Sauchie v Broxburn Athletic

Attendance 150

Broxburn travelled to Beechwood park in Sauchie to protect their 100% record so far . They made one change to the starting eleven with Liam Campbell replacing Marcus Millar who dropped to the bench .

Good play at the start saw Marky Munro lay off to Nicholas Locke along the bye line but the captains ball into the box was cleared . Ben Davidson made a slack pass and his team mates stopped the hosts capitalising at the expense of a corner . When the corner came in a foul on both Watt and Dan Nimmo saw the game stopped with the big centre half having to replaced with Millar on 8 minutes . At the other end a Nick Locke free kick out left saw Clark parry the ball but it was his defender who cleared for a corner . On ten minutes a ball across the box from Munro broke out to Locke 25 yards out and Clark made a superb save to tip his effort over the bar .

On fifteen minutes the hosts were awarded a dubious penalty kick when a long ball through saw Kavanagh ready to shoot when Lewis Turner made a great tackle to rob him off the ball but the match official saw it differently and gave the spot kick . Daniel Smith took the kick but it crashed of the right hand post and when the ball came back in Watt was able to smother the effort . The hosts created a good opportunity on twenty minutes when Brian Morgan was set up but fired over the bar . Five minutes later good one two found Former Broxburn full back Ross Hutchison in on goal but he shot disappointingly wide and high .

The opener came on 29 minutes and it was the hosts who got it when a ball was cleared out the visitors defence and fell to DANIEL SMITH who’s shot took a vicious swerve putting it out of reach off the diving Watt . Sauchie should have done better with ten minutes of the half remaining when a Broxburn Attack broke down Sauchie went on the counter Attack and were man for man but chose the wrong option and Hutchison shot wide left .

Half Time Sauchie 1 Broxburn Ath 0

Sauchie came out the second half and were pressing for an early increase to the scoreline .

It was Broxburn who should have had an opportunity to get back in the game when Locke was brought down in the box the referee didn’t want to know  And Locke got booked once the game stopped for his protests . with 8 minutes of the half a long ball into the box found Mark Smith with time to bring it down and score but he would have been disappointed with his attempt that went wide . Two minutes later Broxburn had a free kick 20 yards out on the right the free kick was saved then the loose ball was saved again by Clark at expense of a corner .Calum Heath replaced Liam Campbell on 64 minutes .

A minute later a ball into the box found Ross Kavanagh alone in front of goals 12 yards out but Robert Watt dived at his feet to gather the ball before he got his shot away .

Ross Nimmo replaced Darren Downie on 75 minutes

With time running out and going into injury time Broxburn won a corner on the right . Ross Nimmo’s ball into the box was met by the head of GARY BRASS who hammered the ball home for an equaliser . A few minutes deeper into injury time the game could have been turned unexpectedly on its head when  Nick Locke was brought down in the box but Gary Brass attempt from the spot was saved and the Broxburn forwards couldn’t turn the loose ball into the net .

In the end a point away from home at a difficult venue we will take and move on . Not the best performance of the season but still unbeaten and we move on to next week’s Scottish Gas Scottish cup tie at Home to Lochee United at home with a 2-30pm kick off .

Referee Mr T. Ormiston  Assistants  Mr C. McFeat , Mr T. Waddell

Fraser Munro

Tony Robertson

Archie Roue

Joshuna Laing

Scott-Taylor MacKenzie

Lee Buckle

Ben Wardlaw

BROXBURN ATHLETIC V PENICUIK ATHLETIC

Attendance 162

East Of Scotland Premier League: Broxburn Athletic v Penicuik Athletic 22 August 2023 

Broxburn returned to league action to face what has historically been their bogey team Penicuik Athletic. Having maintained their 100% start to the season by beating Peebles Rovers in the cup last Saturday the Brox made only 1 change to Saturdays line up Turner replaced Campbell. Penicuik have had a strange start to the season with 2 poor results losing 6-0 at promoted Glenrothes and 9-0 at Tynecastle. Things got back on track last Saturday edging out Luncarty by 3-2. The Cuikie also made 1 change to their starting line up Melvin replaced Baptie.

In the 3rd minute Penicuik made an opportunity for themselves McManus playing in a ball to Dawson with his back to goal but he couldn’t play on to a team mate to get a shot off.

The same combination were at it again in the 8th minute as the visitors positive start continued Dawson’s strike for goal was was straight to Watt who collected well.

