HOLDERS, Uphall Station set up a classic Miller Cup final showdown with Sandy’s at the Civil Service Sports Ground in Muirhouse on Saturday, May 20, after handing Bo’ness Fisons a 5-1 defeat in their semi-final clash at Saughton Enclosure.

This event is the major cup competition in the Lothian & Edinburgh Amateur FA and with the two top teams in the premier division in the opposing corners, the final at Muirhouse has all the makings of an epic finale to the season in the L&EAFA.

It took Uphall Station a long time and a great deal of effort before they got the better of Bo’ness at the Enclosure. The team from Livingston led 2-1 at the break in a tough game that saw every ball vigorously contested, keeping excellent match official, Malcolm Campbell, fully occupied. With Uphall also playing their offside trap to catch out Bo’ness, assistant referee, Campbell Duncan, on the pavilion side of the pitch was also busy raising his flag to the frustration of the Bo’ness contingent. In a cracking start to the game, the play flowed back and forth, with Uphall coming close to opening the scoring with a net-bound shot being cleared off the line by Jim Maitland. In the 31^st minute, Uphall did make the breakthrough with an OG following a corner on the left from Robert McGregor. It was a lucky deflection for Uphall but the 1-0 lead game them a deserved lead at that stage of the game.

Bo’ness got back on level terms when their good No 9, Jamie McLean, beat the Uphall offside trap to run on to fire home the equaliser to make it 1-1 shortly before the interval. But there was still time for Uphall to go back in front again, with the Bo’ness defence posted missing as Paul McHugh, straight from the restart, to run on to a good pass on the right of the goal to score and restore Uphall’s lead to 2-1 at the break.

At the start of the second half, Bo’ness appeared to have calmed down sufficiently for them to enjoy their best spell in the game, playing good passing football that took the game to Uphall. With the game opening up, it became more enjoyable to watch but Bo’ness were hit by a real ‘sucker punch’ when Lee Cruickshank used his pace and strength to run on to a through pass and home in on the Bo’ness goal with his finishing effort going wide before Mark Barrass arrived at the right-hand post to smack the ball in to the Bo’ness net from close in.

That goal was a tough one to take for Bo’ness considering the effort they had put in to the game at the start of the second period. But, by going ahead 3-1, the Uphall side started to ooze confidence and they went on to control the game, in all areas of the big pitch. 

Uphall’s fourth counter was the goal of the game and it came when a corner on the left was cleared back out to Uphall No 2, Barrass, on the left of the 18yd box. The Uphall player took his time before sending a swerving right-foot drive around a group of players in the goalmouth in to the far corner of the net to make it 4-1. That was a superbly taken goal by any standards and it also doubled his tally for the season - according to Uphall spokesman, Jim Wilson! Barrass had a great chance to complete his hat-trick in the closing stages of the game, but he appeared to have overrun the ball. He did, however, recover well to control the ball and send over a lovely cross from the right of the Bo’ness goal for Robert McGregor to head home Uphall’s fifth goal of the game at the back post.

Uphall Station – David Miller, Paul McHugh, George McGregor, Peter McIntyre, Lee Cruickshank, Brian McPhillie, Kevin Turner, Mark Barrass, Robert McGregor, Simon Murphy, Robert Taylor, Scott Clark, Robert McLean, Brian Divitt, Sean O’Neil, Barry O’Donnell.

Bo’ness Fisons – Maurice Crooks, Derk Frank, Andrew Morrison, Tom Sneddon, Barry Stein, Adam Gardner, Stephen Veitch, Bryan Tully, John Sneddon, Jamie McLean, Dean McLean, Paul Crosbie, James Maitland.

Referee – Malcolm Campbell.