Linlithgow blast Bo’ness to reignite title bid

Mar 19 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

Bo'ness 0 Linlithgow Rose 4

LINLITHGOW Rose stung fierce rivals Bo’ness with a crushing four-goal blitz on a day when they may well have reignited their Super League title ambitions.

Caretaker managers Iain Gallacher and Mark Bradley have more than steadied the Rose ship after they had slumped to six defeats in-a-row.

Since taking over the managerial reins the county club have won both their games while title favourites Bonnyrigg have lost both theirs.

This has given Linlithgow fans renewed hope of regaining the title flag they won in 2007.

They had the perfect start against their close neighbours when Murray McDowell smashed home a blocked shot from Gary Livingstone.

And they had the points in the away dressing room by half-time after goals from Tommy Coyne and Gordon Herd.

It was all one-way traffic and Coyne capped an excellent afternoon’s work with 25 minutes left when he bagged his second of the day to complete the rout.

Linlithgow: Pinkowski, Robertson, Tyrrell, Donnelly, Wilson, Smith, Livingstone, McDowell, Coyne, Herd, McArthur. Subs: McEwan, Hogg, Bradley, King, James.

BURNIE fans are starting to look nervously over their shoulder as the threat of relegation looms ominously in their rearview mirror.

Time and games are running out for the side who finished second in the table last season.

This week they dropped another two points as they were held to a 2-2 home draw against fellow strugglers Lochee.

But it could have been worse for the Burnie who could have been left with nothing after they fell 2-0 behind inside the opening six minutes.

Lochee’s Gary Middleton grabbed a quickfire double to set the visitors on easy street but Derek Strickland’s men fought back valiantly.

Andy Doig pulled a goal back in the second -half and after incessant pressure Kevin Donnelly grabbed a timely equaliser.

Whitburn: Walker, McGurk, Parkin, Mooney, Leiper, S Murphy, D Murphy, Donnelly, McSween, Doig, McNelis. Subs: Dolan, MacKay.

BATHGATE are still propping up the rest at the foot of the table and despite the fact they have games in hand they must start winning or relegation could be a very real possibility.

On Saturday they shared the spoils with Kelty Hearts but this was a game they should have won, such was their superiority on the park.

John Martin scored first for Kelty midway through the first-half only for Paul McGrillen to equalise five minutes later in what proved to be the end of the scoring.

Bathgate: Longmuir, Wilson, G Love, Menmuir, Easton, Riley, Nicolson, McColligan, Lister, McGrillen, McLaren. Subs: F Love, McPhee, P Harvey, Fallon, Carlin.