3rd November 2018 Penicuik Athletic v Hawick Royal Albert. 3-1


I had thought about going to Parkhead for the Hearts game. However the thought of paying £28 for a restricted view and spending most of the game dodging items thrown by Celtic fans, which stewards and police ignore, put me of going. Instead decided to go and watch Penicuik. Caught a 47 bus at 13.20 and arrived at the ground around 14.15 with kickoff at 14.30. £6 admission charge and £1.50 for programme represented good value.

Penicuik are currently top of the East of Scotland League Conference A. The winners of the three conferences A,B and C will play-off for the overall championship and a move up the SFA ladder into the Lowland League. The top five in each conference will form a EoS League 1 next season while the other teams will form League 2. I was a bit surprised that Penicuik started with second top goalscorer Aaron Somerville on the bench. Hawick are currently in seventh place in the table having been bottom in September but are now in a good run of form.

Penicuik started the game well and Wayne McIntosh forced a good save from Hawick keeper Craig Saunders, although from an offside position, before Jones hit the post after a run and a drive from the edge of the box. Hawick however opened the scoring in fourteen minutes when a long ball from Tam Wyman found Josh Neill racing in behind the Penicuik defence. Keeper Thomas Cordery hesitated before rushing out to meet the forward. However Neill took the ball round the keeper and shot into the empty net. Penicuik equalised minutes later when Lumbert Katelaza ran onto a pass from McIntosh about ten yards out. A Hawick defender tried to clear the ball but he hit it off Katelaza and into the net. Katelaza claimed the goal although I don't think he knew too much about it. Three minutes later Penicuik went ahead when McIntosh broke into the penalty box, sidestepped keeper Saunders and passed the ball into the far corner of the net. Despite almost constant Penicuik pressure the score remained 2-1 at halftime. 

Minutes after the second half began Penicuik brought on Somerville for McIntosh. I can only assume this was due to an injury as McIntosh had looked threatening throughout the game. After fifty-three minutes Penicuik lost centre half Gary Hamilton after he received a red card. He pulled back Neill on the right outside the penalty box and after consulting his linesman on that side the referee produced a red card for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. I was not in agreement with the referees decision given the offence took place outside the penalty box near the touchline and Craig Hume was in the penalty box covering. Hamilton was clearly not happy as he trudged off shouting to spectators that it was "a f****** awful decision!". Penicuik continued to dominate despite being down to ten men and keeper Saunders made a number of good saves. However in the sixty-fifth minute Somerville picked up a pass on the right hand side of the penalty box and shot across the keeper into the net. As the game ran down Penicuik were in control with Jones and Somerville both hitting the woodwork. Hawick looked dangerous on the break but lacked support for Neill up front. In injury time Saunders excelled himself with a brilliant save from a Somerville header. The ball looked like it was going in at the post but the keeper dived across and pushed the ball round the post. A bit like Gordon Banks against Pele in the 1970 World Cup. 

After the game I caught an X62 to Kaimes crossroads and then an eleven home. After catching the Hearts result (0-5) on bus home I was glad I had not gone to Parkhead however I was home in time to watch Arsenal v Liverpool on BT Sport.

Teams
Penicuik; Cordery, Forbes, Baptie, Hume, Hamilton, Barr, McCrory-Irving, Jones, McIntosh, Kateleza, Ponton.
Subs: Somerville, MacDonald
Hawick: Saunders, Lloyd, Pacitti, Cunningham, Savickas, Murphy, Turey, Wayman, Neill, O"Brien, Watson.
Subs: Knox, Kerr

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