Bo'ness stunned as appeal over Junior Cup farce kicked out

Bo'ness United have had their appeal to replay their Scottish Junior Cup third-round tie against Blantyre Vics rejected after a hearing at Hampden.

Referee Chris Graham's decisions left both teams baffled

The Newtown Park club felt referee Chris Graham had broken Junior Cup rules which state that, in the event of a replay ending in a draw, penalty kicks should be taken after 90 minutes to decide the winner.

Graham took the tie to extra-time on Saturday, December 3 after a 2-2 draw in normal time, despite protests from both clubs.

After the first 15-minute period, he decided to go straight to penalties due to poor lighting and Blantyre triumphed 4-3 on spot-kicks. The Junior FA came to their decision after a 20-minute hearing at Hampden and Blantyre will now meet Linlithgow Rose in the next round. .

Bo’ness club secretary Douglas Argent expressed his dismay at the outcome.

He said: “We couldn’t quite believe it, actually.

“We thought we had put up a very good case, but obviously not. It’s a new way to end a game that you play 15 minutes of extra-time then you go to penalties.

“They obviously felt that nobody had been harmed by playing an extra 15 minutes, but the rules of the competition are the rules of the competition as far as we were concerned.

“The referee didn’t follow the rules and it certainly wasn’t our fault that he didn’t follow the rules of the competition.” The BUs now turn their attention to league business tomorrow when they host third-from-bottom Newtongrange Star at Newtown Park.

Elsewhere, first plays second at New Central Park as Kelty Hearts host Penicuik Athletic, while Calvin Shand’s Musselburgh Athletic are away to Camelon.