JUNIORS ROUND-UP: Rose dump Bathgate quick-style
LINLITHGOW had their win over Bathgate done and dusted in the opening three minutes, with a blistering two-goal start to leave the Jags shell-shocked.
After the 4-2 victory at Prestonfield, Rose boss Dave Baikie said: "That start gave us the lift we wanted after a tough game midweek against Arniston."
If Baikie wanted a response from that hard win over Arniston, he had his answer after only one minute and 25 seconds. A ball played through to Stuart McArthur allowed him to slip the ball to Chris King, who curled a shot into the net for a dramatic opener.
A minute later and they were two up. The Bathgate defence made a complete hash of a passback to keeper Andy Carlin, who also made a hash of an attempted clearance, allowing McArthur to stroll forward and blast the ball high into the net for the Rose second.
And it was a sign of things to come in the opening half as Linlithgow blew the Bathgate defence apart every time they pushed forward.
Tommy Coyne, King and McArthur all had super chances to kill the game off but luck and some poor finishing kept the score down as half time approached.
They hit the woodwork, hit their own players and by the half-time whistle could have won half a dozen games with the chances created.
Bathgate were staring a heavy defeat in the face and had to recover their poise quickly.
The problem was their usually sound defence was guilty of schoolboy errors every time Linlithgow had the ball.
However, they had a good 15-minute spell at the start of the second half and pulled a goal back with a sensational strike from Gary McCulloch.
He drifted into a good position just outside the Rose box down the left-hand side. The ball was played into him and he met it perfectly to volley home from 20 yards.
The celebrations lasted only a couple of minutes. The usually reliable Carlin made another complete hash of a clearance in his own six yard box, hitting McArthur on the legs.
He tried to recover the ball but only succeeded in hitting the ball off McArthur's legs again.
Only this time it rolled along the goal line to Coyne, who knocked it over the line from six inches.
Bathgate were shell shocked again but Lee Johnstone gave them hope with a terrific strike which came off the bar.
However, they were soon deeper in trouble with another super strike from King in the 70th minute when he ran on to a ball played through a static Bathgate defence before rifling a shot high into the net.
Bathgate kept trying and pulled a goal back with quarter of an hour to go. A Willie Wilson free kick was met by Steven Payne who glanced a header into the net for Bathgate's second.
Bathgate manager Graeme Love said: "It's disappointing the way we lost goals.
"We were under pressure after only five minutes and tried to recover, but still we made schoolboy errors. It was a bad day at the office for us."
In the Premier Division, Broxburn beat St Andrews 3-2, Whitburn recorded an impressive away win at Glenrothes and Armadale Thistle drew 2-2 with Ballingry Rovers.
In a county derby, West Calder United and Stoneyburn drew 2-2, Blackburn lost 2-0 away to Haddington, Livingston United beat Spartans 3-2, Fauldhouse won 1-0 at home to Dalkeith, Pumpherston were beaten 4-2 away to Edinburgh United and Harthill Royal were thumped 5-0 at Dunbar.
Linlithgow were handed a bye in the first round of the Emirates Airlines Scottish Junior Cup following Tuesday's draw at Hampden Park.
However, the county side face a tough away tie in the senior Scottish Cup with a trip to West of Scotland Premier League champions Beith.
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Weather for Bathgate
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
