Season: 2023/24
Dean Easton
BROXBURN ATH V LOCHEE UTD
Attendance 320
Scottish Cup 2nd Preliminary Round: Broxburn Athletic v Lochee United 2 September 2023
The Scottish Cup returned to the Albyn for the eagerly anticipated tie between two undefeated sides in the 2023/24 season. Both Broxburn and Lochee United only having dropped league points to a draw.
Broxburn made 3 changes to side that drew at Sauchie last Saturday, Moyles, R.Nimmo & Heath coming in for Miller, Downie & Davidson.
Visitors Lochee United came into the game high in confidence after a fine 5-0 victory at Tayport and in tremendous goal scoring form having notched 54 goals in their 11 league games.
The Bluebells made 1 change to last Saturday’s starting line up Cavanagh replacing Cord.
Broxburn came out of the traps well Munro feeding a ball into Bremner but the midfielder couldn’t get the ball fully under control and Lunan cleared.
The Brox created the first meaningful chance in the 15th minute Brass teeing up Turner whose shot was cleared off the line by Colquoun.
Scobie was booked for Lochee United.
Broxburn continued to create opportunities Brass finding Campbell on the left but his shot flew over the bar.
R.Nimmo then played in a ball from the right but Locke headed over the bar.
In 31 minutes Linn played a ball to Blair down the right wing, the full back cut the ball back but there were no blue shirts on hand to provide a finish.
Broxburn responded Locke finding Heath on the left who advanced and struck a shot which just cleared the bar.
In 36 minutes Colquoun was booked for deliberate hand ball.
From the free kick Heath took the free kick which was played deep to the back post, Page headed back to Brass who cracked a volley from the edge of the box off the crossbar.
Page fouled Scobie 35 yards out, Linn took the free kick but the Brox defence cleared the danger.
In 41 minutes Hay and Johnson combined for Lochee Johnson getting to the byeline but again the Brox defence cleared.
HALF TIME: Broxburn Athletic 0 – 0 Lochee United
Broxburn made a whirlwind start to the 2nd half Brass played the ball wide right to Munro who fed the ball down the wing to R.Nimmo whose cross into the box found LOCKE whose first shot was blocked but he made no mistake with the rebound slotting the ball beyond keeper Easton. Time 47 minutes.
The Brox doubled their advantage 2 minutes later Munro the provider his pinpoint cross met by the head of TURNER whose header beat Easton.
In 51 minutes Heath did well to disposess Blair he cut the ball back to Brass whose shot was blocked the ball broke to R.Nimmo who suffered the same fate.
In 53 minutes Ferguson replaced Cavanagh.
Lochee tried to get going with Scobie who played a ball through to Hay but the breeze behind took the ball through to Watt.
Scobie again was prominent on the hour for the visitors beating 2 Brox defenders with his pass finding Hay on the left but the striker had strayed offside.
Then a moment of controversy Linn cut in from the left wing getting himself into the penalty area where he went down. There were loud claims for a penalty which the referee did not grant.
Broxburn broke straight down the other end R.Nimmo played in a ball from the right wing which LOCKE touched first time, his shot going into the net. Time 63 minutes.
Hay was booked for dissent for Lochee.
In 70 minutes Hay went off replaced by McConville.
Broxburn then made changes 2 minutes later the goal scorers, Locke and Turner went off to be replaced by Davidson and Thomson.
In 76 minutes Bremner was booked for a foul on Scobie. Wilson replaced R.Nimmo.
The Brox cut through the Lochee defence again Munro passed to Heath who played inside to Thomson who found Bremner who smacked a great shot which cracked off the underside of the bar and out. The ball rebounded back to Bremner who saw his shot brilliantly tipped over the bar by Easton.
The hard working Brass was replaced by Downie in 79 minutes.
Downie was quickly into action his cut back finding Bremner at the edge of the box but the midfielders shot was well defended and blocked by Lunan.
In 82 minutes Cord and Crichton came on for Blair and Gallagher.
