League match day 21 and Bonnyrigg are on the road again this week, this time to pay our first visit to Dunipace's Westfield Park which they moved into during the close season. In the reverse fixture at New Dundas Park in October it was the home side who ran out 6-0 victors and any form of positive result, either a win or draw, will see Bonnyrigg crowned Conference B winners and will go into the Conference play offs which start at the end of next month.
The Pace currently lie in 11th position in Conference B so they already know that they will sit in the second tier of the EoS league next season. They have found points difficult to come by in 2019 with a win over bottom side Eyemouth and draw at home to Dalkeith all they have to show for their efforts, although they could point to narrow defeats against Haddington and in particular Burntisland to suggest that they should have more points on the board. They have two further league games to play after Friday night's game (Dundonald at home and Sauchie away) and that will conclude their season as their interest has ended in all of the regional cups, so they will be looking to end their season on a high note.
Saturday's win at Jeanfield in the qualifying cup made it 21 victories in a row for Robbie Horn's side. There were again some notable absentees from the squad selected on Saturday as this is the stage of the season where injuries and potentially suspensions can mount up, so he continues to call on all of his playing squad to make a contribution when called upon and again it was another credible performance last Saturday against a team who have been going very well this season.
Friday night also marks the start of the annual "groundhop" weekend, where 200 - 300 football enthusiasts (or groundhoppers) travel from England to take in a series of football games in Scotland over the weekend. Our game is the first of six on the groundhop card, with four getting played at various kick off times on Saturday and one on Sunday. Each home side will get one visit from the groundhoppers (think about it as collecting football grounds) and this time around it is Dunipace, Camelon, Inverkeithing, Blackburn, Linlithgow and Peebles who will welcome them over the weekend. By all accounts they are a friendly and inquisitive bunch so supporters may be asked questions on history etc. so if you are asked something and don't know, pass them on to some of our travelling historians who may do.
It promises to be a decent atmosphere given the swell in attendance and everyone with a Bonnyrigg persuasion will be hoping that when the final whistle blows they are in the Conference play-offs.