T_31stMAR07

At a sunny Murrayfield Park Blackburn lined up without Alan Brown, Steph McCardie and Rab Brown, all of whom were sidelined by injury, while the suspended Craig Spence was serving the second game of his three match ban. It was the home side who created the first chance on six minutes when a flighted free kick by Sean Brogan found Jamie Spence at the far post but his shot flew over the angle of post and bar. Tranent moved up the park and Barry Hunter had to be alert to kick clear a through ball, only for it to strike the back of Brogan and fall to Hume but the big centre-half was quick to recover and disposses him before any damage was done. Bracks of Tranent then created the next chance when he collected a loose ball out on the right and let fly from the corner of the area but Hunter clung on well to the effort. After twenty two minutes the match official Michael Wilson didn't cover himself in glory when a long ball caught out Myles and, as it bounced over his head, Paddy Donnelly collected and rounded Berwick in the Tranent goal only for the keeper to clip him and bring him down. The referee, running in from some 50 yards away, saw fit to book Donnelly for diving when it was obvious to all it was a clear penalty, even the offending keeper having a wry smile at the decision. Blackburn continued to press and it was Scott Mitchell who launched a long cross from the right which was met by Fraser Roy who could only head into Berwick’s hands. Straight away the visitors motored to the other end and a long ball found MURRAY in acres of space on the edge of the area and he rifled the ball past Hunter to open the scoring. With seven first half minutes remaining though, the scores were level when the ball was fed out to Stevie Whiteford on the right and his low delivery across the goal bobbled about until it fell to ROY on the edge of the area and he placed his shot past Berwick. Roy should then have given United the lead a minute later when a great run by Jamie Spence on the left saw the ball fed into the striker eight yards out with only Berwick to beat but he dallied a second too long and his shot was blocked by the grateful keeper. It was Roy again who had the last chance of the half when he headed a Chris Donnelly cross over the top.

The start of the second half brought another spot kick controversy when the ball was played onto the edge of the Blackburn box and bobbled about before Mr. Wilson awarded a penalty for what looked like hand ball, and offence unseen by most present. MURRAY calmly sent Hunter the wrong way to restore his sides lead. On the fifty five minute mark a fierce Bryan Savage shot was deflected narrowly wide with Berwick rooted to the spot and from the resulting corner Roy sent a glancing header just wide. Bracks then sent a header wide from a corner kick and the game settled down into a midfield battle before, twenty minutes from time, Hume should have done better for the Belters when sent clear only to fire well over when he had more productive options inside. Roy created the next chance for the home side when, on seventy five minutes, he found space on the edge of the area but was clumsily barged off the ball when in the act of shooting. From the free kick right on the edge, Chris Donnelly curled his shot narrowly wide. It was Chris Donnelly again who created the next chance shortly afterwards when his free kick found the head of Brogan but the ball rattled off Berwick’s crossbar and was booted to safety. With minutes remaining Roy had his shot blocked by Berwick who managed to push the ball away and just out of the reach of substitute Mark Campbell. However, it was the Forresters Park men who put an undeserved gloss on the scoreline when, in injury time, a throw in deep inside the Blackburn half ended up with the ball being crossed into the box where towering substitute OSAZUWA glanced a header past Hunter from close range.

(report courtesy of Graeme McGinty)

Blackburn United Line-up: Hunter, Mitchell, Whiteford, Savage, Brogan, Mangan, C.Donnelly, Fowler, Roy, P.Donnelly, J.Spence (Campbell 60) Subs (not used): Keir, Polwart