Broxburn boss rages as team chuck away Junior Cup chance

A raging Boss Max Christie said: “We gave away three goals by simple mistakes at the back. We failed to clear a simple corner. We gifted them a goal when our keeper threw the ball into the net and we gave away a penalty when the player was going away from goal.

“How many ways more can we find of losing a game of football?

“Then at the other end we waste chance after chance when we should have been scoring. In the first half we scored a good goal and should, on chances created, have been at least three up. But we were pulled back with a wonder strike to take us in level at the break, Then, within 10 minutes of the restart, we are 3-1 down. We can’t afford to do that every week.”

Broxburn did play very well in the opening 45 minutes. Young Ross Nimmo scored a super goal in the 24th minute and they should have scored more. However, Meadow equalised just before the break with a wonder strike from James Mark.

Broxburn came out for the second half in a confident mood but were behind quickly. Keeper Connor Wallace saved well from Eddie McTeirnan but from the resultant corner they failed to clear and Craig Buchanan prodded the ball home from a couple of yards.

In the 53rd minute Broxburn keeper Wallace came out to collect a high free-kick but failed to grasp the ball cleanly and it fell into the net for Meadow’s third.

Broxburn’s response was immediate with striker Kieron Anderson forcing three tremendous saves from keeper Craig Gordon who was having an incredible second half.

With 20 minutes remaining the visitors pulled a scrambled goal back through Nick Watt, but in the dying minutes they lost two goals. James Willett was pulled down in the box for Ben Carson to score and in the last minute substitute Dan Mackay was at the back post to knock the ball over the line.

Broxburn played well enough to win but threw it away with mistakes at the back. Up front their strikers found a goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, in great form so a combination of both fronts means that Meadow progress to the next round.

Irvine Meadow: Gordon, McLennan, Cairns, Begley, Buchanan, Carson, McTeirnan, Carwath, Mark, Boyd, Willett. Subs: Mackay, Black, Hannah, Newman, McKinnon

Broxburn: Wallace, Purves, Donaldson, Paterson, Townsley, Linton, Nimmo, Scott, Miller, Watt, Anderson. Subs: Beasley, Gribben, Gillon, Grant,  Donaghue