'Bo'ness United have more to worry about than us': East Stirlingshire boss Derek Ure hits out after feisty six-goal thriller with six red cards

During what was a feisty clash, two Bo’ness squad men – watching from the sidelines – were red carded for alleged comments made to the referee.

All hell appeared to break lose in injury time at the end, when Shire ace Kieran Gibbons was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Danny Galbraith which infuriated the BUs to such an extent that Greg Skinner received a second booking and subsequent red for his part in an ensuing melee.

A clash between Bo’ness’s Craig Comrie and Shire’s Andy Rodden then also saw both of these players dismissed.

"I’m going to stick up for my player because for me it’s a yellow card for Kieran Gibbons for his challenge,” East Stirlingshire manager Derek Ure told the Falkirk Herald.

"I’m not sitting here saying it was a great tackle, it wasn’t. It was a clear foul but I think it’s interesting that the biggest thing they can moan about is that tackle.

“People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

"I’m not taking any of Bo’ness’s nonsense, passing the buck as if it was us that were in the wrong.

"They’ve got a lot more to worry about than what we have, I can assure you of that.

"In my opinion there wasn’t a bad tackle in the game. They will argue Gibbo’s tackle was a bad one. I think their reaction got him sent off."

Saturday’s thriller saw Jack Healy shoot Shire into a 16th minute lead before the BUs levelled just seven minutes later when Kieran Anderson lashed in from 18 yards after shrugging off a few challenges.

The incredible start then saw Bo’ness go 2-1 up on 27 minutes when Ryan Stevenson ran through, rounded the keeper and scored.

But this lead only lasted three minutes as Shire’s Kevin Turner fired past Murphy after a goalmouth scramble.

But it was 3-2 for Bo’ness at half-time as Kyle Wilson tapped in his first goal for the club after fine set-up play by Comrie and Hawkins.

Into the second half and – after Bo’ness had a 58th minute penalty appeal of their own turned down – Shire broke straight to the other end to win a penalty of their own which was netted by Jamie Hamilton for 3-3.

"There were numerous decisions that were questionable,” Ure said.

"But the referee’s job’s a very hard one and they’ve got to be helped by the assistant. And to be fair I thought the standside official was actually communicating in a really great manner throughout.

"But I think there’s two Bo’ness goals – the second and third ones – that we could argue were offside.

"One of them was a ball that was played through, the boy was offside and the linesman went to give it but didn’t give it.

"The other one, the boy tapped it in when he was on the line behind my goalkeeper, behind my players, so the boy’s clearly got to be offside.”

Shire, sixth in the table with 19 points from 12 games, get a break from Lowland League duties this Saturday as they host Linlithgow Rose in the South Challenge Cup first round, KO 3pm.