Lowland League East round-up: East Stirlingshire stumble but boss sees positives
Callum Tapping reckons his East Stirlingshire side can take some positives from their 4-1 defeat away to Scottish Lowland Football League East title contenders Bonnyrigg Rose last Saturday.
The Ochilview side travelled to Midlothian on the back of a superb start to the campaign, having won twice and drawn once in their opening fixtures, but eventually lost out heavily despite Kai Brown’s goal.
And a 4-1 loss was hard to take for player-boss Tapping, who was proud of his players’ second-half showing.
“It is a little bit mixed,” he said. “The first 30 minutes, we were slow coming out the traps but we did much better in the final 15 minutes before half time. We managed to nick a goal on the counter against the run of play.
“Bonnyrigg had a lot of chances through what they do, put balls in the box, set-plays. We managed to get away with it. You have to ride a storm at Bonnyrigg. I thought we stayed in the game at 1-1.
“The second half was similar in that we started so slowly. We were braver after that. For 25 minutes we were dominant at 2-1 down. I should score! Kai Brown has one cleared off the line.
"We had momentum and if we got to 2-2 then I felt that we would have won it. Bonnyrigg were penned in. We’ve made two mistakes, and 4-1 looks worse than the performance.
“We could have came away with something based on our second-half performance.
“We had six new players going in and we knew it would be tough. But we are strong in all departments.”
Bo’ness United made it two wins on the spin in their league fixture against Civil Service Strollers at home.
The Newtown Park side have bounced back from two opening defeats, with Saturday’s win coming courtesy of a Joe Cassidy screamer and a Kieran Mitchell finish.
Danny Smith’s newly-promoted Dunipace are one of three teams on zero points after another defeat last weekend.
The DLC Westfield side lost 1-0 at Hill of Beath Hawthorn, with Tristan McArthur sent off for the visitors late on.
This Saturday, East Stirlingshire host Newtongrange Star in the first round of the South Challenge Cup.
In the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup second round, Camelon host Livingston United while Bo’ness United welcome Vale of Leithen.