BackSat 22 Feb 2020 · Geosonic Lowland League
Caledonian Braves
Bonnyrigg Rose
2
3
D Brett (37'), E Moyes (42'), D Baur (77')
Match Preview
Brendan Parkinson21 Feb 2020 - 17:09
League match day 22 and Bonnyrigg take on the Caledonian Braves at Alliance Park for the first time on Saturday. In the reverse fixture way back at the end of August (before the town of Bonnyrigg turned into New Atlantis) the three points stayed at New Dundas Park courtesy of a double from Dan Baur and one from Dean Brett.
The Braves have had a facelift over the summer and have separated from Edusport Academy which owner Chris Smith set up in 2011. The Academy is still very much alive and kicking and their reserve side play in the South of Scotland League, which the Braves won three seasons ago and took their place in the Lowland League on merit.
They also have a home they can call their own having transformed Strathclyde Country Park into the aptly named Alliance Park, as they had used Annan's Galabank over the past few seasons as a Lowland League side. The number of French first team players have decreased over the course of the last two seasons, but having watched their Development League side it is almost exclusively French, as are their social media updates of development league games ( I can't comment on the reserve side).
They have had a number of eye catching victories this season, notably at East Kilbride and Spartans but perhaps their most impressive of the lot came at their last outing, putting seven past the usually miserly Civil Service Strollers defense. With Ross McNeil and Neil McLaughlin both towards the upper end of the goalscoring charts this isn't a fixture to go into with any sort of complacency.
It was another reassured performance last Saturday at NDP by Robbie Horn's side vs Edinburgh University played in horrific conditions, where some changes were made to the starting XI as he continues to rotate his small squad ensuring minutes on the pitch for players. Having played twenty one league games and only dropped give points is a remarkable achievement which even the most positive Rose supporter could hardly have expected at this stage and have certainly surpassed general media predictions at the start of the season.
Although some eyes may already be averted to next Saturday's game at New Central Park, the game at Alliance Park carries the exact same amount of points for a win (as does the game after that, and so on). The management and players' sole focus at present is the game at Alliance Park; one game at a time would appear to have fared well for them so far.
SQUAD NEWS: Nicky Weir has moved on loan to fellow Lowland League side Vale of Leithen until the summer, when he will return to the senior squad for pre season training. This will be invaluable experience for the 19 year old as continues his development and will keep an eye on his progress at the Vale.
The Braves have had a facelift over the summer and have separated from Edusport Academy which owner Chris Smith set up in 2011. The Academy is still very much alive and kicking and their reserve side play in the South of Scotland League, which the Braves won three seasons ago and took their place in the Lowland League on merit.
They also have a home they can call their own having transformed Strathclyde Country Park into the aptly named Alliance Park, as they had used Annan's Galabank over the past few seasons as a Lowland League side. The number of French first team players have decreased over the course of the last two seasons, but having watched their Development League side it is almost exclusively French, as are their social media updates of development league games ( I can't comment on the reserve side).
They have had a number of eye catching victories this season, notably at East Kilbride and Spartans but perhaps their most impressive of the lot came at their last outing, putting seven past the usually miserly Civil Service Strollers defense. With Ross McNeil and Neil McLaughlin both towards the upper end of the goalscoring charts this isn't a fixture to go into with any sort of complacency.
It was another reassured performance last Saturday at NDP by Robbie Horn's side vs Edinburgh University played in horrific conditions, where some changes were made to the starting XI as he continues to rotate his small squad ensuring minutes on the pitch for players. Having played twenty one league games and only dropped give points is a remarkable achievement which even the most positive Rose supporter could hardly have expected at this stage and have certainly surpassed general media predictions at the start of the season.
Although some eyes may already be averted to next Saturday's game at New Central Park, the game at Alliance Park carries the exact same amount of points for a win (as does the game after that, and so on). The management and players' sole focus at present is the game at Alliance Park; one game at a time would appear to have fared well for them so far.
SQUAD NEWS: Nicky Weir has moved on loan to fellow Lowland League side Vale of Leithen until the summer, when he will return to the senior squad for pre season training. This will be invaluable experience for the 19 year old as continues his development and will keep an eye on his progress at the Vale.
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