For the second week in a row, Bonnyrigg Rose ventured on a long away day, starting the same team as last weekend’s win at Forfar, bar Robbie McGale stepping in for the injured Dean Brett.

A bitter chill in the air left pleny of bite in the opening stages of the game, which burst into life with Aaron Arnott’s snapshot from 20 yards. Scott Fleming hastily dived down to his left to turn the deflected strike behind.

The first half then produced a flurry of Annan chances, cheifly falling the way of Benjamin Luissint, who missed the target with a header before being teed up by Max Kilsby, but was again unable to trouble Paddy Martin.

Beyond a few tackles that crunched like lettuce on the Annan astro, the game meandered towards the interval with few real chances to write home about.

The second period was where Rose began to roll. Scott Gray, occupying the left-flank, could well have finished the move he started after winning the ball high up the bark, though the searching ball in from McGale was too high for a clinical connection.

It wouldn’t be the last time Rose looked dangerous on the counter, as another quick break found Keiran McGachie at the back stick, who uncharacteristically failed to make the most on an aerial opportunity.

Intricate interplay on the right gave Kerr Young cause to burst into the box, his piledriving strike only denied by a brave block in the Annan backline.

Despite their positions at either end of the division, it was Rose ramping up the pressure in the latter stages. Another slick move saw the ball fired into Arnott, using his quick feet to adjust and volley low and hard, but the effort bundled agonisingly wide.

That missed chance frustrated the midfielder, his next would be scarcely believable. A Rose corner caused a stramash in the box, with the ball eventually looping aimlessly away from goal. Arnott somehow generated a powerful header with Fleming in no man’s land, left to watch in slow-motion as his effort was somehow scooped off the line with a draw-saving header.

Although there will be a sense of bitterness at opportunities untaken, Rose chalked up an impressive draw against a formidable outift. It leaves securing safety to the final day, where a win or a draw will guarentee the Rosey Posey a second season of SPFL football.

Join us at New Dundas Park on Saturday for trip of Elgin City to roar the boys on.

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