Bo'ness captain can't quell cup fever as league campaign resumes

The Newtown Park men are the first side through to the last 16, having won away at Yoker and Bellshill over the last two weekends, while most other clubs were still left kicking their heels due to the weather.

Eight successive cup ties have left Bo'ness playing catch-up in the Super League and tomorrow's home game against Kelty will be only the sixth match in their title defence.

But, while hoping Willie Newbigging's men can now go all the way in the Junior Cup, club captain Duffin also believes they can make up a deficit of 15 points deficit on leaders Linlithgow. "We are into mid-January and have only played five league games," said Duffin, below.

"That's a strange position to be in and it is going to take its toll at the end of the season, for sure, when we've got three games a week.

"But that's where a big squad will hopefully help and put us in good stead for the challenge we'll be facing then.

"It would be great to get back-to-back Super League title wins as I don't think anyone has done it before - and that's our aim.

"We are still in a position that if we win our games in hand we are still going to be in with a chance. However, it is a case of trying to win one game at a time and seeing if that allows us to catch up. We'll take it from there if that does happen."

The disappointment was palpable when Bo'ness were knocked out of the SFA's Scottish Cup at home to Buckie in mid-November, but that brace of wins in the West have lifted spirits again.

"We've had two tricky games over the past fortnight but it is pleasing to get some games under our belt, especially the Yoker one as we didn't think that was going to be on," added Duffin.

"That gives us a bit of an upper hand in the Cup and we can get some league games out of the way now and see how it goes from there.

"We've bounced back well from the Buckie defeat, especially after having such a long lay off. You expect to be a bit rusty when that happens but we've hit the ground well with two wins.

"It wasn't pretty against Bellshill, especially in the second half, but Scottish Cup ties are sometimes like that and the main thing is that we are through to the last 16. To lift the Junior Cup would be fantastic. I've never done that before and it would be a great achievement for the club, especially if it came the season after we'd won the Super League."

Duffin is enjoying life under Newbigging, who was his manager at Oakley as well, and also alongside Brian McQueen, the youngster who is on loan to Bo'ness from Hamilton until the end of the season.

"Willie knows his stuff. He's good with the players and is an honest manager. He tells you how it is. I think he has taken over the reins well," he noted."As for me and Brian, we seem to be hitting it off in the middle of the defence.

"He's still training full-time at Hamilton and is a fit, young lad.

"He's doing well for us and it was nice that we managed to combine for our second goal last weekend. I knew I wasn't going to score myself after getting on the end of an Andy Shirra free kick so it was just a case of trying to get it back across goal and, luckily, Brian was there to score his first goal for us."

In the only other Super League game tomorrow, Bathgate, who haven't played since losing at Bonnyrigg in mid-November, take on Camelon in Danny Smith's first home game in charge of the Carmuirs Park side.

"We've bounced back well from the Buckie defeat, especially after having such a long lay off" roger duffin