28th July 2018 Penicuik Athletic v Sauchie 3-1
Off to Penicuik today for their first game as a senior club. Penicuik and their opponents Sauchie were two of the teams who opted out of the Junior game and have now joined the East of Scotland league. This is effectively the sixth level of the pyramid within the Scottish game and could, in time, lead to these teams become part of the SPFL set-up. While playing success can lead to the SPFL status teams also need to have an SFA licence. Criteria for the licence include the standard of the ground and Penicuik indicated in the match programme that they would be looking at an extensive fundraising campaign to finance the improvements required.
Alex was intending to come to Penicuik also but texted me earlier in the week to say he was going to Alloa v Ross County instead. I caught a 47 bus in Lothian Road and arrived at the ground at 14.05. When I went to pay at the gate my old work colleague John was collecting the cash. I was telling him how Spartans offer half price season tickets and Edinburgh City half price admission to holders of Hearts and Hibs season tickets and it may be that this will be raised at Penicuik committee meetings as a method of helping raise extra funding.The Penicuik side was in line with last seasons side. I had never seen Sauchie play before and only name I recognised in the programme was Craig Comrie who had a spell on loan to Spartans two seasons ago, however he was not included in the match day squad..
Penicuik took the lead after about fifteen minutes from a corner on the left taken by Ryan Baptie. Aaron Somerville made a run towards the near post and connected well with a header past Darren Dolan for the opening goal. After this goal I moved from the covered enclosure across to the sunny side of the ground. I was standing at the end defended by Sauchie and keeper Dolan was spending most of his time moaning at his defenders. Somerville had another chance when he latched on to a through ball. However his shot cleared the keeper, the bar and the fence around the ground and ended up in the public park outside. Just after the half hour mark Sauchie had the ball in the net when a cross from the right was headed home by centre forward Darren Cummings with a beautiful diving header from about fifteen yards out to the left of the goal. The goal was ruled out for offside and I realised that Cummings' wife and son were standing at the fence just along from me. They were distraught at what they termed as the goal of the season had been ruled off.
Penicuik added insult to injury when the went up the park from the free-kick. Wayne McIntosh chased a pass to the byeline and crossed for Somerville to head home his second from out ten yards out. Again keeper Dolan had a go at his defenders although before halftime he made an excellent save from a McIntosh header to stop another goal.
At the start of the second half Penicuik added a third when Baptie fired a low ball across goal which Somerville swept in for his hat-trick from the edge of the six yard box. Penicuik were on top and looking to add another but with around twenty minutes to go Sauchie pulled one back. A free-kick on the left about thirty yards out was taken by Darren Petrie for centre half Stewart Houston to head home from close range. Penicuik continued to look comfortable although Thomas Cordery had to save with his feet to deny Sauchie substitute Carroll after defensive mix-up. The match ended with Penicuik winning 3-1 and gaining their first points as a senior side albeit in the East of Scotland League Cup qualifying rather than the League.
After the game I caught a 37 bus back to town, getting off at Kaimes Crossroads and changing on to an 11 to get home
Penicuik took the lead after about fifteen minutes from a corner on the left taken by Ryan Baptie. Aaron Somerville made a run towards the near post and connected well with a header past Darren Dolan for the opening goal. After this goal I moved from the covered enclosure across to the sunny side of the ground. I was standing at the end defended by Sauchie and keeper Dolan was spending most of his time moaning at his defenders. Somerville had another chance when he latched on to a through ball. However his shot cleared the keeper, the bar and the fence around the ground and ended up in the public park outside. Just after the half hour mark Sauchie had the ball in the net when a cross from the right was headed home by centre forward Darren Cummings with a beautiful diving header from about fifteen yards out to the left of the goal. The goal was ruled out for offside and I realised that Cummings' wife and son were standing at the fence just along from me. They were distraught at what they termed as the goal of the season had been ruled off.
Penicuik added insult to injury when the went up the park from the free-kick. Wayne McIntosh chased a pass to the byeline and crossed for Somerville to head home his second from out ten yards out. Again keeper Dolan had a go at his defenders although before halftime he made an excellent save from a McIntosh header to stop another goal.
At the start of the second half Penicuik added a third when Baptie fired a low ball across goal which Somerville swept in for his hat-trick from the edge of the six yard box. Penicuik were on top and looking to add another but with around twenty minutes to go Sauchie pulled one back. A free-kick on the left about thirty yards out was taken by Darren Petrie for centre half Stewart Houston to head home from close range. Penicuik continued to look comfortable although Thomas Cordery had to save with his feet to deny Sauchie substitute Carroll after defensive mix-up. The match ended with Penicuik winning 3-1 and gaining their first points as a senior side albeit in the East of Scotland League Cup qualifying rather than the League.
After the game I caught a 37 bus back to town, getting off at Kaimes Crossroads and changing on to an 11 to get home
Penicuik: Cordery, Forbes, Baptie, Young, Williams, Connolly, McCrory-Irving, Jones, McIntosh, Somerville, Ponton.
Subs: Barr, Sampson,
Sauchie: Dolan, McKeown, Finlayson, Cross, Houston, Gunn, Millar, White, Cummings, Petrie, Wells.
Subs: Carroll, Ogilvie, Bruce
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