Match Report: Bathgate 1-1 Ratho Athletic (Ratho win 6-5 on penalties)

Stephen Fruzynski Photography

Match Report: Bathgate 1-1 Ratho Athletic (Ratho win 6-5 on penalties)

Ratho Athletic advanced to the third round of the Logan Cup after a tense penalty shootout win over Bathgate on a chaotic and challenging afternoon at Bathgate Sports Centre.

Pre-match Chaos

The day began in disarray as the planned Astro pitch was declared unplayable due to a layer of ice, despite assurances it would be cleared. After a 40-minute delay, the referee deemed the grass pitch playable, though it was in extremely poor condition, setting the tone for a frustrating day.

First Half

Ratho started brightly, taking control of the game early on. The highlight of the half came when Liam Gallacher won a penalty, giving Ratho the chance to take the lead. Unfortunately, Ally McRitchie’s spot-kick was saved, and despite dominating possession, the breakthrough eluded Ratho as the first half ended goalless.

Second Half Drama

The second half was scrappy, with the difficult pitch conditions hampering any flow to the game. Ratho struggled to match their first-half intensity but finally found the net in the dying moments when Liam Gallacher curled a brilliant free-kick around the wall to make it 1-0.

Moments later, Ratho had a chance to seal the game on the counter but failed to capitalise. Deep into stoppage time, the referee, who had allowed play to continue well beyond 90 minutes, awarded Bathgate a free-kick, which they converted to equalise. Full time followed immediately, sending the match to penalties.

Penalty Shootout

In a nail-biting shootout, goalkeeper Jack Moran was the hero, making two crucial saves as Ratho edged it 6-5 to book their place in the next round.

Gaffer’s Comments

Manager Bradley Crane did not hold back when reflecting on the day: “An utter embarrassment from Excite, turning up to a frozen 4G pitch that we had been assured was cleared first thing this morning. After 40 minutes, we eventually had a so-called grass park to go play on, which was a disgrace. The 90 minutes that followed were as enjoyable as the shambles before. In the next round, we move on.”

Next Round

Ratho Athletic will face Sandys in the third round of the Logan Cup next Saturday at the Jack Kane Centre, with kick-off at 1:30pm.

It wasn’t pretty, but Ratho march on!