League match day 18 and Bonnyrigg are on their travels again with a trip to Humbug Park to face Crossgates Primrose. In the reverse fixture it was probably the Midlothian Rose's hardest fought victory of the season to date in late November, with strikes from Wilson and McGachie cancelling out a worldie from Scott Lawrie for the Fifers. The game was also notable as Robbie Horn's first game back in the dugout on his return to NDP.
Both sides have made changes to playing personnel since the last time they met. Top scorer Scott Hynd has left Crossgates for fellow Conference B side Burntisland and they have bolstered their squad with the recent arrivals of midfielder Lewis Wishart and forward Sami Mitchell. Bonnyrigg have brought in Aaron Murrell to fill the gap left by Kyle Wilson's transfer to Kelty and the frontman wasted little time in getting himself on the shoresheet last week, with his 25 minute cameo last Saturday v Tynecastle yielding two goals.
The manager made six changes to the starting XI at last Saturday's trip to Meggetland and the expectation is that he will ring the changes again for Saturday's trip to Fife, making use all of the squad as much as possible given the potential number of games still left to play between now and the end of the season.
Crossgates currently lie in 5th position in Conference B and will be looking to cement their position in the Top 5 which will mean the Premier League for them next season, although they are looking over their shoulder more nervously now after defeats against LTHV and Tranent in their last two outings. Realistically every team down to 8th place Haddington has a chance to make the EoS top tier next season. Bonnyrigg currently sit on 49 points after 17 games played and the magic number for Rose fans is 60, as that would give the New Dundas Park outfit an unassailable lead in the Conference and with it the title.
If Saturday's game is even half as good at the game between the two sides in November it promises to be a cracker.