Main | Who? | News | Results | Match Reports | Squad | Stats/Tables | Pictures | Previous Seasons | Honours | Links | Contact
Bo'ness secured their place in next season's Super League with this 4-1 win over Oakley - the Fifers' second defeat by that scoreline at Newtown this season. It was a score that somewhat flattered Bo'ness. Oakley contributed plenty to this match (including a substantial number of fouls that confirmed the impression of them as, shall we say, a "tough" team) but paid for failing to convert their chances while John Martin (Junior) scored his first two goals for Bo'ness, supplemented by goals from Kevin Donnelly and Gary Smith.
The first opportunity of the game fell to Oakley's No.10 after 15 minutes, played in on the left of the penalty area by a header on from the No.9 - however, he sent his low shot wide across the face of the goal. The home team responded to this threat with a chance of their own two minutes later, Dale Ryan meeting Chris Dolan's cross from the left but heading narrowly wide left.
Bo'ness did make the breakthrough three minutes later. John Jeffrey did well to wrestle the ball from a defender on the right flank, exchanged passes with Winning, and hit the byeline. His low cut back was met by the near post run of Martin, finishing superbly with a neat flick off the outside of his left boot.
The BUs failed to build on this boost, however, and Oakley soon began to trouble a shaky looking home defence. It was no great surprise when they evened out the score at 1-1 on 29 minutes, although it was a goal which owed much to good fortune. A free kick into the box was brought down by the No.10 around the penalty spot and his shot took a massive deflection, wrong footing Cairns and trickling into the goalkeeper's bottom left corner.
But Oakley weren't level for long. Just four minutes later Donnelly played Ryan into the box with a clever pass, only for the latter to be tripped as he met the ball. Donnelly took responsibility for the resulting penalty kick, and converted it superbly, rolling the ball into the 'keeper's bottom right corner.
Five minutes later Bo'ness had another, for 3-1. Donnelly attempted a volley from twenty yards out but was quickly closed down. But his effort looped over the defence and Martin reacted quickly, stretching for a touch which diverted the ball past the goalkeeper from six yards.
It wasn't vintage stuff from Bo'ness, but still they reached half time two goals in front and looking set for victory. But Oakley, still facing a fight to avoid relegation, had to respond in the second half, and they had an excellent chance to get back in the game after 54 minutes when their No.10 carried the ball past the last Bo'ness defender to bear down on goal. Cairns, however, came off his line to close down the angles and made a fine block.
The home team, though hardly under the cosh, created little going forward in the second half, though they did come agonisingly close on 68 minutes when a Marin Mooney free kick into the box found the head of Donnelly, his effort flying inches wide right.
Oakley pressed more in the final twenty minutes as the BUs began to fall out of the game, and had a couple of near misses in the space of as many minutes. On 77 minutes a high Oakley ball into the box was knocked down for the No.8 to strike at goal from the edge of the area, but he fired wide left. A minute afterwards there was a clearer opportunity, a neat move on the left flank sending No.10 into space on the left of the penalty area. But, from a position very similar to that which he found himself in after quarter of an hour of this game, he again pulled his shot wide across the face of goal.
Certainly the Fifers had made Bo'ness uncomfortable at the back in the closing stages, so it was something of an injustice that it was the home team who completed the scoring with a late strike from Smith. On 89 minutes a corner from the right fired into the box broke out to the defender twenty yards from goal, and his low shot travelled through a pack of players and into the 'keeper's bottom right. Not all that cleanly struck, but undeniably effective.
Harsh on Oakley, who certainly were not three goals poorer than their hosts, but the home supporters were able to enjoy this lovely spring day with an ultimately comfortable victory.
Bo'ness United: Cairns; Smith, Dolan, Todd [capt], Burrows, Donnelly, Ryan, Mooney, Martin (Thomas), Jeffrey, Winning.