Livi Hearts 0 v 4 Bathgate Thistle

Saturday 26 April 2014

Eliburn Park, Livingston

Team; Jake, Ross, David, Shaun, Leon, Robbie, Lewis, Connor, Aidan, Harry, Scott

Subs; Bally, Ryan, Ben, Sam

It’s back to league action after a 4 week layoff. Livi Hearts came out on top in the last encounter in terrible conditions, but this week conditions are good. Bathgate need to start picking up points from the team’s around them in mid table, so this is going to be an important game. The team is set out with an attacking 4-3-3 line up and they make a strong start. Both sides look up for it right from the off.

Livi Hearts get the first decent chance, a poor clearance is sent back toward goal. The ball takes a wicked bounce and catches Jake on the face, it rolls across the face of goal and the Livi Hearts striker beats David to the ball. But David puts him under pressure and he somehow manages to pull his shot wide

Goal – Bathgate go 1 up after 9 minutes. Connor chases back to help out the defence and wins the ball, he squares it to Shaun who finds Harry with a defence splitting pass. Harry races clear with 2 defenders on his tail and finishes neatly past the keeper. It’s a great counter attacking goal. Goal – Bathgate double their lead in 16 minutes and Connor is involved again, a cross come shot from the bye line on left wing floats over the keeper and into the net.

Bathgate make a change after 22 minutes with Danny on for Harry. Jake is called into action moments later when he faces down a Livi Hearts striker through one on one, the striker slides it to Jake’s right hand side but he gets a foot to it to prevent a certain goal.  Jake follows this up with another great save to tip the ball over the bar

Lewis has a great looping shot from well outside of the area, the keeper gets his hands to it and puts it out for a corner. Livi Hearts are constantly probing the Bathgate defence down the right hand side but are getting no change out of Leon and Connor who are closing them down quickly.

Half time and Bathgate go into the break 0-2 up. Bathgate make changes for the second half Shaun, Aidan, Scott & Lewis make way for Ryan, Ben, Sam & Bally

Leon has a great run with a neat trick, he loses his markers to take him into the box but the ball is taken off his foot and cleared. Goal – On 52 minutes Bathgate go 3 up. Connor floats in a corner and Robbie meets the ball with a powerful header, what a finish.

On 55 minutes Bathgate win a penalty, the Livi Hearts defender is an ex keeper and he instinctively raises his hand to the ball in the penalty area. Leon steps up and coolly places it past the keeper to make it 0-4. Bathgate score again shortly afterwards but the ref chalks it off because of an infringement on the keeper. There wasn’t much in that, it should have stood.

Bathgate make some changes to see the game out David, Connor, Leon & Ross make way for Harry, Aidan, Lewis & Scott.

The ref blows for full time, it’s a great result and there has been a variety of goals but most importantly it’s very valuable points for Bathgate. That’s 2 wins on the trot, let’s hope the boys can capitalise on this and put a sequence of results together for the home straight to the end of the season.

The next match is against Armadale, another side who are close to us in the table.