In the 10th minute Broxburn were seen for the first time in an offensive situation when Davidson was fouled by Furness, the ball was played to the left to Turner who swung in a deep cross to the back post where D.Nimmo put in a strong challenge but was adjudged to have fouled Leiper in the Cuikie goal.

Broxburn were starting to hit their stride now Locke played a great defence splitting pass down the right wing to Munro who swung over a pinpoint cross where Leiper did superbly well to get a hand on it with Downie on hand to finish if the keeper had made an error.

In a similar incident at the other end McManus played in a cross which Dawson battled strongly for with Watt with the keeper doing well to punch clear.

Against the run of play to that point the Brox took the lead Brass controlled the ball in midfield moved forward and slid the ball to DOWNIE who controlled the ball and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the net past Leiper. Time 16 minutes.

Turner was fouled by Taylor-McKenzie, took the free kick himself which was well met by Leiper who punched clear.

Great play from Locke in 25 minutes, he turned his man brilliantly and played in a cross which was well defended by Young with plenty red shirts on hand to pick up on any error.

Broxburn were nearly 2 to the good a minute later Munro again providing a fine cross which Downie won at the back post but his header went just wide.

A mistake by Millar on halfway allowed Penicuik a 2 on 2 situation but the visitors didn’t get it right Watt doing a great job to usher Dawson wide with his cross then unable to find Wardlaw. Time 36 minutes.

A nice free flowing Brox move was ended by captain Locke blazing high over the bar.

In 39 minutes Munro fouled Wardlaw about 20 yards out slightly left of centre. Taylor-McKenzie took the free kick which he struck well curling from left to right and just clearing the cross bar.

Penicuik went even closer to an equaliser in 43 minutes McManus forcing a corner off Millar. Young won the header from the corner which Watt did well to parry Dawson got to the rebound but his header looped over the bar.

HALF TIME: Broxburn Athletic 1 – 0 Penicuik Athletic      

(Photos Courtesy of Andrew MacPherson)

Penicuik made a bright start to the 2nd half Melvin’s long throw was well won by Page over Dawson, Brass was then fouled with Watt completing the clearance.

In 52 minutes the Cuikie continued to press Taylor-Mackenzie cutting in from the left and unleashing a great shot which Watt did brilliantly to save at full stretch.

Broxburn forced an error in the Penicuik defence with Turner playing a ball into the penalty area but Thomson came away with the ball, Downie retrieved for Broxburn got to the bye line but he couldn’t pick out a red shirt.

In 55 minutes a long ball was played forward which Locke chased and challenged keeper Leiper who had come off his line but Locke caught the ball with his hand when trying to knock the ball past the keeper and was promptly booked by the referee.

Then a touch of class by the Brox skipper Brass’s persistence down the right saw him cross for LOCKE who audaciously back heeled the ball into the left corner of the net.

The Brox had their tails up and from a Turner corner Brass won the header which went just over the bar.

Penicuik made a change in 66 minutes Buckle went off to be replaced by Roue.

Two minutes later Locke played in a ball from the right Young conceding a corner. Turner took the kick the ball was part cleared but fell to Page whose header was cleared from inside the 6 yard box.

Locke went off for Broxburn to be replaced by Thomson.

In 77 minutes the visitors squandered a chance on the break Wardlaw laid the ball off to Dawson but his shot was high and right.

A minute later Downie came off for Wilson.

Taylor-Mackenzie was booked for a foul on Bremner. Time 81 minutes.

Two minutes later the pacy Wardlaw fashioned a shooting chance on the left which he fired wide.

In 84 minutes Taylor-Mackenzie and Dawson were substituted for Fraser and Philp.

Davidson came very close to his first Broxburn goal cutting inside on the left and curling a shot which hit the cross bar, the fall up falling to Brass who was also out of luck.

A chance fell to Wilson in 89 minutes but he shot well over.

In a high energy finish to the game a misunderstanding between D.Nimmo and Page allowed Wardlaw clean in but he shot straight at Watt who did real well to save.

Wilson and Bremner were booked in injury time for the Brox.

FULL TIME: Broxburn Athletic 2 – 0 Penicuik Athletic

Referee  Mr R. Donaldson ,   Assistants Mr A. Simmonds , Mr D. Robertson

 

 

 

Paul Dickson

Attendance 158

 

Referee Mr P. Dawson