Clark delighted as Uphall rise to a new station with win over Bo'ness

Published on Tuesday 22 September 2009 09:51

UPHALL STATION battled their way to a deserved three points against Bo'ness Ams at Douglas Park as two first-half strikes either side of a Bo'ness reply were enough to win an entertaining and keenly-contested Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur FA Premier 1 match.

Uphall manager Stevie Clark was clearly delighted with his team's performance and declared the win a "great morale-booster for the team."

"It was a great result," said Clark, "especially considering how well Bo'ness performed last season. We have a lot of new players this term and we are just starting to settle in now."

Asked whether Uphall's ambition is to now go on and regain the Premier league title, Clark responded modestly. "Our target is to win the next game! Winning the league would be great but it is going to be a very tall order."

Both teams came into this match high on confidence after making good starts to the season, Bo'ness undefeated thus far and occupying the top spot in the league, with Uphall only two points behind in second place.

Last season's fixture was a famously feisty affair, which may explain the large home support that braved the wind and rain to watch the first real six-pointer of this season.

The match started at a frantic pace, and it was the away team who settled first, controlling the majority of possession and pinning the hosts in their own half for the opening exchanges.

Bo'ness appeared to be happy to sit back and soak up the pressure before attempting to use their obvious pace to hit their opponents on the counter attack, but it was Uphall who drew first blood after 15 minutes of play.

Station's attempts to play their way through the Bo'ness backline resulted in the ball breaking kindly for full-back Gary White, whose 25-yard right-footed strike seemed to catch Bo'ness keeper Mo Crooks by surprise as it drifted beyond his despairing dive and nestled in the bottom right corner of the net. It was a fine strike from White, who gave a marvellous performance at right back for Uphall, defending resolutely when he needed to whilst looking assured in possession. The match continued at a very high tempo following the early goal and Bo'ness started venturing forward in more numbers in an attempt to grab an instant reply. Despite both teams' attacking intentions they were restricted to long-range efforts, until Bo'ness forward Jamie Winning latched onto Ross McLean's long through pass to round Uphall keeper Steve Vannet and pass the ball into the empty net, sending the home support into raptures and causing the away defence to ask questions regarding the ease with which they were sliced open.

Parity only lasted eight minutes, however, as Uphall struck again to take a deserved lead into the half-time interval. This time it was through Chris Norris's fantastic 25-yard half-volley, which whistled into the bottom left-hand corner, leaving Crooks in the Bo'ness goal with no chance. Bo'ness had a fantastic oppor tunity to level things once again just before half-time, but Jamie McLean somehow failed to convert Stephen Wotherspoon's tantalising left-footed cross, heading over from six yards out.

The second half saw an excellent defensive display from Station as they gave an exhibition in how to defend a lead away from home.

The visitors were solid at the back, always looked dangerous on the break and dominated possession, restricting the home team and last season's East of Scotland Cup finalists to a few long-range efforts, which rarely looked like threatening Vannet's goal.

If Bo'ness were to find a way back into the game it would have been through Craig Devine, who was never afraid to get on the ball and run at players, drawing several fouls and free-kicks in dangerous areas.

It was from one of these set-pieces that the home side came closest to equalising. With only ten minutes left Devine picked himself up off the ground to curl a dipping 25-yard effort inches past the post, to the collective audible relief of the Uphall sideline.

Bo'ness huffed and puffed but couldn't find a way past Uphall's solid backline and the last incident of note took place in the home side's box as Lee Cruikshanks was bundled over when clean through on goal. The referee appeared to take the easy option and awarded a corner, leaving the Uphall management team fuming and the home defence visibly relieved.

In the end, it didn't really matter as moments later the referee blew time on an entertaining match and Uphall were declared victorious.

Bo'ness Ams: Mo Crooks, Adam Gardner, Stephen Wotherspoon, Jamie Weir, Alan Hemphill, James Irvine, Craig Devine, Ross McLean, Jamie McLean, Jamie Winning, Jamie Adamson.

Uphall Station: Steve Vannet, Gary White, Graeme Blanche, George MacGregor, Charlie Wright, Derrick Drummond, Brian McPhillie, J Blake, Lee Cruikshanks, L Mansford, Chris Norris.