Dunipace 1-0 Bonnyrigg Rose: Pace produce Cup shock

They might have suffered a 10-0 aggregate scoreline against the Midlothian outfit last season, who are now two levels above them, but there was no evidence of a gulf in quality at Westfield last Saturday.

And Dunipace boss Gary MacMillan could barely hide his delight after his team’s giantkilling.

He said: “I think the main thing I’m feeling at the moment is a huge sense of pride in all of those lads in there. Outside of three or four experienced lads we are a young group, but a hugely talented one that is more than capable of picking up results but this was something of a coming of age for us.”

From the off Dunipace set up to combat the strength in the Bonnyrigg ranks, allowing them to play in front but making it difficult to play through or around.

Dunipace are a side, particularly at home, who are used to having significantly more of the ball than their opponents but they were clearly happy to trade their usual possession for defensive solidity against their higher league opposition.

With that said, outside of a 15 minute spell in both halves, when the home side got the ball they were still brave on it, trying to play through the lines and get support to lone striker Zok.

Dunipace thought they had taken the lead 10 minutes before half time as a Davidson corner evaded everyone but bounced off an unaware Bonnyrigg defender and slipped narrowly wide for another corner with the keeper beaten. But 0-0 at half time it was, the visitors looking a frustrated bunch but Dunipace surely delighted at their first half display.

The decisive moment came after the break and it was worth the wait for Pace.

Skipper McFadden slid a pass into O’Grady who took one touch with his right before firing an absolute missile with his left into the far top corner.

For the remainder of the game Dunipace were organised, professional and stuck to their game plan, frustrating Bonnyrigg into a couple of efforts from distance but nothing in the way of clear cut chances.

The final whistle went and there were jubilant scenes at full-time.

MacMillan said: “Against a team of that quality lapses get punished. And over 93 minutes I could have asked no more from any player. That’s only the second time in a year and half that Bonnyrigg have failed to score in a game so they should take a great deal of pride in that. Another clean sheet for us at home.

“Overall, every single player in black and white was outstanding. I don’t have enough words to go through all of them, but there wasn’t a failure amongst them.

“That now has to be our baseline. If we approach each game with that workrate, that attitude and that togetherness we have a great chance of meeting our targets at the end of the season.”