Edinburgh University 0-2 Bonnyrigg Rose

Edinburgh University 0-2 Bonnyrigg Rose

Lowland League

Saturday 26th February 2022

Bonnyrigg Rose have been the runaway leaders in the Lowland League for pretty much the entirety of this season and this comfortable win over Edinburgh University means they're now on the brink of guaranteeing themselves a shot at promotion to the SPFL.

With Rangers and Celtic's 'B' teams ineligible for promotion, there's now only East Kilbride who could still mathematically topple Bonnyrigg, but with a 13-point gap to claw back in just five games which remain for Kilby then unless you've somehow escaped from the men in white coats, you'll know that a miraculous comeback isn't going to happen!

It means Bonnyrigg could have things wrapped up as early as this coming Tuesday when they take on Cumbernauld Colts at what's likely to be a bouncing (and baltic) New Dundas Park.

This win at East Peffermill - a tiny ground on the outskirts of Edinburgh which I've wanted to visit ever since passing it on a diverted train a few months ago, wasn't as straightforward as it perhaps ought to have been for the 'Rosey Posey' who initially struggled to make a breakthrough.

Once they finally went ahead just shy of the hour mark, another goal quickly followed and it was a rather comfortable away day success thereafter!

Knowing this was my last day in Scotland for a while then I was keen to tick off another 'new' ground without venturing too far outside the capital and a glance at the fixture list presented me with two options: this game or a trip up the road to Linlithgow Rose's home game against Whitehill Welfare.

This one 'got the nod' and in pleasant weather it was around a 50-minute stroll from Edinburgh Waverley through the backstreets to pretty much the other side of Arthur's Seat. Regular buses (towards Musselburgh) run from the city centre, but why waste money on a bus fare when the daytime weather is relatively pleasant?

As is the case with quite a few Lowland League venues there isn't actually a lot at the ground and facilities are quite basic. A small stand (capable of housing around 200 people) offers some shelter, toilets are literally just two portaloos that you'd expect to see on a building site and there's no social club on-site to socialise before or afterwards. The scenic backdrop of Arthur's Seat, plus two nearby tower blocks, at least adds some character to the place and make's it more pleasant than, say, a trip to Caledonian Braves! 

A few Edinburgh University fans were dotted about here and there but the overwhelming majority of the fairly decent crowd were there to support Bonnyrigg who donned their yellow away strip.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for the champions in waiting to start creating chances and they had quite a few during a first half in which they were frustrated with their attempts whilst their own 'keeper, Marc Weir, wasn't ever seriously tested at the other end.

The visitors went close for the first time just shy of the quarter-hour mark when Lee Currie flashed his effort narrowly wide in a one-on-one before Callum Connolly forced a routine stop from University 'keeper Nick Buxton (not to be confused with the Doncaster Rovers goalie coach of the same name) with a shot which was straight at him on 27 minutes.

Buxton was lucky not to be given his marching orders when he came flying outside of his area and collided with Connolly in a separate incident just moments later and though it wasn't quite an onslaught at this stage; Edinburgh did have a few alright spells of possession, they struggled to effectively stem the pressure in the run-up to half-time with Buxton saving expertly from Ross Gray's half-volley and Brad Barrett also being thwarted at the near-post having done the hard work to get in-behind and to a position from where he could pull the trigger.

Edinburgh felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick just a minute or so before the break as Innes Lawson (one of their better players!) went to ground inside the box under pressure as he attempted to latch onto a ball across the goalmouth. There were appeals by Lawson and others which were heard by the referee who remained unmoved as he allowed play to continue.

That incident proved to be as close as the capital club ever got to pulling off what would have been an upset because the second half saw Bonnyrigg dominate again and find their cutting edge.

It took 56 minutes before the goal arrived and it was one which was preventable. Amidst pressure, Scott Gray was left completely unmarked so when the ball landed at his feet just a few yards out, he had the time to take a touch and smash it emphatically into the net.

Things got even better for Bonnyrigg just the other side of the hour mark as they doubled their lead with Barrett volleying home from a cross. It was simple stuff but clinical and their two-goal cushion thereafter never looked in danger as they saw out the game with relative comfort.

Stepping onto the 16:44 bus towards the city centre just as the referee blew the final whistle, I was back in Edinburgh less than a quarter-of-an-hour later - along with a couple of others who'd left slightly before full-time and opted to watch the remainder of the game from the bus stop.

Whether Bonnyrigg can follow in the footsteps of last year's Lowland League winners Kelty Hearts by progressing through the Play-Offs and into the SPFL remains to be seen, but there is absolutely no doubt they are champions in waiting who'll soon be celebrating winning the league.

Good luck to them!

Broomhill 0-2 Rangers B

Broomhill 0-2 Rangers B

Lowland League

Friday 25th February 2022

Another night and another game; this time as Rangers 'B' made the journey up to Broomhill in the Lowland League on another bitingly cold night.

Temperatures weren't quite as baltic as the previous two nights but it was still absolutely freezing and in many ways the groundstaff had done well just to get the game on considering the snowfall the previous day.

Although 'Broomhill' carry the name of an area in Glasgow and were one of the early members of the Lowland League - joining in its second season in 2014/15, the club don't actually play their home games in Scotland's second city. Formerly known as BSC Glasgow, they spent their first two years at Lochburn Park in Maryhill but soon relocated to Alloa Atheltic's Recreation Park (some 34 miles away!) where they've remained ever since.

