BO’NESS UNITED 7 CULTER 1
By Chris Sanderson
CULTER’S William Hill Scottish Cup adventure came to a crushing halt at Newtown Park this afternoon.
Jamie Cromar’s early opener gave the Reds the best possible start to the afternoon but that was good as it got. A first half collapse allowed the East Champions to have the tie effectively sealed by half-time with the home side 5-1 up.
And only a brilliant display from goalkeeper Barry Thompson stopped United completing a rout as a rampant Bo’ness racked up two further goals in the dying embers of the game to inflict more pain on the Crombie Park outfit.
On a perfect afternoon for football the visitors silenced the partisan home crowd with their first meaningful effort at goal.
Cromar whipped a free kick deep into a heavily populated six-yard box and the ball crept through a ruck of players and past Mark Peat’s fingertips and into the net and suddenly the visitors were threatening to make a mockery of the pre-match bookies odds of 9-1 for a Culter win.
But the goal quickly stung the BU’s into action and they were level in the 13 minute when Thompson did well to fend away a Darren Gribben effort but the loose ball fell to Chris Donnelly who was on hand to slot home the rebound.
And in the next 16 minutes the roof caved in on the visitors Scottish Cup hopes as the Peterculter’s side vulnerability to deal with through balls through the middle of the park proved costly.
One-time Hearts midfielder Robert Sloan unlocked the defence with a pass that split them in two in the 20th minute and Gribben seized upon the opening to shoot the home side ahead.
And from here the afternoon went from bad-to-worse.
Two goals from Donnelly inside a profitable nine minute spell meant he had completed a first half hat-trick and a rout was looking on the cards especially after Gribben helped himself to his second and United’s fifth just before the interval after Paul Murphy’s inch-perfect pass had once again caused panic stations amongst the visitors defence.
The management duo’s team talked revolved damage limitation and salvaging a bit pride but despite Allan McGonigal’s side having what looked an unassailable lead they showed very few signs of letting up their goal chase in another one-sided half.
Donnelly could have had a further two goals and Gribben one then only a brilliant fingertip save by Thompson from Ross Phillip shot was deflected off the crossbar at the expense of a corner as the home side continued to crank up the pressure.
And it looked as though the visitors were going to escape from West Lothian side with no punishment until the final few minutes when Bo’ness twisted the knife twice in quick succession.
In the 89th minute Nicky Walker lead the Culter defence on a merry dance and teed up substitute Kieran Anderson for goal number six.
And the travelling support barely had time to take their hands away from their eyes when Walker got in on the act latching onto another telling pass from Murphy to complete the misery in stoppage time.
Co-boss Duncan Ord offered no excuses after the mauling and said: “The most disappointing thing was we never played anywhere the level that we know we can compete at.
“I have to admit we were hoping to come down here and take something even if it was a replay but sadly we lost quick goals in quick succession and it was damage limitation from there.”

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