22nd July 2018 Tynecastle v Hearts XI 0-5
A new ground for me today. Tynecastle who play in the East of Scotland League and have shared the Saughton Enclosure ground with Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale for the past three seasons. The facilities at Saughton are primitive to say the least and with games being played on the park every week the pitch is not in the best of condition. For the past eighteen months Tynecastle have been negotiating with Edinburgh Leisure, who run City of Edinburgh Council leisure activities, to move to an alternative ground at Meggetland. The stadium at Meggetland was built primarily for use by the amateur Boroughmuir Rugby Club, although the professional rugby Edinburgh side have used the stadium on occasions. The stadium is build at Meggetland ,a public area, which is also used for Council schools football and rugby on adjoining pitches. I used to play at Meggetland as did my son's when we all attended Boroughmuir School albeit in different era's. James was the odd man out as he played rugby will the other three of us played football.
Agreement has now been reached with the Edinburgh Leisure for Tynecastle to share Meggetland with Boroughmuir. The stadium has a stand with 500 seats and further 2700 can be accommodated standing. In addition Tynecastle have access to the catering facilities at Meggetland. A few pictures of the ground are shown below. The official opening on the ground for Tynecastle is today with the opening game being a friendly against a Hearts XI. I walked to the ground from home along the Union Canal footpath which took me around thirty minutes. Admission was £6 with children and concessions £3. Tynecastle have a number of teams across the age groups and boys from the younger sides were attending, some just to watch the game and others to act as ballboys.
Hearts fielded a strong side with only three players in the starting eleven not having first team experience. Andy irving who was fielded as an ineligible player in the midweek Betfred Cup tie against Cove Rangers was included in the Hearts side. Andy had signed a contract extension in January but Hearts had not recorded this with the Scottish Football Association. He was therefore deemed ineligible once has previous contract expired in June 2018. I was unable to record the Tynecastle side as I had forgotten to take a pen with me and I could not get a team sheet. However goalkeeper was Jamie Wilson and I recognised Dean Crabbe, son of former Hearts favourite Scott, at number seven. I will update Tynecastle team if I can source line-up as I know they have brought in a number of new players this season.
Hearts started well with Irving looking good in midfield spraying accurate passes round the park. Up front Lewis Moore was beating players with ease and Dario Zanatta looked sharp. Zanatta missed a clear chance when he was through with only the keeper to beat but Wilson rushed from the goal-line to block his shot. Hearts were getting to the bye-line several times with Moore and both Liam Smith and Connor Smith firing in good crosses which were comfortably dealt with by goal-keeper Wilson. Tynecastle's only first half chance came when a Crabbe free-kick was headed wide at the far post by the Tynecastle centre-half. Just before half-time Hearts took the lead when Moore broke in the centre of the penalty box. The ball rebounded off a Tynecastle defender to Connor Smith at the edge of the penalty box. He took a shot a shot into the left hand corner of the net past Wilson.
Hearts took of Irving at half-time and he was replaced by a trialist. I don't know who he was, although players were calling him Maxie, however he looked comfortable on the ball with a good range of passes. Early in the second half Hearts went further ahead when Connor Smith was fouled just outside the penalty box on the left hand side. Smith took the kick and fired the ball into the top corner of the net. We were then treated to the Zabatta show. Firstly he picked up the ball on the left, went past two defenders and cut into the box. He then shot across Wilson into the net for a fine solo goal. Zanatta's second goal came when Moore cut the ball back from the byeline. Euan Henderson missed the ball but Zanatta fired it in for number four for Hearts.
Tyencastle then had a chance when their substitute centre-forward collect a through ball which deflected of the top of Gadja's head. The centre ran into the box and as he attempted to round Keilby Mason in the Hearts goal was taken down for a penalty. I don't think it was a red card offence for a clear goal scoring opportunity as the centre forward was wide of the goal and I think had over-run the ball. However in a competitive game I think Mason would have been yellow-carded. Crabbe stepped up to take the kick but although he hit it well it was at a good height for Mason to dive across goal and push the ball away. Ross Callachan scored Hearts fifth with minutes to go. Moore again got to the goal-line and cut it back to Zanatta. Zanatta passed the ball across goal and Callachan bundled it in from the edge of the six yard box.