Having entered the Lowland League set-up amidst a wave of controversy last summer, it's fair to say Rangers 'B' have made a good impact at this level. Attendances and interest in the league as a whole have increased partly through their involvement, and with Bonnyrigg Rose having pretty much already wrapped up top spot, the only questions that really remains is whether Rangers will finish higher than Celtic's 'B' team who possess a near-identical record.

The two Old Firm matches (yet to be played) are likely to go a long way in deciding that, but in this clash against Broomhill, the youngsters overcame a sluggish opening 45 minutes to emerge as comfortable and deserving winners.

The game started in a bizarre way as Broomhill implemented FIFA tactics by having a shot at goal straight from kick-off which caused a wry smile, but they soon went close in more orthodox fashion when Rangers ‘keeper Jay Hogarth saved at a tight angle at his near-post from Darren Smith following some sloppy play by the defence in a dangerous area.

Nevertheless, Rangers looked a good team; they popped the ball around positively, had players who appeared to be comfortable in possession and took the lead on 10 minutes when Arron Lyall finished on the back of some good build-up play including a right-to-left switch by Ross McCausland to Cole McKinnon which helped to find the space and some good work thereafter.

Broomhill nearly responded with an immediate equaliser as Smith got in-behind and saw his instinctive toe-poke come back off the post with the Gers ‘keeper rooted, before McCausland (the best player on the pitch) saw an effort parried away at the other end.

Despite the baltic temperatures which seemed even colder because of the heaps of snow at the side of the pitch, there was a real zest and youthful energy about the game and the hosts certainly acquitted themselves well.

Although the Ibrox youngsters remained 1-0 to the good, Broomhill found themselves in the ascendency for some prolonged spells in what remained of the first half and went close again on a handful of occasions.

Kyle McClelland made an important block with his chest from Finlay Gray, Regan O’Sullivan let fly with a speculative half-volley which narrowly cleared the woodwork following a partially-cleared corner on the half-hour mark, and then, closer to half-time, Smith spotted Hogarth off his line and went for glory with an effort that wasn’t actually that far off-target in the end.

At the other end, Rangers’ threat was quite sporadic although they had some nice snippets of pattern play. Kane Ritchie-Hosler copped for some rough treatment at times but their brightest sparks, likely to ignite something special, were McCausland and McKinnon; the same duo who combined in the build-up for the opening goal.

And in the second half, the visitors upped their performance level substantially to produce a dominant display where they dictated matters and meant they were worthy winners in the end.

A second goal to double Rangers’ lead almost came on 54 minutes. Juan Alegria was involved on the right flank before the ball was cut-back to Lyall whose blistering effort would have found the target had Stephen Barr not pulled off a splendid save. The Broomhill ‘keeper was soon in action again; this time as he thwarted McCausland who showed a good touch, technique and nifty movement to weave his way into a shooting position.

McCausland lashed a shot over from 20 yards at the midway point in the half, as he continued to search for the goal his own performance deserved, but the Northern Irish youngster was involved when the Gers finally made it 2-0 not long afterwards. 

This time, he found space on the right and played a defence-splitting pass towards Adam Devine on the overlap. His attempt was parried by Barr but Alegria was on-hand to follow-up at the far-post and put his free header into the empty net.

With Rangers having worked hard to get on top and in command, there were also a few physical encounters across the pitch which the youngsters stood up to in a positive way - showing they couldn’t be bullied or intimidated. McCausland was ‘nibbled at’ by a Broomhill player, wanting to spark a reaction in one instance, whilst both McClelland and Robbie Fraser (the skipper playing at centre-back) also kept their composure and gave as good as they got without breaching anything that isn’t within the laws of the game.

Despite having been on the back foot for almost the entirety of the second half, Broomhill almost set up an exciting finish when a long-range shot by O’Sullivan rattled the crossbar on 84 minutes. Some last-ditch defending prevented the rebound from that chance being put into the net and Hogarth also made a couple of saves from other moves to protect a clean-sheet which he deserves a fair amount credit for.

Rangers quality ultimately showed in the end and the three points is what they deserved. With home and away ‘B’ team derbies against Celtic coming up between now and the end of the season, they’ll fancy their chances of finishing above their Old Firm rivals in the Lowland League this season. They’re certainly possess more quality than Celtic, in my opinion, having watched them a couple of months ago when they won at East Kilbride.

The player who I’ll speak positively about in the aftermath of this game (and who I was Googling on the train back to Edinburgh to find out more about him!) is Ross McCausland. On a freezing night when the proverbial sleeves needed rolling down as well as up (and a few coats might have been useful for those out on the pitch), he warmed the appetite with a good showing. He had a definite style about his play, caused problems, was good with his feet, looked troublesome, tracked back to carry out his defensive duties and was direct with his technique/movement. There were lots of little but really good contributions and it’s one of those individual displays which left a really good impression. 

He deserved a goal; it didn’t come but he played a key part in both goals and I’ll be keeping an eye on him between now and the end of the season to see what he produces in other matches. It’s no surprise, based on this game, that he’s already been in and around the first team set-up at Ibrox.

Next Up: Edinburgh University vs Bonnyrigg Rose.