RAZOR SHARP
Clinical Linlithgow beat Brox to go top
Linlithgow Rose jumped into top spot in the East of Scotland Conference C table and ended rivals Broxburn Athletic’s unbeaten start in the process.
The Rose bounced back admirably from a 5-1 loss to East Stirlingshire in the SFA South Region Challenge Cup the previous week with a composed display in which the main difference between the two sides was the clinical finishing of the hosts.
Two goals in the early stages of the second half from Tommy Coyne and Owen Ronald turned the game on its head before Coyne completed the scoring from a yard out in injury-time.
Mark Bradley’s side had an early chance to open the scoring when former Livingston youth player Darren Smith’s neat through ball was latched onto by Ronald, with the winger rounding the keeper but finding the angle too tight as his effort hit the side-netting.
Blair Batchelor then attempted an ambitious overhead kick that went wide of the mark as the Rose started brightly.
Athletic’s first real chance of the game came on 19 minutes as Nicholas Locke headed over the bar. For all their possession, though, the visitors struggled to get going in the final third and were made to pay.
Ronald, Roddy MacLennan and Smith all went close in a blistering spell from the Rose around the half-hour mark but couldn’t open the scoring.
Athletic striker Zander Miller, who was well mastered by the Linlithgow defence all game, was caught in possession just before the half-time whistle with MacLennan running through on goal but unable to beat Conor Wallace.
Having controlled proceedings during large parts of the first half, but having nothing to show for their efforts,
it took just five minutes for the Rose to race out to a two-goal lead after the interval – although the first arrived in dubious circumstances when Athletic defender Chris Townsley appeared to be harshly punished for an apparent push in the box when defending a corner.
Coyne, as calm as you like, slotted the spot-kick home for the opener.
Brian McNaughton’s men had barely enough time to compose themselves after that blow before their task was made all the more difficult thanks to a stunning finish from Ronald.
The former Scotland schoolboy international cut inside from the left before curling an unstoppable effort in off the far post as Linlithgow strolled into a two-goal lead that they never looking like giving up.
Broxburn huffed and puffed for the remainder of the contest but were unable to drag themselves back into the contest.
Miller and Craig Scott both tried their luck from distance with no rewards before former Rose striker Conor Kelly was thwarted by an instinctive save from keeper Kyle Marley.
Entering the final stages, Athletic had one last chance to get back into the match but Ross Nimmo’s free-kick on 88 minutes was deflected over the bar by the defensive wall, summing up the visitors’ luck in front of goal during a highly frustrating afternoon.
And, just to rub salt into the wounds, Linlithgow made it three with virtually the final kick of the ball.
Batchelor’s deflected effort fell perfectly for Coyne to bundle the ball into the net from barely a yard out before the final whistle blew.