Football made its more than welcomed return to New Dundas Park on Tuesday night, as Bonnyrigg Rose started their preseason off with a 3-2 win over Broxburn Athletic.

Both sides started brightly in a lively manner, with neither showing any signs of rustiness. The visitors early pressure paying off in particular with two corners in the opening minute.

Rose found early, and continual, joy down the left through Jonny Brown, who made countless crosses into Broxburn’s danger area, finding debutant Jordan Smith on multiple occasions. The young striker put in an energetic performance and was unlucky to not grab a goal on his first run out for the Rose, forcing Wallace into a few good saves. Unsurprisingly, Ross Gray found plenty space within the midfield and created some great chances thanks to nice footwork. However, after a fairly even opening half hour, the home side were fortunate to not find themselves behind. It took for a double wonder save from Mark Weir to keep the score goalless.

In the last piece of notable action in the opening half, Lewis Turner was unlucky not to see his effort from deep find its way into the top corner, as it kissed the postage stamp of the crossbar and far post, beyond the ‘keepers reach.

The home side continued their pressure at the beginning of the second half and won a free kick 20 yards out within three minutes of the restart. Lee Currie’s effort struck the wall but he would have another chance soon enough. Albeit, it was Broxburn who broke the deadlock six minutes into the half. Weir stopped the shot from a free kick but couldn’t keep a hold of the ball, which fell right to the feet of Donaldson, two yards from goal.

Robbie Horn looked to his bench just before the hour mark, with a break in play and his side wining a free kick, with George Hunter, Jamie Docherty and Scott Gray providing fresh legs for the home side, in place of Turner, Gray and Smith. As expected, Currie was granted another chance from roughly 20 yards out and this time he made no mistake as he lifted the ball over the wall and delightfully pulled the Rose level.

With 25 minutes on the clock, on came Ewan Moyes and Andy Mair for his debut. Rose were definitely the more threatening of the two sides since the equaliser and with just under 20 minutes to go, a little bit of magic from Ross Gray at the edge of box was finished spectacularly by Docherty who found the far left hand corner of the goal to put the home side ahead.

Mair made his night even better by grabbing his first assist, teeing up George Hunter for a tap in right in front of goal to put Horn’s side 3-1 up with 13 minutes to go.

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It got a little heated late on with a few reckless tackles from the away side but that didn’t stop them creating their own piece of special play. A delightful solo goal from substitute Ross with five minutes to go, rounded off the action at New Dundas Park, on what was a great workout for both sides.