Lochee registered a shot on target Tront finding Linn whose shot was gathered by Watt.
To sum up Lochee’s day substitute Cord picked up a wrist injury and had to go off 3 minutes after coming on.
In 87 minutes Thomson and Wilson set up Bremner whose shot went just wide left.
In injury time Bremner cut the ball back for Wilson who didn’t catch his shot quite right with Easton saving at his near post.
FULL TIME: Broxburn Athletic 3 – 0 Lochee United
Referee Mr A. Gamble Assistants Mr S. King , Mr C. McFeat
Kameron Jackson
Jack Thomson
Mark Smith
Lewis Payne
Jack Docherty
Thomas J Levin
Sauchie v Broxburn Athletic
Attendance 150
Broxburn travelled to Beechwood park in Sauchie to protect their 100% record so far . They made one change to the starting eleven with Liam Campbell replacing Marcus Millar who dropped to the bench .
Good play at the start saw Marky Munro lay off to Nicholas Locke along the bye line but the captains ball into the box was cleared . Ben Davidson made a slack pass and his team mates stopped the hosts capitalising at the expense of a corner . When the corner came in a foul on both Watt and Dan Nimmo saw the game stopped with the big centre half having to replaced with Millar on 8 minutes . At the other end a Nick Locke free kick out left saw Clark parry the ball but it was his defender who cleared for a corner . On ten minutes a ball across the box from Munro broke out to Locke 25 yards out and Clark made a superb save to tip his effort over the bar .
On fifteen minutes the hosts were awarded a dubious penalty kick when a long ball through saw Kavanagh ready to shoot when Lewis Turner made a great tackle to rob him off the ball but the match official saw it differently and gave the spot kick . Daniel Smith took the kick but it crashed of the right hand post and when the ball came back in Watt was able to smother the effort . The hosts created a good opportunity on twenty minutes when Brian Morgan was set up but fired over the bar . Five minutes later good one two found Former Broxburn full back Ross Hutchison in on goal but he shot disappointingly wide and high .
The opener came on 29 minutes and it was the hosts who got it when a ball was cleared out the visitors defence and fell to DANIEL SMITH who’s shot took a vicious swerve putting it out of reach off the diving Watt . Sauchie should have done better with ten minutes of the half remaining when a Broxburn Attack broke down Sauchie went on the counter Attack and were man for man but chose the wrong option and Hutchison shot wide left .
Half Time Sauchie 1 Broxburn Ath 0
Sauchie came out the second half and were pressing for an early increase to the scoreline .
It was Broxburn who should have had an opportunity to get back in the game when Locke was brought down in the box the referee didn’t want to know And Locke got booked once the game stopped for his protests . with 8 minutes of the half a long ball into the box found Mark Smith with time to bring it down and score but he would have been disappointed with his attempt that went wide . Two minutes later Broxburn had a free kick 20 yards out on the right the free kick was saved then the loose ball was saved again by Clark at expense of a corner .Calum Heath replaced Liam Campbell on 64 minutes .
A minute later a ball into the box found Ross Kavanagh alone in front of goals 12 yards out but Robert Watt dived at his feet to gather the ball before he got his shot away .
Ross Nimmo replaced Darren Downie on 75 minutes
With time running out and going into injury time Broxburn won a corner on the right . Ross Nimmo’s ball into the box was met by the head of GARY BRASS who hammered the ball home for an equaliser . A few minutes deeper into injury time the game could have been turned unexpectedly on its head when Nick Locke was brought down in the box but Gary Brass attempt from the spot was saved and the Broxburn forwards couldn’t turn the loose ball into the net .
In the end a point away from home at a difficult venue we will take and move on . Not the best performance of the season but still unbeaten and we move on to next week’s Scottish Gas Scottish cup tie at Home to Lochee United at home with a 2-30pm kick off .
Referee Mr T. Ormiston Assistants Mr C. McFeat , Mr T. Waddell