BROXBURN ATH V BONESS UTD

Report

BROXBURN ATHLETIC      1    GILLEN

BONESS UNITED               1     STEVENSON

Boness United  Murphy , Jacobs , Syme , Snowdown (Keast 63m) , Hunter , Gemmill , Donnelly (McKenzie 63m) , Morgan , Grant , Campbell , Stevenson , subs  Hewitt , Mooney , Mitchell

Referee  Mr J. Stewart      assistants  Mr R.Stewart  ,Mr J. Crocker

attendance 318

A good crowd anticipated a cracking opening game to the season saw a share of the spoils which was fair over the ninety minutes .Shaun Harrison fired in a free kick slightly from the right about thirty yards out but it went straight through to the keeper who grabbed it out the air comfortably on four minutes . Stuart Hunter put a good ball from the left into the back of the six yard area but Chris Townsley headed clear for a corner . Thomas Grant made room central about 25 yards out to fire a shot in that sailed over the bar . half way through the half a good break for the home side broke down when Conor Kelly’s pass out to Andrew Gillen on the right hand side was just too strong for his team mate and the ball went out for a throw in . On the half hour mark good play forced a corner for the home side . The opening goal came in bizarre fashion on 36 minutes , when ANDREW GILLEN gathered the ball out on the right touch line he hit his cross too close to the keeper but with everyone expecting Andrew Murphy to gather easily the big keeper let the ball go through his hands and drop over the line . Grant tried an effort on 42 minutes for the visitors but Connor Wallace had it well covered .

The first opportunity of the second half fell to the hosts when Craig Scott crossed in from the left but Alexander Miller could not get a direction on his header and it went over the bar .Conor Kelly put a ball into the box from the left on 51 minutes but was too strong and the ball sailed well wide of any team mate . A great opportunity for an equaliser came just past the hour mark when Ryan Stevenson cut a ball back into the middle of the box from left on the bye line but the Broxburn defence cleared the danger before any bones player got the chance to hit it . Nicholas Locke shot weakly past the right hand post on 62 minutes . Two minutes later Locke put a good ball in to Miller but the strikers header was saved . Boness thought they had scored on 66 minutes when a ball floated into the six yard box from the right found big defender Stuart Hunter to head home but he was adjudged to have been offside ,much to the annoyance of the visitors . Half way through the half and a ball played across the box sixteen yards out was struck by Mark McKenzie but he saw his shot deflect wide right of the target . The corner came in to the back of the box and was headed back across where Ryan Stevenson glanced his header wide right of the target . The visitors were on level terms on 73 minutes when a ball played into the box from the right was met by the fist of the keeper but unfortunately it fell to RYAN STEVENSON who fired through a crowded box into the net . Broxburn pressed on for a winner and Andrew Gillen set up Locke but his shot was blocked and it would not drop kindly for Miller who was ready to pounce .Ross Nimmo set up Craig Scott with a pass from the left along the edge of the 18 yard box but his shot went wide left of the goals . With five minutes remaining a good ball in from the right by Andrew Gillen was defended well and headed clear of the danger area . With time running out  a Ross Nimmo effort from 20 yards out and central was saved and cleared of the line . One more chance for Nimmo when Scott played him through down the left he tried to lob the advancing keeper but saw his attempt go over the bar .

A fair result in the end but disappointed we could have won the match on the chances we had . We now travel to Crossgates on Wednesday the 31st of July for a Premier League match with a 7-30pm kick off .

other Premier scores today are as follows

BLACKBURN UTD 2 LINLITHGOW ROSE 2 ; JEANFIELD SWIFTS 7 CAMELON 2 ; DUNBAR UTD 3  MUSSELBURGH ATH  2 ; NEWTONGRANGE STAR 0 TRANENT 3 ; SAUCHIE 2 HILL OF BEATH 2 ; WHITHILL WELFARE V PENICUIK ATH AND DUNDONALD V CROSSGATES WERE POSTPONED DUE TO WATERLOGGED PARKS