“Wait, the game’s on?!”

After days of sustained rainfall, it seemed a certainty that Saturday’s meeting with Civil Service Strollers would have to be postponed to a later date. A 9am pitch inspection determined that the surface at New Dundas Park was playable – eyes blinked in disbelief, alternative plans were quickly scrapped, red and white scarves were excitedly dug out.

Robbie Horn’s side knew all too well the threat posed by today’s visitors, with one of Rose’s two league defeats coming at Christie Gillies Park at the start of the season. A 93rd minute winner handed Civil all three points on the day, and the visitors very nearly picked up where they left off from the previous encounter early doors.

You’ll probably see more solar eclipses in your life than Alan Horne defensive mistakes, so when this extreme rarity did occur, Civil looked to pounce. Mikey Andrews pulled off two big saves as a stramash in the box ensued, before Dean Brett managed to clear an effort off the line to save Bonnyrigg’s blushes.

From that moment on, Rose struggled to get any sort of rhythm going in the first half. Lewis Turner did find himself in behind, but was denied by the onrushing goalkeeper Mac Whyte. The Civil number one impressed when Rose did manage to put the pressure on, denying Callum Connolly in spectacular fashion as he clawed the midfielder’s header away from goal.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first – Andrews to the rescue. Neat play from Gary Jardine’s men saw Andrew Johnston through on goal, but the ‘keeper sprawled into action to snuff out the danger, evoking the largest round of the applause of the afternoon so far from the shed.

This second warning shot seemed to spark something in Rose, who grew into the second half. The introduction of both Scott and Ross Gray brought fresh legs and extra dynamism to the midfield trio, causing Civil to feel the heat on a brisk afternoon in Midlothian.

Whyte was forced into saves following Brett’s fizzing strike and George Hunter’s placed effort from a tight angle, though eventually, the man in between the Strollers sticks was beaten.

Rose have enjoyed great success from set pieces this season, thanks in no small part to our dead-ball specialist. With Lee Currie suspended however, other options had to be employed. It was Brett who whipped the ball in on the 73rd minute, which was met perfectly by a towering Keiran McGachie, who steered the ball home to give Rose the lead.

Aware that he had started the day just two goals shy of a century for the Rosey Posey, it was almost inevitable that the big man wasn’t done this afternoon after notching 99. So it would prove, as Bradley Barrett’s square ball allowed McGachie to display his instinctive nature, finding space in the box to tap the ball beyond Whyte, wheeling away in celebration as he etched his name into club folklore.

The Cuzza-shaped void that had saw Brett set up McGachie for his first also allowed Neil Martyniuk to show off his dead ball deliveries, taking the corners on the right-hand side. Having nearly bagged an assist twice in the first half with chances for Connolly, the defender got his rewards at the death, supplying Kieran Hall the perfect opportunity to grab a sneaky header and round off a big win in front of the Rose faithful.

Before our trip there to face Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Cup at the end of November, the Rose are headed to the Indodrill stadium next weekend, as Broomhill are the opposition for the Lowland League leaders.

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