BATHGATE THISTLE V MONTROSE ROSELEA

MCBOOKIE.COM EAST PREMIER LEAGUE

SAT OCT 5^TH 2013

 

Roselea made the long trip to Creamery Park, Bathgate in their latest quest for 3 points in the Premier League. Bathgate had started the season as well as was expected and sat in 2^nd place behind leaders Penicuik. Roselea travelled with a strong squad with long term injury victims Stewart Fletcher and Jordan Reoch sidelined and Stuart Richardson on holiday. Calum Rae was available after his two game suspension.

 

Creamery Park was in excellent condition and with it being subject to a few winter cancellations great to get out of the way at this stage of the season.

 

Roselea: Mcleod, Riach, Whyte, R Taylor, Duncan Reid, Anderson, Rae, Cruickshank, Collier, Dale Reid & Watson. Subs: Gammie, A Thomson, J Rausch, P Milne & R Brand.

 

Roselea almost had an unexpected chance in the first minute when a long ball found Dale Reid at the edge of the 18 yard and it was only his touch that let him down at the last hurdle.

 

In 7 minutes Bathgate had a half chance when Larinsky made a great run and a pass found him on the corner of the box but Ross Mcleod had spotted the danger and made a great block to send it behind for a corner.

 

Bathgate opened the scoring in the 8^th minute with a great finish from their number 9 LARINSKY. Roselea defended a corner well but when the ball was dinked back in the striker took the ball down with his knee and chipped the advancing Mcleod.

 

Roselea retaliated and a great run from Ryan Taylor saw him skip past four opposition players but his right footed shot didn’t match the quality of his run and the keeper saved well.

 

In 13 minutes Anderson gave a away a foul right on the edge of the Roselea 18 yard box however the free kick clipped the top of the bar to go over much to the away sides relief.

 

Roselea got level on 16 minutes with a very opportunist goal from Calum WATSON. He picked the ball up wide right and despite having support in the box who were marked he quite rightly elected to shoot and the ball squeezed between the post and the keeper to put the Lea level.

 

With Roselea attacking through Cruickshank suddenly the ball swung the other end and Swan played Larinsky who somehow managed to find the hands of Mcleod when the goal was gaping.

 

Bathgate were causing Roselea problems on the break with Swan’s movement being the curse of the defence. On the half hour mark he had a shot which was deflected behind for a corner then a customary save from Ross Mcleod blocked another shot as he somehow escaped the Roselea offside trap with a great run.

 

It was pretty even stuff and Roselea were giving as good as they got as a great Cruickshank cross was just missed by Dale Reid who could not get enough on it in 41 minutes.

 

With half time approaching there were another two chances with Mcleod again saving from Swan and then Calum Watson had a rasping drive from the angle which was not far off the angle.

 

Half Time Bathgate Thistle 1 Montrose Roselea 1

 

Roselea were forced into a change at half time when Ryan Taylor had to leave the field with an injury and was replaced by Connor Gammie.

 

In 48 minutes Bathgate attacked and their number 5 drove into the box with a strong run ending with a one – two which Mcleod blocked with a low save.

 

Roselea took the lead in 54 minutes and sent the small travelling support into raptures. Cruickshank who had slotted in at left back sent a long ball which Gammie flicked on and with the Bathgate defence caught flat Calum WATSON latched onto the ball and sent a great shot past the keeper from 25 yards.

 

In 60 minutes only some good defending from Collier & Cruickshank against danger man Swan prevented a goal.

 

In 61 minutes Anderson takes the ball past a couple of Bathgate players before number 10 decides it is good practice to take him down on the edge of the box however unlike all the other Roselea free kicks of the day Duncan Reid sends his effort wide.

 

Play is swinging from end to end and Bathgate have a chance with Swan drilling into the Roselea box with only a deflection on his cross taking it away from danger then at the other end when a free kick is headed out to Duncan Reid he wastes a great shooting opportunity and skies over the bar from 20 yards.

 

Bathgate danger man Swan is wriggling up the left hand side and after a clear slip a free kick is given however when the ball is delivered Mcleod is equal to the challenge and punches clear.

 

With 10 minutes remaining Duncan Reid has another chance from a free kick but again curls his effort wide of the target.

 

Roselea lost their lead in 85 minutes under slightly controversial circumstances. Roselea contested an offside given against Gammie and with the ball still moving the keeper launched a long ball which saw LARINSKY wriggle free and slot home from close range.

 

McLeod made a great safe in 88 minutes when a corner broke at the far post and he had to make a close range safe to keep Roselea in with a chance of a point.

 

In stoppage time the cruellest blow that could hit Roselea happened when the best player on the pitch SWAN found space in the box and managed to sneak the ball home for the home side to steal all three points.

 

Full Time: Bathgate Thistle 3 Montrose Roselea 2

 

Despite leading in seven of the previous nine games and going on to lose this was undoubtedly the cruellest of them all having matched one of the promotion favourites on their own patch. Even at 2-2 one would have been thinking that just taking one point from the match would have been a travesty. It was the best player on the park by a country mile however that sneaked the winner. It was a gutted Roselea side who trooped into the Bathgate clubrooms to be sympathetically greeted by the opposition.

 

The defeat leaves Roselea rooted at the bottom of the League however they left Bathgate with plenty of compliments that should leave them full of optimism for the rest of the season. With home games crucial they now have two at Broomfield Park that could map the rest of the season. First up Glenrothes visit Broomfield Park on Oct 12^th then Arniston Rangers visit on Sat 19^th both with a 2.30pm KO.

 

The draw for the 2^nd Round of the Scottish Junior Cup takes place on Weds 9^th October with ties to be played on Sat 26^th. One team will get a welcome bye into the 3^rd Round after Fife side Steelend have had to take time out of the game.