Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic — Motherwell U21: 3:0, Challenge Cup

Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic beat Motherwell U21 3-0 in the Callup Cup group stage on Saturday, a result that puts them firmly in contention for progression. The hosts controlled possession at 61 per cent and never looked back after taking the lead.

J. Smith opened the scoring with a penalty in the thirty-ninth minute, then had a chance to double the advantage but saw his spot-kick saved a minute later. K. Young made no mistake from open play just before half-time, slotting home in the forty-fifth minute plus one. L. Devine added a third in the fifty-ninth, and by then the contest was over as a contest.

We had called for a home win with confidence at 66 per cent before kick-off, and the match played out exactly as we expected. Bonnyrigg's attack produced 91 attacks to Motherwell's 66, and eleven shots on target compared with two for the visitors.

The statistics tell the story plainly: Motherwell managed only two shots on target all day, and their goalkeeper made eight saves while doing his best to keep them in it. The hosts had four yellow cards to three, but the disciplinary edge meant little when the scoreline was this decisive.

The win takes Bonnyrigg to the top of their group, and the three-goal margin suggests they have more than enough to carry into the next fixture.