Season 1998/99 After a hugely disappointing 97/98 campaign, Woodsie and his assistant John Telford dabbled in the close season transfer market in an effort to strengthen all areas of the side. To that end, Scott McCulloch signed from Armadale Thistle, the midfielder arriving with additional experience from his time with Hamilton Accies and Lesmahagow. Further signings included Alan MacIntyre from Stoneyburn, Tony Gribben, fresh from spells with Wokingham Town and Newbury Town, and pacy striker James MacDonald who had played in German football before joining from Bonnybridge. Almost predictably we bowed out of the League Cup at the group stage, despite a 5-3 win at Station Park against Livingston United, a victory that included a fine hat-trick from new boy MacDonald. After picking up eight points from a possible twelve in the early weeks of the league season we then failed to win any of the next seven fixtures in the Championship and our promotion bid was consigned to the dustbin once more. By mid-October Craig Spence was signed from Airdrie to help in our progress to the fourth round of the Scottish Junior Cup where we took our leave from the tournament at Forfar West End after knocking out one of the Cup favourites, Newtongrange Star, in an earlier round. Defeats by Bo'ness United, Benarty, Newtongrange Star and Harthill Royal ended our interest in all the local Cup competitions at an early stage, although a fine win was recorded at First Division Arniston Rangers when captain Davie Magill rapped home the decisive penalty in a shoot-out in the David Moffat Cup. It was the signing of front men Tam Leishman and Iain Ritchie which kept up interest in the run-in but failure to win any of our last five games saw a slip to ninth place and another disappointing finish. Season 1999/2000 There were several comings and goings in the Summer months as Woodsie shuffled his pack. Arriving at Murrayfield Park were ex-Broxburn Athletic midfielder Andy Sim and Jim Gillespie from Harhill Royal. Two new goalkeepers were also signed in the shape of former Fauldhouse United man Derek Stewart and young Barry Thomson from Juvenile outfit Hutchison Vale. Moving on were Davie Magill, Gordon Russell and James MacDonald. By the turn of the year Iain Ritchie would make the move to Cumbernauld United. With the League Cup reverting to a knock out format there was hope that we could perform that bit better in the tournament than in recent years. A 5-0 victory at Tranent gave credance to that hope but a tough away tie at Whitburn lead to our demise in a 1-0 second round defeat. In between these two games the opening league game had been lost at Pumpherston.By the time Christmas arrived we were mid-table and out of the Fife & Lothians Cup after losing to Hill O'Beath Hawthorn across in Fife. Because of the severe Winter weather, our Scottish Junior Cup second round tie against Carnoustie Panmure in November would be our last game or, as it turned out, games until early January. Leading 2-1 going into injury time a goal line scramble produced a Panmure equaliser that took the tie back to Carnoustie. Up in Tayside the following week a Stuart MacKinnon half volley looked to have secured our passage into the next round but, in the dying embers of the game, a header was hooked off the goal line by Ally Stewart only for the disbelieving traveling support to see the linesman indicate to the referee that the ball had crossed the line. Into extra time and the home team took full advantage of our tiring legs to run out 4-1 winners. Once again lady luck had decided not to stand by our side. In the New Year the league continued to produce inconsistent performances as we headed toward another mid-table finish, although progress was made to the quarter final of the Brown Cup after Camelon were knocked out on penalties, a shoot-out that had only been secured when the first division men, like Carnoustie before them, had snatched an injury time equaliser. Defeat at Dunbar United in that quarter-final left us with only the Millennium Cup to look to for success, and luck appeared to desert us once more when we were drawn away to East Region Champions Linlithgow Rose. Trailing 2-1 going into the final eight minutes of the match it looked like curtains until an own goal brought us level and Mark Campbell raced clear to fire us into the next round and another away trip to a team from the top division, Bathgate Thistle. The Creamery Park men were disposed of in thrilling style as we ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in what was later considered to be the sides best performance for many years. Second Division leaders Harthill Royal were then overcome in the semi final and it was on to Almondvale Stadium on the 7th May for the Final against another first division side, Fauldhouse United. Sadly the large and vocal Blackburn support in the West Stand were not to witness the clubs first trophy success as a penalty and another last minute goal gave Fauldhouse the Cup. Two victories in the last three league matches did little to ease the disappointment. |
