'It was a terrible day for the club' - Bo'ness United boss Max Christie apologises to fans after shock defeat by bottom club Vale of Leithen

Bo’ness United manager Max Christie has apologised to the club’s fans after the shock 1-0 home Lowland League defeat to bottom club Vale of Leithen on Saturday.
Max Christie surveys the wreckage of Saturday's shock home loss against Vale of LeithenMax Christie surveys the wreckage of Saturday's shock home loss against Vale of Leithen
Max Christie surveys the wreckage of Saturday's shock home loss against Vale of Leithen

Vale – who hadn’t won a league game since December 2019 – battled manfully at Newtown Park before netting a dramatic last minute winner through Mark Deya following a corner.

“We were bereft of ideas,” Christie told the Falkirk Herald. “I think it’s the worst result since I’ve been at the club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We might have had 80 per cent possession but I think we only made six or seven chances and we should score at least one of them but we never.

Bo'ness United didn't look like breaching the Vale defence on a poor dayBo'ness United didn't look like breaching the Vale defence on a poor day
Bo'ness United didn't look like breaching the Vale defence on a poor day

"We continuously got the ball wide and never got it into the box. We passed the ball about in our own half and didn’t threaten their backline enough.

"They were well organised, full of running and full of enthusiasm. It was a terrible day for the club, for me, for everybody connected.

"The desire, taking responsibility on the ball, just deserted us all day. We just came out, passed the ball side to side and didn’t get any crosses in, didn’t threaten them enough.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"All credit to Vale of Leithen, a team of young laddies, well organised, getting blocks in and all the rest of it.

Danny Galbraith tries to make inroads for the BUs at Newtown ParkDanny Galbraith tries to make inroads for the BUs at Newtown Park
Danny Galbraith tries to make inroads for the BUs at Newtown Park

"It certainly wasn’t the best weekend I’ve had as Bo’ness manager.

"We can only apologise to the supporters. I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Christie, whose team visit Celtic B in their next league game this Saturday, said it would be disrespectful to say last weekend’s defeat was “embarrassing” as Vale play in the same league.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It’s not being all high and mighty and being embarrassed, it’s just we look at ourselves,” he said.

"We just let ourselves down. I need to look at myself as well, look at the players we’ve got there and who is good enough.

"We play Celtic B on Saturday through in Airdrie. We beat Rangers B, had some decent results and then got beat by Vale of Leithen so that was just completely unacceptable and the guys know that.

"We’ve all seen it happen before where you have a terrible result and then go and win the next week. What I did say to the guys is that the good thing about football is you get to fix it seven days later.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"So we’ve got to get our heads up now and get together. We have a lot of good players at the club, we’re a good side, we just completely lost our way on Saturday.

"It was perhaps having too much of the ball and not knowing what to do with it, continuously not playing in the striker. And boys picking up the ball from the centre halves where I could do that.

"Can you pass it forward in the final third? Can you keep the ball on the edge of their box? It was just easy option and not playing in positions where we affected the game.

"We need to do better.”

Christie has promised changes in personnel for the Celtic B game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Boys who weren’t playing last week will quite rightly be looking at that and be expecting a chance.

"It will definitely not be the same starting 11, I can safely say that.

"Football is character building and we’ve got to stay together because we love it. We need to bounce back.

"No Scottish team goes in against Celtic expecting to win at any level. But what we’ve got to go and do on Saturday is play well.

"We’ve seen what can happen. We beat Rangers playing well and battling so it’s a winnable game."