League Cup | Spartans bow out after Bo’ness defeat

Posted on Sunday, March 27th, 2022

Spartans hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages of the Lowland League Cup came to an end at Ainslie Park as they went down 1-3 to Bo’ness United in the final group fixture.

Having earned two draws in the previous group matches, it was winner-takes-all in the North Edinburgh sunshine.

There was early action from both sides to draw applause from the 267 supporters in the sunshine with Jack Newman forced into a fine save before Jamie Dishington looked on to see the woodwork deny him twice in as many games.

It all got a bit chaotic in the away dug-out when Michael Herd went in to collect the match ball and there was an almighty stramash that resulted in match prep notes strewn across the paddock before Herd and Bo’ness gaffer Max Christie were shown yellow cards for their involvement in the incident.

Back to the football and Scott Maxwell dashed to bye-line before shipping the ball into the box only for the Bo’ness keeper to collect it ahead of Blair Henderson who came racing in.

Against the run of play, the visitors took the lead with a quarter of an hour on the clock.

The away technical area was certainly the area where the incidents were happening, this time as Alan Brown went in for a 50/50 that some suggested wasn’t quite as equal in terms of percentage points.

Bradley Whyte was desperately unlucky not to draw his side level ahead of the half time whistle when he let fly from 25 yards, only to see it rattle the post and the rebound couldn’t be converted.

HT: Spartans 0-1 Bo’ness United

Spartans made a change at the break with Cammy Russell replacing Sam Jones.

Nine minutes into the half, Spartans equalised. A corner into the six yard box found Kevin Waugh who powered his header into the back of the net.

Less than ten minutes later, the pendulum swung back in the favour of the visitors as they regained the lead.

Gaffer Dougie Samuel threw the dice – or indeed four of them – making a quadruple substitution with S Newman, Smith, Burns and McFarland replacing Whyte, Herd, C Brown and Caves.

A chance for Cammy Russell from the edge of the box saw him thunder in a drive, however it was rising from impact and went over the bar.

Then, with just five minutes left on the clock, Bo’ness finished off the game with a third decisive strike.

FT: The Spartans 1-3 Bo’ness United

Malt & Hops Man of the Match: Alan Brown