18th July 2017 Edinburgh City v Berwick Rangers 2-2 (City won 4-2 on penalties)



Edinburgh City joined the SPFL for season 2016/17 having come through the recently introduced pyramid system. Having won the Lowland League the previous season they faced play-off matches over two legs against firstly Highland League Champions Cove Rangers and then the SPFLs bottom team East Stirlingshire. Winning both ties gave City East Stirling’s place in the SPFL for the following season. After a nightmare start City found some form and ended the season  in 7th place in the 10 club league. For the new season City were forced to vacate their Meadowbank home which is in the course of being demolished and redeveloped by City of Edinburgh Council. City have entered a ground sharing agreement with Lowland League club, The Spartans and will now place their home matches on Spartans 3G pitch at Ainslie Park for a three year period until the work at Meadowbank is completed.

City have signed  number of new players for their second season in the SPFL and are looking to improve their position in the SPFL. When I spoke to John while collecting my foreign currency for Tenerife he told me City had signed Ashley Grimes. I said is that the old Manchester United player. I think John was impressed by my football knowledge as he responded “yes and he played for City as well”. I was however thinking of the United midfielder/fullback of the 1970’s (who is at least 60 now) and not the journeyman striker of the same name who joined Edinburgh City with his previous teams including Barrow and Southport. John’s son, John Dunn, plays for Edinburgh City and is one the the few players they have retained from last season.

As it was a nice night I decided to walk to the match and had a good stroll to the ground taking around a hour. On arriving at Ainslie Park I was disappointed that the arrangement last season of half-price admission for Hearts and Hibs season ticket holders was not in place. The reason given was that gate was to be shared with Berwick for Bet-Fred cup and I therefore had to pay £12 admission charge. The half-price admission will be back in force for league matches. 

When the teams lined up I noticed Andrew Irving, a Hearts youth player on loan to Berwick, was included in their line-up. The game started quietly but mid-way through the first half City took the lead with a shot from inside the penalty box from Ashley Grimes which I think took a slight deflection on the way to the back of the net. Berwick equalised shortly thereafter after a through ball found Aaron Murrell who ran forward and scored from the edge of the box. Murrell played for The Spartans two seasons ago and scored goals by the hatful which brought him a move to Dundee United. Last season he was loaned to Berwick after the turn of the year and has now joined them permanently. I am surprised at this as I thought he was capable of scoring gaols as a higher level.

Before halftime City regained the lead through another Grimes goal. Again from inside the box but the keeper had no chance with this one. The second half saw Berwick revert to a long ball style after former Hearts striker Craig Beattie, now playing in central defence for City, was forced of by injury. Berwick equalised late on after centre-half Pat Scullion scored following a melee in the City box.

At the end of the match under BetFred rules a penalty shootout was required. In the Bettered Cup qualifying rounds teams receive three points for a win and one for a draw. However where a match is drawn the winners of the penalty shootout received an additional ‘bonus’ point. City were not confident having not won a penalty shoutout for a number of years. Berwick however hit the post with their third penalty and the next one was saved by City keeper Calum Antell giving City a 4-2 win in the shootout and a second point from the match.

After the match I was lazy and caught a bus home after an enjoyable evening.

Teams
City: Antel, Hall, Beattie, Verlaque, Mackie, McKee, Walker, Laird, Dunn, Grimes, Allan.
Subs: Harrison, Olanrewaju, Karadachki
Berwick: McCrorie, Fleming, Notman, Thomson, Scullion, Lavery, McKenna, Irving, Stewart, McDonald, Murrell. 
Subs: Phillips, Rutherford, Donaldson

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