'We're playing with confidence now' - Bo'ness United boss Max Christie hails his troops after five league wins out of six games

Goals by Matty Flynn, Devon Jacobs and Nicky Locke gave Bo’ness a 3-1 home success over Civil Service Strollers on Friday before they saw off Broomhill 1-0 thanks to Kieran Anderson’s free-kick goal at Newtown Park on Tuesday, putting them 10th with 20 points from 14 games.

"We’ve won a few games and there’s a lot of the boys got fitter and are starting to play well,” Christie told the Journal and Gazette. "That’s been encouraging.

"We were perhaps not as resilient as previous Bo’ness teams at the start of the season.

"In as far as being difficult to play against when we’ve not got the ball.

"Quite resilient has always been a hallmark of the club, even before my time as well. We’ve got back to that a bit, being more competitive and starting to play well.

"A lot of the guys are now playing with a bit of confidence and that just takes time, fitness and winning.

"So I’m quite pleased but we are not kidding ourselves on. We are not under any illusions that we’re where we want to be and we need to go and win more league games to get up that table.

"I think pushing for the top five is realistic.”

Christie said his team face a “massive” league game at Cumbernauld Colts – surprise 4-1 winners at Rangers B on Tuesday night – this Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

Greg Skinner returns from suspension for the game and Christie is hopeful that Danny Galbraith will be fit after injury.

"That game will be on a big pitch against a good side,” the boss added. “Let’s see if we can go and get the win.

"Every game’s tough and we’ve got to be at our best.”

Bo’ness, for whom new Stirling Albion loanee – midfielder Kyle Johnston – came on as a second half substitute against Broomhill, held on to win thanks to a stunning last minute save from keeper Andy Murphy after a close range header.

"We were hanging on at the end,” Christie said. “We had four boys who climbed out their sick beds to play – Mikey Gemmell, Kyle Wilson, Kieran Anderson and Craig Comrie, all ill and played so it was a real testament to them.

"I went into the changing room with a face mask on. It was like a hotbed of infection with coughing and spluttering.

"Mikey Gemmell wouldn’t have played, but he climbed out his bed and we got an hour out of him.

"Craig Comrie hadn’t trained and missed all of last week ill.

"Kyle Wilson wasn’t well and Kieran Anderson was shivering at half-time.

"With all that to cope with, it was a great win for us.

Our keeper won us the game, he had two incredible saves. Murph was fantastic.”