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Season 1998/99 After a hugely disappointing 97/98 campaign, Woodsie and his assistant John Telford dabbled in the close season transfer market in an effort to strengthen all areas of the side. To that end, Scott McCulloch signed from Armadale Thistle, the midfielder arriving with additional experience from his time with Hamilton Accies and Lesmahagow. Further signings included Alan MacIntyre from Stoneyburn, Tony Gribben, fresh from spells with Wokingham Town and Newbury Town, and pacy striker James MacDonald who had played in German football before joining from Bonnybridge. Almost predictably we bowed out of the League Cup at the group stage, despite a 5-3 win at Station Park against Livingston United, a victory that included a fine hat-trick from new boy MacDonald. After picking up eight points from a possible twelve in the early weeks of the league season we then failed to win any of the next seven fixtures in the Championship and our promotion bid was consigned to the dustbin once more. By mid-October Craig Spence was signed from Airdrie to help in our progress to the fourth round of the Scottish Junior Cup where we took our leave from the tournament at Forfar West End after knocking out one of the Cup favourites, Newtongrange Star, in an earlier round. Defeats by Bo'ness United, Benarty, Newtongrange Star and Harthill Royal ended our interest in all the local Cup competitions at an early stage, although a fine win was recorded at First Division Arniston Rangers when captain Davie Magill rapped home the decisive penalty in a shoot-out in the David Moffat Cup. It was the signing of front men Tam Leishman and Iain Ritchie which kept up interest in the run-in but failure to win any of our last five games saw a slip to ninth place and another disappointing finish. Season 1999/2000 There were several comings and goings in the Summer months as Woodsie shuffled his pack. Arriving at Murrayfield Park were ex-Broxburn Athletic midfielder Andy Sim and Jim Gillespie from Harhill Royal. Two new goalkeepers were also signed in the shape of former Fauldhouse United man Derek Stewart and young Barry Thomson from Juvenile outfit Hutchison Vale. Moving on were Davie Magill, Gordon Russell and James MacDonald. By the turn of the year Iain Ritchie would make the move to Cumbernauld United. With the League Cup reverting to a knock out format there was hope that we could perform that bit better in the tournament than in recent years. A 5-0 victory at Tranent gave credance to that hope but a tough away tie at Whitburn lead to our demise in a 1-0 second round defeat. In between these two games the opening league game had been lost at Pumpherston.By the time Christmas arrived we were mid-table and out of the Fife & Lothians Cup after losing to Hill O'Beath Hawthorn across in Fife. Because of the severe Winter weather, our Scottish Junior Cup second round tie against Carnoustie Panmure in November would be our last game or, as it turned out, games until early January. Leading 2-1 going into injury time a goal line scramble produced a Panmure equaliser that took the tie back to Carnoustie. Up in Tayside the following week a Stuart MacKinnon half volley looked to have secured our passage into the next round but, in the dying embers of the game, a header was hooked off the goal line by Ally Stewart only for the disbelieving traveling support to see the linesman indicate to the referee that the ball had crossed the line. Into extra time and the home team took full advantage of our tiring legs to run out 4-1 winners. Once again lady luck had decided not to stand by our side. In the New Year the league continued to produce inconsistent performances as we headed toward another mid-table finish, although progress was made to the quarter final of the Brown Cup after Camelon were knocked out on penalties, a shoot-out that had only been secured when the first division men, like Carnoustie before them, had snatched an injury time equaliser. Defeat at Dunbar United in that quarter-final left us with only the Millennium Cup to look to for success, and luck appeared to desert us once more when we were drawn away to East Region Champions Linlithgow Rose. Trailing 2-1 going into the final eight minutes of the match it looked like curtains until an own goal brought us level and Mark Campbell raced clear to fire us into the next round and another away trip to a team from the top division, Bathgate Thistle. The Creamery Park men were disposed of in thrilling style as we ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in what was later considered to be the sides best performance for many years. Second Division leaders Harthill Royal were then overcome in the semi final and it was on to Almondvale Stadium on the 7th May for the Final against another first division side, Fauldhouse United. Sadly the large and vocal Blackburn support in the West Stand were not to witness the clubs first trophy success as a penalty and another last minute goal gave Fauldhouse the Cup. Two victories in the last three league matches did little to ease the disappointment. |
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