Crossgates v Broxburn Athletic

Report

Attendance 105

Broxburn travelled to Fife to complete the season and finish with a flourish after last week’s disappointing display . Five changes to the starting line up from last week with Andrew Gillen available  , Calum Heath ,Gary brass ,Shaun Donoghue and Liam Gray  coming off the bench from last week .

It was the visitors who started on the front foot  and after three minutes created a great opportunity with Liam Gray putting Rocco through on goal on the left but his shot was pulled just wide of the right hand post. Six minutes later Crossgates had a chance saved by Donoghue comfortably . Broxburn went straight up the other end with Darren Downie made a good run but his ball through to Brass running into the box was too strong and ran through to Hunter in the home goal . On 17 minutes Crossgates were forced to make a substitution with Craig McGuire coming on for the injured Finn Graham .

Darren Downie a minute later had a shot easily saved by Hunter . Good work on the edge of the box by Gray created an opening which he saw well saved . The opening goal came after 22 minutes when good play going forward saw CALUM HEATH cut inside and let fly with a shot that deceived the keeper and found it’s way into the net . Crossgates were forced into another change on 24 minutes when Neil Lawrie was injured and replaced by Colin Paterson .

Crossgates had a corner on the half hour mark that flew across the box with no one to divert it into the net .

Liam Gray picked up a booking for a trip on his opponent .

HALF TIME 0-1

The first chance in the second half fell to the visitors in the first minute of it when a corner to the back post couldn’t be divert by the head of Dan Nimmo and it wend wide left . A minute later good play down the right saw a ball into the box met with a cheeky back heel from Darren Downie that just went past the post . Dan Nimmo so a header saved at the back post as Broxburn Pressed for the second goal  after 49 minutes . A minute later Gary Brass curled a shot wide right from the left hand side of the box . The second goal was only delayed another minute when a great ball into the box was met by CALUM HEATH who kept his composure to slot home his and his club’s deserved second .  Within two minutes it was three this time a ball into the box was met by Gary Brass who’s shot was blocked and when it broke to DARREN DOWNIE he made no mistake in finding the back of the goal . Calum Heath warmed the keeper’s hands on 56 minutes with hunter gathering his shot at the second attempt . Just past the hour mark and Max Williamson replaced Liam Gray . Hunter made a tremendous triple save on 69 minutes  to defy the   visitors . On 68 and 72 minutes Jack Sayers and Craig Henderson replaced Rocco and Heath . Crossgates were dealt a further injury problem when they went down to ten men with no fit substitutes left they had to play out the rest of the game depleted . On 75 minutes it was not to be the fife sides day when Craig McGuire fired in a great shot that Shaun Donoghue was more than equal too and went well towards a clean sheet . Darren Downie saw an effort go just wide on 78 minutes . The fourth goal came after 81 minutes when Gary Brass laid the ball off in the box to CRAIG HENDERSON who made room and fired home from 12 yards . More good play near the finish saw Henderson see his shot well saved . The game got a bit heated the last minutes of the game which threatened to boil over with Brass and McGuire booked on 83 minutes ,Sayer’s booked on 85 minutes on 88 minutes it was Pollock and Williamson that received yellows  as the referee tried to calm all and sundries and the game petered out to a finish

A well deserved win to finish off the season on a high . We now look to start the work to get us ready for season 2023/2024  . We thank you for your support and will not be long before we are back , check social media and websites for arrangement’s for pre season .

REFEREE  MR. J. CURRAN     ASSISTANTS MR. M. WALSH , MR. E. WALLIS