Derek Hall’s report Bonnyrigg Rose v Kilwinning Rangers

Report 27th June

Bonnyrigg Rose 0-1 Kilwinning Rangers
The last Saturday in June brought not just an October feel to the weather but also the return of fans to the very smart surroundings of New Dundas Park for a very interesting friendly with the home sides first pre season fixture bringing visitors from Ayrshire. Less than a minute was on the clock and Barrett was almost in one on one with Barclay in the visitors goal but a poor first touch saw the chance gone. On four minutes Hall slipped a lovely ball in again to Barrett but a brilliant last ditch tackle from Syme denied the striker a shot on goal. At the other end, Young was dispossessed in his own penalty area by McColm but the resulting corner came to nothing. However after eleven minutes, more hesitancy in the home defence saw Kemp race into the penalty area and Horne got both the ball and the player in the challenge which saw referee Harris point to the spot. Monti stepped up to slam the ball home off the base of the post and the visitors were ahead. Three minutes later, Monti had another go from an angled free kick some 30 yards out and Andrews did well to palm the ball behind from up in the top corner. On the quarter hour, McColm then put Kemp through and he fired his shot across the face of goal but the visitors were on top in the early stages. Barrett and Hall combined again to give Barrett another shooting chance which was blocked and then in 21 minutes, Hall knocked the ball down for Barrett to test Barclay in the visitors goal with a low 25 yard drive but the handling was sound. Barrett was involved in most things up front for the Rose and in 26 minutes his lob beat Barclay and ended in the net but the offside flag was up early. On 32 minutes a deflected looping cross was cooly headed back to Rose keeper Andrews by Young who showed commendable composure. Two minutes later and at the other end Young found Barrett who again showed a willingness to shoot from 25 yards but this one was high. After 35 minutes, scorer Monti blotted his copybook when he was rightly cautioned by referee Harris for chopping down S Gray from behind virtually right on the centre spot as the player was moving away from him. Two minutes later, a great delivery into the box from Currie saw a number of players converge about six yards out and Barclay was relieved to flop onto the loose ball on the line beside his post. On 40 minutes, Syme was again across for the visitors to make the clearing tackle on Hall whilst at the other end, another Monti free kick was confidently held by Andrews. Half time then saw the visitors hold a narrow lead which they probably deserved after dominating the first 25 minutes but Rose had come much more into things later in the half and the game remained very much in the balance.
Two minutes in and a Harvey foul on Currie saw the Rose playmaker pick himself up and his free kick into the box was cleared behind for a fruitless corner. However a minute later and this time Currie delivered a pin point cross onto the head of Wilson whose header from around seven yards only just slipped over the bar. On 50 minutes, S Gray sent Hoskins to the goal line and his cutback was clipped just over by Barrett at the near post from around eight yards as the home side came out the traps strongly to try to get back on level terms. Four minutes later, Barrett got on the end of a huge Andrews clearance but the offside flag halted the move. On 55 minutes, Kilwinning registered their first chance of the second period when a looped header from McColm dropped onto the roof of the net as Andrews made sure he covered his goals. On the hour, Bonnyrigg made a triple change as Hoskins, Hall and S Gray were replaced by McGachie, Hunter and R Gray and then a fairly aimless cross into the visitors box saw Barrett show great reactions to turn a header on target which was held by Barclay. McColm fired a 25 yard drive across the face of the Bonnyrigg goal and wide before at the other end, Hunter managed to dig out an excellent back post cross which Wood turned behind but the corner came to nothing. With fourteen minutes remaining, Currie caught McColm with a mistimed challenge and it was one foul too many for the referee and the Rose No 10 found himself in the book. Then on 78 minutes, a Kemp snap shot from around 25 yards almost caught out keeper Andrews who may have been partially unsighted and he was glad to shovel it round the post. Two minutes later, a foul on Kemp gave Monti another chance with a free kick just right of centre from 19 yards but it proved too difficult to get up and down over the wall and Andrews wasn’t troubled as the ball went a yard over. With eight minutes remaining, Brett was brought down by Anderson about seven yards outside the Kilwinning penalty area and referee Harris had no hesitation in making the Rangers substitute the third caution on the day but Currie blazed the free kick well over. With four minutes remaining, an enterprising forward run from Horne saw him slip a lovely ball to McGachie who looked to be about to pull the trigger from 15 yards when Syme again slid in with a beautifully timed challenge to clear the danger. Two minutes from time, Barrett got down the left wing and sent over a superb cross towards the back post but Barclay in the Rangers goal showed why he was capped at Under 21 level with a miraculous finger tip away at full stretch to clear the danger. In the end Kilwinning held on for the win and in spells played very well with Monti pulling the strings and Syme marshalling his defence superbly at the back. Bonnyrigg will be glad to get their first game under their belt and some match fitness into the legs and will have taken plenty out of a fixture which saw them tested all over the park which at the end of the day is exactly what they were looking for.