Linlithgow Rose make it a cup double with win over Bo’ness

Jun 16 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

Linlithgow Rose make it a cup double with win over Bo’ness

LINLITHGOW Rose finished the season on a high by clinching the Fife and Lothians Cup with a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Bo’ness at Prestonfield.

A goalkeeping blunder from Bo’ness stopper Stuart Baillie allowed Stephen Manson to put Linlithgow ahead direct from a corner-kick in the seventh minute and Gordon Herd doubled their lead before the break.

The home side appeared to be cruising to victory but Super League champions Bo’ness were thrown a lifeline when Chris Donnelly pulled a goal back with six minutes to go and then started pushing for the equaliser that would have taken the tie straight to penalties.

Rosie Posie keeper Steven Pinkowski, who is stepping down for a year to concentrate on work committments, was the hero as he stopped a point-blank shot from Chris McFadyen just before the end to clinch the cup for Linlithgow.

The victory means it is a cup double for the Prestonfield side who won the East Region League Cup earlier in the season.

Manager Dave Baikie said he was delighted with his side’s win after injuries meant he only had one recognised defender, Kevin Donnelly, playing in the final.

Baikie said: “The other three defenders were actually midfielders who I had to pitch in because of our horrendous injury list.

“We knew the situation and decided before the game that attack would be the best form of defence and we tried to have a real go at them.

“We played well in the first-half but in the second Bo’ness came more into the game. When they got the goal late on it made life a lot more difficult for us.

“We could have been 3-0 up at half-time and Tommy Coyne hit the post just after the break. But despite all our problems in defence we still got the cup.”

However, Baikie admitted to thinking of what might have been after his side came agonisingly close to clinching the East Region Superleague title only to lose out to Bo’ness following a shock 4-2 home defeat to Bonnyrigg on the final day of the campaign.

The Linlithgow manager added: “We are the only team in Scotland this year to win a double so it is a great achievement.

“We have won two cups and lost the Scottish Cup to the eventual winners Auchinleck Talbot and lost out on the league on the last day so we came close to a really special season.

“But I’m disappointed to have lost out on the league.Obviously it was not to be the weekend before and we let ourselves down. There were circumstances beyond our control and we had our goalkeeper missing due to work commitments but that’s just the way it has been.

“I’m 100 per cent certain that if we’d had John Ward and Dario Quinn available towards the end of the season we would have won the league.

“We’ve had a lot of misfortune this season in terms of personnel.

“We scored more than anyone else in the league but our goals against this year was poor. We are going to have to rebuild for next season and I will need a new keeper as well as defenders.”