GAME DAY 139 - SATURDAY 29th JANUARY 2022 - STORM MALIK!

Game 139 - STORM MALIK!

Stoneyburn 2 Vs 3 Bo'ness Athletic

STADIUM - Beechwood Park, Stoneyburn

COMPETITION - EoSFL Conference X

DATE - Saturday 29th January 2022

KICK OFF - 14:00

PITCH - Grass

PROGRAMME - Yes £2

COST - £12 Me, Sam and Mason

SCORE BOARD - No

CLOCK - No

ATTENDANCE - 65

PENALTY - No

RED CARD - No

GOALS - Stoneyburn - Hendry 2', Scott 39' - Bo'ness - Daramola 19' ,Mitchell 78', Rose 82'

MILES TRAVELLED - 5 miles approx

Back to Beechwood Park and Stoneyburn as they faced Bo'ness Athletic in the East of Scotland Football League Conference X.

Stoneyburn started the day in 8th place with 18 games played on 19pts
Bo'ness were also on 18 games played but in 3rd with 42pts

We ended up first at the venue for the second day running, looking like complete anoraks or trainspotters (not the wild kind from the movies) Luckily for us it worked out in our favour, as a wee message to the Bo'ness twitter page allowed us to arrange an opportunity for pictures at the end with the wee boy.

THE GROUND
Great set up which is always being improved thanks to the hard work of Steven Sharp and the whole Stoneyburn club. Top to bottom they are preparing the groundwork for a really exciting future for Stoneyburn and the community

THE PREDICTION
We all had it down for a Bo'ness Athletic win, but with a solid Stoneyburn side, crazy winds and quite a few changes in the team, it was never going to be easy.

DOWN TO THE ACTION
When it came time for kick off the team shooting with the wind behind them was always going to have the advantage. With the coin toss, the teams switched sides before starting and...well 2 minutes later Stoneyburn scored. You could see how strong the wind was blowing towards the Bo'ness goal with how tight the nets were being stretched.

It was Hendry who had blasted it in from a rebound after a corner, a strong strike from range made even stronger by the wind. Watch here... (who would want to be a keeper on days like these!)

Bo'ness would struggle in the first half to properly clear as long clearances simply blew back towards their half.

The goal machine that is Tiwi would make it level with a strike low to the keepers right from close range on 19 minutes. Soon after he would miss a 1 on 1 allowing the keeper to collect, keeping the game all square.

40 minutes in and a routine save from Fraser Currid would be uncharacteristacally spilled to the feet of Stoneyburns Euan Scott, who made the most of this error and put his team ahead before the break. In chatting with Jack after the game he had said he didn't have the right boots with him, showing me the ones he had and you could see what happened.

Still an even contest there were chances for both, continuing into the second half, going back and forth, good chances for each.

The Stoneyburn No.9 received a hefty shot to the head during an attack, seeing him laid out on the floor for a bit following a strike at goal by a team mate.

78th minuteBo'ness pulled it back, Jonny Mitchell making it 2-2 which you had felt coming, a 3rd looking likely now.

Could have been a penalty for Bo'ness just after (possible handball), but instead the referee pulled it back for a foul on a Stoneyburn player earlier in the attack.

3-2 Bo'ness, Grant Rose getting himself on the score sheet on the 82nd minute.

Around the 87 mark there was a cracking challenge which stopped a Stoneyburn player going clean through. Wish I could remember who made it, as could well have stopped an equaliser.

A golden chance at the end for the home side to seal a draw in added time, No.11 through in a similar position to the Tiwi finish in the first half, for some reason he delayed allowing for a block, then fouled the player who had tackled him. He recieved a yellow and this helped Bo'ness see out the game.

IN CLOSING
Testament to both teams for getting this the go ahead, alot of other games were postponed due to Storm Malik (Yes the wind was actually blowing in ONE DIRECTION!) It was absolutely freezing, constant misty rain and the wind was awful, constantly moving the ball and having a huge impact on play.

It was a tight back and forth game which could have went either way, but what a great effort from Bo'ness to pull it back from a goal down on two occasions to pic up a massive 3 points on thier title charge.

Turnstiles and Terraces - MAN OF THE MATCH
A few really good performances on the day, but we opted as a team for Tiwi Daramola. What a nightmare to play against.

EXTRAS
A massive thanks to Bo'ness Athletic, Fraser Currid, Blair Woodburn, Craig Snedden, Scott Sinclair and Tiwi Daramola for taking the time to meet and get pics with Mason, really made his day. He was absolutely frozen until you all came over and he perked up ⚽👍💙

Also thanks to the lady next to us who grabbed extra blankets from her car for Mason to keep him warm, very kind thanks.

A huge thanks to the coach from Stoneyburn who fell on his arse while trying to kick the ball back into play, only to have his fellow coaches in stitches, cheers it helped get through the cold lol