League Match

Venue – Simpsons PS, Bathgate

Weather – Cold but dry with dark overcast skies.

Starting Line Up – Jake, Cammy, Ben, Leon, David, Ross, Bally, Sam, Connor, Aiden, Scott Subs Harry, Lewis, Ryan, Danny

Kick off – Bathgate playing toward the school end

4 mins – Broxburn get the first chance with a shot which is deflected on to the cross bar, Cammy has an outstanding last ditch tackle to prevent a good goal scoring opportunity

10 mins – it’s a scrappy match with no one able to put their foot on the ball in the middle of the park

13 mins – with the game evenly balanced, Leon takes a throw in close to the corner flag, the ball is crossed in but a Broxburn defender gets a head to it first with a looping clearance. Connor meets it at the edge of the box with a sweet left foot volley which travels through a crowd of players before hitting the inside of the net in the opposite corner. This is a candidate for goal of the season, an outstanding strike. The keeper never got close to it. Bathgate 1 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

22 mins – Aidan manages to outpace his marker and brakes free with a one on one with the keeper. The keeper makes a good save by managing to get a hand to the ball, it brakes free for Scott who strikes the ball well but it’s cleared off the line by a Broxburn defender

24 mins – Bally has a great strike from outside the box , but for a good save by the keeper that was going in

27 mins – Bathgate are now getting the upper hand and we’re starting to see some good passing moves. In particular Leon and Connor are combining well together to build attacks from the left. Connor gets a great cross in, the keeper gets to it first though but can only beat out the ball as far as Scott who is on hand to knock it in to the net from close range, a great follow up. That makes it Bathgate 2 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

Half time – Bathgate go in 2 – 0 to the good after eventually breaking down a resilient Broxburn.

Kick off – Two half time substitutions are made, Ryan for Leon & Lewis for Sam. The second half kicks off with rain now starting to fall heavily

39 mins – Scott breaks free and faces the keeper on a one to one but the keeper manages to get a hand to it at the near post to prevent a certain goal

40 mins – Subs Harry for Scott / Danny for Bally. It’s at this point that the coaches get a telling off from the referee for not advising of the half time subs. Lee is sent off to stand by the fence!

48 mins – Broxburn win a corner but Bathgate break free and counter attack, Connor picks up the ball and strikes a hard hit shot from the left side of the box across goal into the right hand corner. It’s a great strike for his second of the match. Bathgate 3 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

50 mins – Bathgate are on a roll now, Harry breaks on to a through ball, with a one on one against the keeper or the option of squaring to Aidan he shoots and scores. Bathgate 4 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

53 mins – The Bathgate defence of Cammy, David, Ben and Ryan is playing well and holding firm. There aren’t many shooting opportunities for Broxburn until the ball breaks free at the edge of the box, their striker has a looping shot which bounces right in front of Jake who takes it well

54 mins – Subs Ben for Sam and Scott for Aidan

56 mins – Cammy breaks from the half way line, with our strikers starting to drift offside he intelligently keeps possession and strikes a lovely shot from the edge of the box. Great goal, the keeper has no chance and it’s now Bathgate 5 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

59 mins – Now it’s Ross’s turn to get among the action and he has a great strike from outside the box. The keeper gets down well to his right to make a great save. That went really close

60 mins Sub Leon for Connor

62 mins – Harry sprints off from the half way line and edges past the last defender for another one on one with the keeper, he rounds him at the left hand post and scores from a tight angle Bathgate 6 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

69 mins – Bathgate win a free kick between the half way line and Bathgate box. Lewis steps up to take it and accurately directs a fine strike over everyone’s head into the opposite corner. The keeper never even got close to that one. Bathgate 7 v 0 Broxburn Badgers

The referee blows the final whistle. It’s great to get a few goals but we can be really proud of our 2nd clean sheet of the season