Wintry weather takes heavy toll on matches

Feb 19 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

JUST two matches in the entire West Lothian junior football card survived another weekend of Mother Nature’s icy blast.

In the Fife and Lothians Cup Blackburn’s run was abruptly ended by Bonnyrigg Rose.

It was always going to be a big ask against the established Super League side but the county club took the game to their opponents from the outset.

Their whirlwind opening was rewarded with a spot-kick after only 12 minutes.

Recent signing Grant Plenderleith was upended in the box and Alan Brown smashed home to give Blackburn the lead.

Taking the lead seemed to take the wind out of the Blackburn sails and they lost their way for a spell which ultimately cost them dearly.

Bonnyrigg were awarded a penalty-kick of their own following a handball decision but keeper Francis Carlin pulled off a wonder save to deny Paddy Flannery.

But the equaliser was delayed barely a minute when Darren Thomson drilled home from 12 yards after the Blackburn defence failed to clear another Carlin save.

And 10 minutes later Bonnyrigg took the lead after an almighty stramash in the visitors’ box.

A series of shots were successfully blocked and charged down, then Liam McKenna picked the ball up on the right and expertly floated a great shot into the top corner.

The lead was doubled a minute later as Bonnyrigg ruthlessly killed off the Blackburn challenge.

This time the goalscorer was Andy Howat as he gathered a header across goal from Flannery to steer Rose into the next round.

Blackburn boss Mark Campbell reckons he can take positives and negatives from the game.

He said: “It was a funny game and one I have mixed emotions on.

“I thought our lads played great for the opening 20 minutes, scoring a deserved goal in the process. But our inexperience then began to tell as we have a lot of youngsters and they needed an older head to tell them what to do.

“The effort was terrific and if we can maintain that effort for the remainder of the season then it could be a good one.”

Blackburn’s Alan Brown picked up the sponsor’s man-of-the-match award following a super performance in a midfield.

It was a deserved reward for a determined 90 minutes from the emerging talent whose stock is rapidly on the rise.

Blackburn: Carlin, Spence, Keir, Murray, Miller, Crooks, McCardie, Brown, Williamson, Plenderleith, Stewart. Subs: McQuillan, Rintoul, Sneddon, Gillespie, Waddell.

The only other match involving a West Lothian side took place at Dunbar in the South Division where Pumpherston won 2-1.

Dunbar have been in good form recently and the win is a big scalp for Pumphy.

The hosts took the lead through Geoff Jones after just 10 minutes only for trialist Robert McSkimming to equalise for the West Lothian side.

And on the half-hour mark Stevie Manson rose to power a header into the net for the visitors and give them a lead they held until half-time.

First-half hero McSwimming became a villain on an eventful Pumphy debut when he was sent off.

But he was followed into the dressing room by Dunbar’s Daryl Fraser for dissent and the game teetered on the brink of boiling point in the final few minutes.

The county club ended the game with just nine men when Andy Heeps was also given his marching orders by the referee.

Pumpherston: Ross, Peters, C Omara, Heeps, Clifford, Trialist, Trialist, Morris, McCraw, Docherty, Manson. Subs: D O Mara, Leckie, Cameron, Tinning, Trialist.