Bo'ness Athletic crowned King Cup champions after hitting Leith Athletic for six as East of Scotland rise continues

Bo’ness Athletic hit Leith Athletic for six in the East of Scotland King Cup final to round off another hugely successful campaign in style last Saturday afternoon.

Four goals from Chris Ogilvie and a Michael Weir double secured a 6-1 win over the capital club at Blackburn United’s Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium to ensure that Willie Irvine’s team have ended another season with a trophy after earning promotion to the top flight after finishing second in the First Division behind Camelon Juniors.

Since joining the East of Scotland ranks four years ago, Newtown Park-based Athletic have won three successive promotions, two league titles and a handful of cup competitions - and they’ve done it while retaining the majority of their maiden squad of players that started out in the bottom tier.

Manager Irvine hails amazing Athletic players

“Eight of the boys played for us in the Third Division,” former Hibs striker Irvine said. “Godwin (Kangni-Soukpe) has played for us in the Second and First, Codi Stark is on loan from Livingston because our captain Jonny Mitchell is injured and Jack (Sharples) joined us in the summer just after winning the Third. Guys like Shanksy (Ryan), he’s been here since the club was amateur, Chris who scored four today, so many of the guys have been here for three-plus years. It really is the same team and our success is based on the spirit and together of the group that we’ve built up.”

On the emphatic final performance, he added: “We won the match convincingly. We put them under pressure early and the goal basically from kick-off makes it easier for sure. Some of our play was fantastic. Chris (Ogilvie) grabs the headlines with the four goals, which were all different types of finishes, but I thought Godwin (Kangni-Soukpe) was unplayable out wide. Our pace causes so many issues for opposing teams and the front three is frightening sometimes. You can’t ask for any more really - winning a cup final to end a promotion-winning season. It is the cup we’ve missed out on previously too. We played an ineligible player in the quarter-finals last year after beating Leith and dropped out. It was a genuine error and we handled it with grace. We were the better side today.”

Athletic will make up exciting Premier Division

Irvine’s side join district teams Camelon Juniors and Dunipace in what will be a competitive Premier Division next term with clubs battling it out for high-placed finishes with it looking likely that reconstruction of the fifth tier will open up more than one promotion place for eligible sides - which will include Athletic when their Scottish FA club membership is rubber-stamped next month at the governing body’s AGM.

But for the boss, he is isn’t looking too far ahead, admitting that top flight is a “different kettle of fish” having tasted so much success in recent seasons.

“We will see where we are,” Irvine said ahead of the summer break. “That’s three promotions in a row but the Premier Division is a different kettle of fish. That is something that we all recognise. But we are looking forward to it. It is a quick break - we could do with another two or three weeks off. The league kicks off in less than eight weeks time. It is an 11 month season now at this level which I don’t think is right but it is the same for everyone. We have work to do.”