After last week’s curtain raiser, Bonnyrigg Rose headed on their travels for the first time as an SPFL club, crossing the Firth of Forth to take on East Fife.

Robbie Horn made just two changes from the team that dispatched of Forfar at New Dundas Park the week prior, bringing in Bob Wilson & Keiran McGachie for Kerr Young & George Hunter.

The game started off in scrappy fashion as both sides battled the elements, as well as each other, in search of the upper hand at a blustery Bayview.

20 minutes of jockeying for position followed, but it would be The Rose who made the first killer move the day.

Ross Gray, fresh off of dazzling display on the opening day, once again danced into the box with seemingly effortless grace. The East Fife backline were so bamboozled that the only option left was to swipe him to the ground, which left the referee with the simple task of pointing to the spot.

Up stepped Neil Martyniuk, his first spot kick in regular time of the new season. A familiar result followed, as the penalty maestro sent Allan Fleming the wrong way to put Bonnyrigg ahead.

The Rose are fully aware that their life in SPFL will bring challenging fights and require greater ring IQ. That’s when those watching on cheered so fervently as Rose landed the one two punch just minutes later.

With his back to goal, McGachie shielded the ball terrifically after receiving a driven pass from the left wing. It undoubtedly would have crossed the striker’s mind to swivel and shoot, though he elected to tee up a teammate instead.

There stood Dean Brett, entirely unfazed with the ball rolling towards his weaker foot, before releasing a gorgeous curling effort that nestled in the back of the Bayview net. If the sensational Rose support weren’t already in high spirits, they certainly were now.

The rest of the half ticked on with only really half chances to note. Joao Balde impressed for the Fifers off the bench, dribbling with trickery and intent, but failed to find the target when presented sight of Mark Weir’s goal.

Scott Mercer had an even better view when East Fife were controversially given a free kick after a Callum Connolly ‘handball’ just outside the box. His fierce strike cannoned off the face of Alan Horne, who would have taken that hit time and time again to prevent an opposition goal.

The temperature was turned up quickly in the second period, and very nearly boiled over. The referee was checking on a head knock for the hosts, before suddenly booking McGachie for the incident which sparked fury in the Rose ranks, leading to the gaffer also being cautioned.

From derision to delight, it wasn’t long until the Rosey Posey had reason to smile again. Martyniuk, who was imperious and influential throughout, astutely played a quick free-kick into the box and to the feet of Kevin Smith.

The frontman, no stranger to the route to goal at Bayview, looked noticeably comfortable in familiar surroundings in Fife. McGachie may have chose not to swivel and shoot earlier, but his strike partners had other ideas as he deftly tucked the ball beyond Fleming and sent the Rose into raptures.

The Fife fans did have something to smile about though, when Smith was subbed off he was swarmed by hordes of young fans desperately trying to grab a selfie with the goalscoring star. Who can blame them?

Just as everything seemed to be going flawlessly for the visitors, a red card threatened to take the shine off the afternoon. A second yellow was shown to Connolly, who trudged off in confusion at the referee’s decision.

Despite being down to 10, it was still the Rose who looked most likely to score next. The fact that didn’t add a fourth won’t bother too many in Boomtown though, as the three goals and another clean sheet see Bonnyrigg Rose lead League Two on the second matchday.

A different kind of test awaits Robbie Horn’s men in midweek, with Livingston B the visitors to New Dundas Park in the SPFL Trust Trophy.