Kirkcaldy & Dysart boss Conrad Courts assesses 'tough' league opener at Bo'ness Athletic

For Courts’ side will begin their 2024-25 East of Scotland League first division campaign this Friday night at Willie Irvine’s Bo’ness Athletic – who have achieved consecutive promotions after winning divisions three and two respectively in the past two seasons – with a 7.45pm kick-off at Newtown Park.

"You probably couldn’t get many harder opening league games,” Courts told the Fife Free Press.

"From what I’ve looked into, they’re kind of a young team as well.

"They’ve got players with plenty of ability, as proved by their league positions the last couple of years. And they’ve got experience too.

"But we knew we were going to have to play Bo’ness Athletic at some point.

"We’ve got our full squad available apart from our goalie – Dion Gear – and one of our strikers, Scott Dunn. So we’re good to go.

"It will be a test, as every game will be in the league. There are not going to be any easy games.

"You have to earn the right to play and to win games, so that’s how we will approach it.

"It is kind of a blow losing Dion and Scott, although we have five strikers so we’re not too light in that department.

"The only other goalie we have is our under-20s boy Connor Auchterlonie so it’s going to be a big test for him, a chance for him to prove himself and an opportunity for a lot of players to try and grab a regular starting slot.

"I didn’t really know too much about the players when I came in so I’m kind of learning as I go.

"There are no fears from me about the young players we have going into Friday’s game.”

Courts was speaking in the wake of Kirkcaldy & Dysart rounding off their pre-season fixtures with a 4-3 home defeat to East of Scotland League Premier Division outfit Dundonald Bluebell on Saturday.

Although the hosts lost a goal after just a minute to Bluebell’s Ross Brown, they ended up leading 3-1 at half-time thanks to a comeback which led to goals by Finlay Shearer, Darren Ormiston and Shearer (penalty).

But strikes in the final 13 minutes for the visitors by Jack Smith, White and Phillip Andrews clinched the win for the higher league side in what was a topsy-turvy affair.

“We conceded after the first minute from a long throw,” Courts added.

"It was bad defending, probably a bit too early in the game for us and the players weren’t really switched on.

"We kind of weren’t getting to grips with things in the middle of the park but we reshuffled things and from 15 minutes into the game until 75 minutes, we were probably well on top.

"It probably could have been more than 3-1 for us at that point to be honest.

"Then, because it’s pre-season, boys had to get minutes so I changed it and brought some of the younger players on.

"In all honesty it probably didn’t work on the day, we conceded not long after they went on and we got a wee bit nervous.

"But there were still a lot of positives.

"You can’t read too much into the result as it was still pre-season.”