not convert it into clear chances. The best effort of the half in fact came from nearly thirty yards, with Dale Ryan hitting a scorching shot, which was headed for the top corner before Whitburn's goalkeeper pulled off a magnificent save. Just a couple of minutes later, he made another brilliant stop, this time displaying his agility and reflexes to turn a Ryan header over the bar.
Gordon Herd had the ball in the net in the dying minutes, but only after the referee had already signalled offside. A disappointing defeat for Bo'ness, who must face Whitburn yet again in the Fife and Lothians Cup.
Bo'ness United: Binnie; Smith, King, Donald, Yates [c], Kemp, Love (Hodge), Muirhead (Todd), Ryan, Herd, Wood (Mooney).