Bonnyrigg top Lowland League after Lee Currie guides them to win over East Stirlingshire

Dean Brett tries to win the ball back for Bonnyrigg Rose. Pic: TSPL

Robbie Horn’s side have adapted seamlessly to the demands of the Lowland League and were good value for their two-goal winning margin against one of the stronger teams in the division.

The Midlothian outfit won the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs in their 138-year history (both teams founded in 1881) last March during their feisty South Challenge Cup Quarter-Final success – and this encounter proved no different.

New Dundas Park passed a precautionary morning pitch inspection following persistent overnight rain and a large travelling support made their way through on what turned out to be a gloriously warm afternoon.

The home side were on the front foot from the off, with visiting keeper Jamie Barclay producing a terrific one-handed save to deny Lee Currie’s close-range header.

The ex-Hibs player continued to cause Shire problems with his creativity, lifting a 14th-minute free-kick over the wall and into the net via the underside off the crossbar.

The woodwork then came to the visitors rescue on two separate occasions as Bonnyrigg pressed forward looking to add to their slender advantage.

However, the Falkirk-based outfit grew into the contest and moments after seeing his shot from the edge of the box saved, Mark Millar smashed home the equaliser after 37 minutes following some clever link-up play between Nicky Low and Bobby Barr.

Bonnyrigg regained the lead just before the hour mark when Currie’s quickly-taken set-piece was eventually laid back to him by Kieran McGachie and the midfielder drilled a powerful effort past the outstretched keeper.

George Hunter consolidated Bonnyrigg’s lead in the 76th minute when he pounced on slack midfield play by lobbing the ball over Barclay from 25 yards.

East Stirlingshire head coach Derek Ure was full of admiration for Bonnyrigg but admitted his side must improve both in attack and defence.

He stated: “You know what you’re going to face when you come up against Bonnyrigg. They’re a big, physical team that play to their strengths.

“Robbie (Horn) has built a strong squad and I felt they probably wanted to win the game a bit more than we did today.

“Both sides controlled periods of the game, but we must do a bit more both offensively and defensively, which we said to the players in the dressing-room afterwards. We need to match every teams hunger and desire.”

Bonnyrigg Rose: Weir, Brett, Brown, Young, Baur, A. Horne, Turner (S Gray; 81), Stewart, Currie, Hunter (R Gray 78), McGachie (Docherty 90). Unused: Andrews, Moyes.

East Stirlingshire: Barclay, Orr, Peggie, Tapping, Greene, E Horne (Brown; 62), Dishington, Low, Flynn, Millar (Rodgers; 78), Barr. Unused: Ure, Murray, Gallagher, McCafferty, MacDonald.

Referee: Greig Haynes.

Attendance: 501.