Bo’ness Utd 2-3 Newburgh

The previous encounter had resulted in a late winner for the home side to thwart Newburgh’s second half fightback as the game moved into injury time.

The opening half hour of the game was a cagy affair with both sides probing for an opening without managing to craft any clear cut chances. This change just as the half hour ticked over on the clock with the hosts opening their account for the day.

Some good work on the edge of the box by Anderson made space for Gribben to receive an inch perfect pass.

Gribben had time to pick his spot and slide the ball under Calum Sutherland who came off his line to cut down the angle.

Newburgh responded almost immediately and were back level within a minute of the re-start.

A loose pass in defence was intercepted by Jack Hutchison who drove into the box and with just Brown in the Bo’ness goal to beat the ‘Burgh playmaker poked a perfectly placed shot into the net.

In driving rain and wind speeds and direction changing all the time the game became end to end.

Bo’ness retook the lead with seven minutes of the half remaining with the wind playing its part. Melvin lofted a cross over the box which moved in the air, Sutherland backpedalling could not get his hands to the ball as it looped into the net.

The wind was giving neither team any assistance as its speed and direction were changing all the time.

Newburgh started the second half with Callum Galloway replacing Aidan Edwards in the midfield. With Kyle Fraser and Ryan Kinnes working hard in the middle of the park Newburgh began to force more forward play.

In the 50th minute some excellent interplay in the middle of the park between Kinnes and Annandale allowed Jack Hutchison to free himself on the right hand side.

Hutchison’s cross was handled in the box as the defender attempted to block. The referee pointed to the spot allowing Newburgh a chance to draw level.

Harry Galloway took the spot kick, Brown parried the ball but Galloway followed up and lifted the ball over the stricken keeper.

As the wind and rain intensified the game became stretched. Bo’ness were defending well and looked dangerous on the break with several chances missed due to some poor finishing. Newburgh created several chances and looked the likelier to score as the game entered the closing stages.

Newburgh replaced Jordan Annandale with Craig Robinson just after the hour mark. Robinson’s pace and drive introduced a new problem for the home defence to cope with as Newburgh pushed hard to claim all three points.

The deciding goal came with only a matter of minutes left in the game. A spark of genius from Jamie Gay gave Newburgh the breakthrough that they had been pressing for.

A long ball from Sutherland carried in the wind and a superb first touch from Gay set him up between the two central defenders. Gay shifted the ball to give himself an angle and fired an inch perfect shot from just outside the 18 yard box perfectly into the corner of the Bo’ness goal.

Bo’ness restarted the game as it entered time added on and threw everything forward in an attempt to salvage a point from the game. Andy Cameron and Ben English were both called upon to make important tackles in the closing encounter of the game.

Newburgh: Sutherland, English, Cameron, Kirkham, Hutchison, Kinnes, Fraser, Edwards (C Galloway 45), Gay, H Galloway, Annandale (Robinson 67).