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Having suffered a 4-0 mauling at the hands of Tayport at Newtown Park back in October, Bo'ness restored club pride with a battling 1-1 draw away to the Scottish finalists. Indeed, out of the title race and safe from the drop, pride was all that was at stake for a makeshift Bo'ness team in this league game, though their hosts, still in the championship hunt, had rather more to play for.
This seemed apparent early on with Tayport looking hungrier in the opening stages. With nine minutes gone they had the first real chance when Sean Christie was played in down the left past Gary Smith - onside, despite the latter's claims - but his shot crashed against the underside of the bar and was cleared to safety.
But the BUs soon settled into the game, and a minute after that scare, John Jeffrey had a volleyed attempt on goal from twenty yards after collecting Jamie Winning's flick, though Frazer Fitzpatrick in the Tayport goal saved easily. Having survived Tayport's bright start, Bo'ness were soon gaining more of a grip on the game and were enjoying a fine spell when the match descended into controversy on 26 minutes. A speculative lob into the box from the home side was safely caught by Mark Cairns, but the referee was quick to point to the penalty spot, apparently for a push by Kevin Donnelly, though few people inside the ground were sure - even the bemused, if not upset, home support were ironically congratulating the referee on a fine decision. John Ward stepped up for Tayport to confidently dispatch the penalty and open the scoring.
Donnelly was soon booked for his protest, and when, a couple of minutes afterwards, John Martin Jnr received a soft yellow card (to follow another harsh booking for John Burrows earlier), the incensed Bo'ness bench could no longer hide their annoyance. Assistant coach and reserve goalkeeper John Martin Jnr was red carded as the match threatened to slip away from Bo'ness and into a farce.
To their credit, they regrouped and found an equaliser after 39 minutes when Donnelly made amends for his earlier supposed misdemeanor. Taking charge of a free kick awarded 25 yards from goal, he produced one of his specialist efforts, the ball curling over the wall and dipping into the 'keeper's bottom right corner to make it 1-1.
Tayport could easily have been back ahead by the interval, however - the BUs offside trap beaten again, Barry McNaughton was played in through the middle, one on one with the goalkeeper. But Cairns kept Bo'ness level with a superb save, diving full stretch to his right to push away the strike.
The home side had another chance just a minute into the second half when Brian Craik headed a right wing cross narrowly wide. But Bo'ness gave as good as they got during the game's third quarter, and twice came close with long range efforts from Dale Ryan on 52 minutes, then Donnelly shortly afterwards. Craik had another headed chance for Tayport on the hour when he rose to meet a corner from the left with a firm, powerful header, but it was directed straight at Cairns.
Tayport's attacking became more intense as the game moved into the final 25 minutes, but they struggled to convert their pressure into shots on goal, as Bo'ness settled for a counter-attack strategy. The stout defending of Smith, Burrows and Murray Hunter (playing in a defensive role for the first time for Bo'ness) limited Tayport, despite numerous dangerous-looking balls into the box, to just one more chance. And that came in the fourth minute of stoppage time - a corner kick whipped in from the left breaking to Davie Evans on the six yard line. But as he turned his low shot goalbound, Cairns was well placed to make an excellent block before Smith reacted quickest to thump the loose ball away.
Tayport's late pressure could certainly have seen them win the game, but this resolute showing from Bo'ness was worthy of a point. Even had this team not picked itself - which it did, being the only eleven fit men available - each player would still have justified their selection, particularly the superb rearguard, while Billy Struthers' excellent showing was perhaps his best for Bo'ness yet. Nothing to play for, perhaps, but you wouldn't have guessed it.
Bo'ness United: Cairns; Smith, Dolan, Burrows, Hunter, Ryan, Struthers, Donnelly, John Martin Jnr, Winning, Jeffrey.