Juniors: Bonnyrigg boss in high spirits ahead of Broxburn clash

After a mixed start to the season, Rose’s confidence suffered a major blow with a couple of heavy cup defeats. After taking Brechin City to a third-round replay in the William Hill Scottish Cup, they were thumped 6-0. That result was soon followed by a 6-3 loss at the hands of Petershill in the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup.

However, recent results have improved with an excellent 3-1 win over Bo’ness preceding last weekend’s 5-3 success over Hill of Beath. And, with his squad nearing full strength as fit-again striker Paul Shields looks for more game time, Christie believes things are looking up.

Ahead of tomorrow’s home Super League clash with Broxburn, Christie said: “We’re looking to keep our good run of form going to the end of the season and we’d like to win some silverware.

“It’s a pity that we had that dip in form when we had some huge games to be played. It knocked our confidence for a few weeks, but, recently, the form has shown signs of returning.

“All the chasing pack are going for the minor places behind Linlithgow in the league, but it’s important for our supporters that we don’t give up the fight.

“It’ll be a difficult game for us tomorrow. Broxburn are a well-disciplined side and Stevie Pittman has them organised.

“We have a couple of niggles, but everyone looks like they’ll be fit except for keeper Michael Burgess, who is still out with his ankle injury.”

Broxburn, who were promoted to the Super League for the first time this season, have been very impressive this year. They sit proudly in third spot in the table with 16 points from their 11 games played.

Boss Stevie Pittman’s record has not gone unnoticed by bigger clubs than Broxburn. However, he is content at Albyn Park and was happy to sign a new contract recently.

Pittman said: “We’ve had a good run in the league this year. It’s a new experience for the players as it’s a faster game.

“Teams will punish you if you let the concentration slip for a minute. I was disappointed with the result last week losing at home to Musselburgh but overall, we’re doing well.

“Bonnyrigg beat us the last time we met at Broxburn, but the players have learned a lot about the Super League since then. The players have settled into the Super League and are enjoying it.

“Bonnyrigg will be a tough task for the players, especially at home. They have bounced back to form and it won’t be easy. However, we’ve players who can turn games for us and we carry a good bit of experience in key areas of the pitch. There’s still a lot to play for this season.”

Elsewhere in the Super League, Linlithgow are looking to take another huge step towards securing the Super League title when they travel to Camelon – a tricky fixture at any time – who are managed by Linlithgow legend Danny Smith. Linlithgow, who have only dropped two points from their 13 league games, are on course to tie up the title in the coming months, leaving them plenty of time to concentrate on their bid to win the Scottish Junior Cup.