Braves unlucky in Bo'ness defeat

The Braves would have felt hard done by coming away from Bo'ness with a 2-0 loss, thanks to goals from Craig Comrie and Ryan Stevenson. 

As the match got underway, Ricky Waddell's side started the brighter of the two sides. In the very first minute, David Winters tested Andrew Murphy with a glancing header, leading to a great save from the Bo’ness keeper.

Jamie Walker was the provider for the opening chance and he nearly helped his side open the scoring again at the ten minute mark. This time Walker darted down the left side, laid a slick pass to Jack Smith, the Braves striker shot a trickling effort past Murphy, however the visitors’ celebrations were short lived, the referee spotted a foul in the build up, ruling out the opener.

Even though they started well, the Braves didn’t get the chance to test Murphy again in the half, with chances becoming a premium for both sides.

After the break, Smith was put through one-on-one with the keeper, but the striker couldn’t quite get the ball past Muprhy, who was keeping his side in the match after thwarting two excellent chances at this point in the game.

The hosts replied with a breakaway down the right hand side which led to Alex Marshall having to make a fine save from Nicky Locke who latched on to a cross and got the shot away.

On the hour mark, Smith was in again. After great play on the left wing from Walker, Winters got himself on the ball and aimed a cross towards his strike partner. Smith got good purchase on his shot but Murphy dived low and was able to just tip it over the bar. The Braves would soon be ruing their missed chances.

Just four minutes later Craig Comrie put the hosts ahead, with the midfielder launching himself at a cross to make sure he’d get enough on the ball to put it over the line and into Marshall’s net. There were several appeals as the Braves players were adamant that Comrie used a hand, but they fell on deaf ears.

Following the goal, Braves had spells where it seemed they would find the equaliser but it did not come. Smith put a shot wide of Murphy’s goal, a warning to the opposition defence. Ahmed Bouchentouf was introduced for his debut, and initially caused problems for Bo'ness, but it soon went wrong.

Bo’ness’s Nicky Locke didn’t find any problems dispossessing the debutant in his own box, with  Bouchentouf the scything his opponent down giving the referee no choice but to point at the spot. Ryan Stevenson struck the ball home for the hosts and put the game to bed just over ten minutes before the end.

Bo'ness: Murphy; Donnelly (c), McFarlane, Miekle, Stevenson; Gemmell, Jacobs; Grant, Locke, Ritchie; Miller
Subs: Will Snowdon, Craig Comrie, Ian Nimmo, Ross Campbell, Kyle Bell, Kyle Turnbull, Ryan Adamson (GK)

Braves: Marshall; Reid, Dowie, Forrester, McDowall, Walker; Sinclair, Guthrie; Docherty, Winters, Smith
Subs: Chardon, Guthrie, Bouchentouf, Watson

Written by Luke Walker.