Monday January 22nd 2024
Bradley Barrett scoring Bonnyrigg Rose's winning goal against Falkirk in Scottish Cup. Photograph by Joe Gilhooley LRPS.
Match report by Michelle Reid, of Bonnyrigg Rose FC
Bonnyrigg Rose 2 Falkirk 1
Robbie Horn named an unchanged eleven as Bonnyrigg Rose welcomed the visit of unbeaten League 1 table-toppers Falkirk to New Dundas Park in the Scottish Cup fourth round.
Bonnyrigg Rose had seen their way past Fraserburgh and Albion Rovers in some tricky away trips to get to this stage, whilst Falkirk defeated Highland League side Formartine United in the previous round.
If Bonnyrigg Rose were to advance to the next round they would have had to start on the front-foot, and they did just that as a Lee Currie free-kick was met by Keiran McGachie who knocked it down to Kerr Young to prod forward to a position where Conor Doan was on hand to divert it goal-wards and put Bonnyrigg Rose ahead just 4 minutes into the game.
Falkirk looked to hit back soon after as Aidan Nesbitt ghosted in at the back-post to meet the cross but could only see his effort trickle across the face of goal and out for a goal-kick.
If taking the lead early on was the dream start, things could have gotten even better in the early stages as Bradley Barrett and McGachie both found themselves one-on-one with Bairns stopper Sam Long but neither could find the goal to give Rose a two-goal cushion.
Those missed chances wouldn’t go unpunished as Liam Henderson ghosted into the Rose box and planted his headed effort into the bottom left corner past Paddy Martin to bring Falkirk level on the half-hour mark.
Falkirk weren’t done there as they looked to take a lead into the break, with Callumn Morrison going the closest with a sensational long-range strike that was well saved by Paddy Martin. They couldn’t find that lead however as the sides went into the break level at 1-1.
Morrison continued to cause problems for the Rose backline in the early stages of the second-half as he did well to create some space for a shot, but once again Martin was his equal.
Rose went close to taking the lead later in the game as substitute Robbie McGale’s corner wasn’t dealt with at the front-post and goalkeeper Long had to scramble to claw it off of the line.
Falkirk would pass up a golden opportunity in the dying embers of the game as the ball fell to Coll Donaldson in space in the box, but he could only see his shot sail over the crossbar.
Rose would have the final say in the game as in the 90th minute Lee Currie’s corner was met by Angus Mailer, whose header was flicked on from close range by Barrett to send Rose ahead and send Rose through to the Scottish Cup fifth round.
Bonnyrigg have been drawn away against Aberdeen with the tie being played on the weekend of 10th/11th February.
Tweet Share on Facebook