After the game I saw on Twitter that the crowd had been almost seven hundred which is considerably more than Tynecastle would ever have had at Saighton Enclosure. Facilities at Meggetland are really good and would put a number of SPFL clubs to shame. I am a bit surprised that Edinburgh City did not approach the Council to use Meggetland when it became known their previous ground at Meadowbank was being demolished. I suppose however Meggetland is the wrong side of Edinburgh for City.I was going to walk home but checked my phone and saw a bus was due in two minutes so i decided to be lazy.
Teams
Tynecastle: Wilson,?,?,?,?,?,Crabbe,?,Burgess,?,?.
Subs: ?,?,?,?,?
Hearts: Mason, L.Smith, Sandison, Hamilton, Gajda, Irving, C.Smith, Callachan, Henderson, Zanatta, Moore.
Subs: Trialist, Ritchie, Logan
Hearts started well with Irving looking good in midfield spraying accurate passes round the park. Up front Lewis Moore was beating players with ease and Dario Zanatta looked sharp. Zanatta missed a clear chance when he was through with only the keeper to beat but Wilson rushed from the goal-line to block his shot. Hearts were getting to the bye-line several times with Moore and both Liam Smith and Connor Smith firing in good crosses which were comfortably dealt with by goal-keeper Wilson. Tynecastle's only first half chance came when a Crabbe free-kick was headed wide at the far post by the Tynecastle centre-half. Just before half-time Hearts took the lead when Moore broke in the centre of the penalty box. The ball rebounded off a Tynecastle defender to Connor Smith at the edge of the penalty box. He took a shot a shot into the left hand corner of the net past Wilson.
Hearts took of Irving at half-time and he was replaced by a trialist. I don't know who he was, although players were calling him Maxie, however he looked comfortable on the ball with a good range of passes. Early in the second half Hearts went further ahead when Connor Smith was fouled just outside the penalty box on the left hand side. Smith took the kick and fired the ball into the top corner of the net. We were then treated to the Zabatta show. Firstly he picked up the ball on the left, went past two defenders and cut into the box. He then shot across Wilson into the net for a fine solo goal. Zanatta's second goal came when Moore cut the ball back from the byeline. Euan Henderson missed the ball but Zanatta fired it in for number four for Hearts.
Tyencastle then had a chance when their substitute centre-forward collect a through ball which deflected of the top of Gadja's head. The centre ran into the box and as he attempted to round Keilby Mason in the Hearts goal was taken down for a penalty. I don't think it was a red card offence for a clear goal scoring opportunity as the centre forward was wide of the goal and I think had over-run the ball. However in a competitive game I think Mason would have been yellow-carded. Crabbe stepped up to take the kick but although he hit it well it was at a good height for Mason to dive across goal and push the ball away. Ross Callachan scored Hearts fifth with minutes to go. Moore again got to the goal-line and cut it back to Zanatta. Zanatta passed the ball across goal and Callachan bundled it in from the edge of the six yard box.
After the game I saw on Twitter that the crowd had been almost seven hundred which is considerably more than Tynecastle would ever have had at Saighton Enclosure. Facilities at Meggetland are really good and would put a number of SPFL clubs to shame. I am a bit surprised that Edinburgh City did not approach the Council to use Meggetland when it became known their previous ground at Meadowbank was being demolished. I suppose however Meggetland is the wrong side of Edinburgh for City.I was going to walk home but checked my phone and saw a bus was due in two minutes so i decided to be lazy.
Teams
Tynecastle: Wilson,?,?,?,?,?,Crabbe,?,Burgess,?,?.
Subs: ?,?,?,?,?
Hearts: Mason, L.Smith, Sandison, Hamilton, Gajda, Irving, C.Smith, Callachan, Henderson, Zanatta, Moore.
Subs: Trialist, Ritchie, Logan
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