There was something special in the Bonnyrigg air today. One was consumed by it upon merely arriving at a sun-laden New Dundas Park. Pulling out all the stops to make this day a success, bodies flooding in from Lothian Street and Dundas Street… this was a big one.

The champions of the Lowland League meet the champions of the Highland League. We’re in play-off season territory.

It was evident – and by no means can you blame them – that the magnitude of this game took a toll in the early passages of play from both sides. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Rose tried to draw first blood when Kerr Young’s diagonal ball was met by Bradley Barrett, but the advancing full-back could only find the side netting from the acutest of angles.

Back in the starting line-up and back amongst the action, Young had a pop from distance himself, but his 25-yard strike fizzed achingly wide. A cagey affair up until then, Rose were slowly slipping into their groove, which was greatly received and appreciated by the faithful.

A fiery, feisty and frantic tone suddenly transpired. The packed shed, along with a fair few Rose players were left furious and bemused when what appeared to be a clear home corner was instead signalled as a Broch goal kick. In all fairness, it did appear Paul Leask had pulled of a stunning save to force a set piece.

In front of the travelling Fraserburgh fans, Grant Campbell and Bradley Barrett picked up yellow cards just after the hour mark following a tussle after another decision went against Robbie Horn’s side. Things were beginning to crank up a notch and Rose remained in the ascendency.

And as timely as his return to the side, up stepped Keiran McGachie to break the deadlock. Lee Currie targeted a curling free-kick – nearly from within The Shed – in McGachie’s direction, with the Rose striker rising highest and bulleting his header home to give Robbie Horn’s side a well-deserved lead with seven minutes of the first half remaining.

The last action of note in a nervous opening half was far from a pleasant one for Alan Horne. The Tranent Pele took an elbow to the face from the arm of Jamie Beagrie. The Broch number seven only received a yellow card while Horne required extensive treatment to halt the gushing blood from his mouth.

Synonymous with kick-off, the period after the restart remained circumspect. Cards being held tightly to their chests from both sides, one could sense the next goal was going to be crucial.

Scorer turned provider with McGachie paying a pivotal role yet again. As ever, he expertly used his body strength to hold off the Broch defence and nod the ball the path of the onrushing Callum Connolly, who lashed his strike past Leask, rippling the net in the process.

An incredible shift was evidently coming to an end for McGachie, but even still, he caused havoc amongst the Broch defence until departing to a rousing round of applause from the Rose faithful.

His replacement, Sean Brown, had barely touched the ball before the visitors had halved the deficit.

Entirely against the run of play, Ross Aitken looped in a dangerous cross, which Mark Weir initially met, but it cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and back into the goalmouth where awaiting was Paul Young, who simply had to head in from three-yards out to drag the Highland League side back into the clash from nowhere.

With the wind whisked out of the red and white sails, Broch grew into the game with 20 minutes left in the first leg. Campbell blazed an effort inches high while Weir was forced to be on alert more than what had been required previously in the afternoon.

Kieran Hall was introduced to inject fresh legs, in place of Ross Gray who put in another tireless performance.

The defence shift from Dean Brett was admirable, but his attacking prowess proved fruitful as he won a free-kick on the edge of the Broch box with 10 minutes to go after being penalised by substitute Sean Butcher.

In all honesty, I know for a fact if you’re reading this report that you will have already seen one of the many fan-cam angles of this Currie free-kick which are dominating the timeline tonight.

So, for that reason, I am simply going to stress that Lee Currie, the dead ball specialist, produced an absolute peach on the turf of New Dundas Park this afternoon.

Call it what you want; pinpoint, postage stamp, a beauty – most superlatives will be appropriate. I urge you to go and indulge yourself in the footage if you haven’t already.

Two goal advantage restored and bedlam erupted. Nothing less than what the 1571 supporters packed inside the ground deserved to experience.

Right at the very death, Connolly found himself in the same position he pinged the second goal in from, but on this occasion, he rocketed his shot high.

Yet it only remains half-time. We do it all again next week at Bellslea Park as Rose travel up north with their 3-1 advantage. We hope to see as many of you there as possible, the dream lives on.

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