Bathgate celebrate win over Fifers

Nov 24 2011 by Kieran Westbrook, West Lothian Courier

Bathgate celebrate win over Fifers

GRAEME LOVE watched his Bathgate Thistle side edge past St Andrews United – then admitted his team have to be more clinical if they want to mount a title challenge.

Goals from Gregor Buchanan and Marco Andreoni were enough to see off the visitors but the Thistle boss was frustrated that his side didn’t put the result out of sight by half-time.

Love told the Courier: “We dominated the first half and I don’t think anyone could have grudged us a 3-0 or 4-0 lead going into the break.

“It really was a great first- half performance by us.

“The disappointing thing was that we didn’t continue that form into the second half and we let St Andrews back into the game.

“But we deserved the win and it was a good one for us to get.”

And Love reckons the win means his side can start focusing on mounting a title challenge.

He said: “I think this gives us the chance to start looking at the top half instead of the bottom.

“But the truth is that we really need to go on a run of four or five straight wins if we want to really do something in the league this season.”

It was a victory that should have been far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, with Thistle producing a dominant display in the first half that, somehow, only yielded two goals.

Buchanan broke the deadlock when he connected with a corner to head the ball home before Andreoni doubled the home side’s advantage with a well-taken goal. Bathgate were denied a penalty following a blatant handball inside the St Andrews box and Love’s men had to settle for the two-goal cushion going into the break.

But Thistle failed to keep up the pressure and allowed United back into the game with a goal midway through the second half, setting up a tense finale.

Thistle had the chance to kill the United comeback stone dead when Lee Johnstone was sent through on goal.

But instead of squaring the ball for a tap-in, he shot straight at the advancing keeper and the chance was lost.

The victory lifts Thistle up to fourth in the table, three points behind leaders Bonnyrigg Rose.

Bathgate are without a game this weekend due to Scottish Junior Cup action.