24th May 2019 Tranent v Crossgates Primrose 2-2 (Tranent won 6-5 on penalties)
Tomorrow is the big day with the Scottish Cup Final, however I decided to go to Tranent tonight as the starter before the main course tomorrow. This was a first for both Tranent and Crossgates with both being in their first Senior cup semi-final since moving up from the ranks of Junior football. The King Cup is traditionally the last tournament of the season in East of Scotland football and the winners of tonights game will meet Linlithgow or Bonnyrigg in the final next Saturday. If Crossgates win it could be a floral final with the Rose (Bonnyrigg or Linlithgow) against the Primrose (Crossgates). Left the house at around 17.15 and caught a 113 bus out to Tranent at the West End. A little tip for readers, if you are going to Tranent by public transport take a 104 rather than a 113. The 113 takes a circuitous route through Edinburgh before going to both Musselburgh and Wallyford prior to Tranent. Arrived at Tranent at 18.40 and paid my £6 admission. No programmes or team sheets but I managed to find the line-ups on Twitter. I have never seen Crossgates play before although I have seen Tranent a couple of times already this season.
The game started with Tranent having most of the possession but Crossgates fashioned the first chance after seven minutes. Centre-forward Scott Lawrie flicked on a long ball to Dave Allan. However the winger fired high over from just inside the penalty box. Just after the fifteen minute mark Grant Nelson of Tranent was fouled outside the penalty box. Ian Black and Steven Rutherford stood over the ball. Rutherford tried a shot which was pushed away by Crossgates keeper Grant Henderson. The ball fell to Bradley Barrett after another couple of passes but from about twelve yards out he fired high over the bar. Crossgates went ahead after twenty three minutes. Darren Aitken collected a ball on the edge of the box facing away from goal. He was allowed to turn and fired home a shot into the left hand corner of "Sinky" Inglis' net. The keeper seemed to be slow to react to what was not a strongly hit shot but I think his view was blocked by his defenders. Centre-back Dean Whitson tried a run from his own half and flicked the ball onto Barrett just outside the penalty box on the left. The wingers shot was tipped over the bar by keeper Henderson. Crossgates went two nil up after thirty three minutes. A Crossgates attack broke down and Black tried a pass into the centre of the field from the right hand side of the Tranent half. His attempt flew straight to Allan around twenty five yards from goal and he curled the ball into the top corner giving Inglis no chance. Tranent continued to press forward and in one move both Bob Berry and then Jamie Devlin had shots blocked by the Croosgates defenders. Just before half-time a lovely pass from Devlin just inside the Tranent half sent Barrett running through on goal. Henderson rushed from his line and dived to block the wingers shot before his defence cleared the ball. However as the clock moved to the forty-five minute mark Rutherford sent a good cross into the box from the left. Ben Miller was fouled as he jumped for the ball and the referee awarded a penalty as the midfielder fell to the ground. Grant Nelson made no mistake from the spot firing the ball past the diving Henderson into the left hand corner of the net.
The second half started with a bad foul by Miller on Crossgates' full-back Kyle Brand on the Tranent right just outside the Crossgates' penalty box. The referee booked Miller when it could have easily been a red card for dangerous play. About ten minutes into the half Whitson tried a pass-back to Inglis from about thirty-five yards out. The ball flew high towards the keeper just outside the six yard box and he was forced to touch the ball over his bar. The referee awarded an indirect free kick to Crossgates as the keeper had handled the passbook. With the Tranent wall standing on the goal-line centre forward Lawrie tried a shot from about eight yards out after Aitken knocked the ball back to him. The Tranent wall rushed from the line and blocked the ball to avert the danger. After about twenty minutes Craig Reid fired in a low cross from the right of the Crossgates' penalty box. Miller dived to try and head the ball home but was unable to stretch far enough to meet the cross. Half way through the second half Miller hit a long ball towards Devlin who beat the offside trap. Henderson rushed from his line but Devlin hit a low shot past him into the net for the equaliser. After half an hour Nelson had a shot blocked by the Crossgates' defence. The ball rebounded to Miller but his shot was high over the bar. Tranent had the best of the rest of the game but the match ended two gaols each and thus went into extra time.
Despite both sides using three substitutes and Tranent contiuing to press forward there was little goal mouth action during the extra period. In the first half Tranent substitute Mark McGovern shot wide from about eight yards when the ball rebounded to him after two earlier shots had been blocked. Then in the second half Crossgates had a chance to win the game when substitute Sami Mitchell ran through on goal unopposed. He tried a shot from about fifteen yards but fired wide. The game moved into a penalty kick decider. I checked my phone and found that a 104 bus back to Edinburgh was due in two minutes so I decided to leave to get home. I saw later on Twitter that Tranent won the shootout six to five with Inglis saving the last penalty after the shoot out went to sudden death.
I caught the 104 and was back in Princes Street just after 10.00pm. I walked to Hanover Street and caught a 27 home arriving around 10.20 after watching a good cuptie which neither side deserved to lose.
The game started with Tranent having most of the possession but Crossgates fashioned the first chance after seven minutes. Centre-forward Scott Lawrie flicked on a long ball to Dave Allan. However the winger fired high over from just inside the penalty box. Just after the fifteen minute mark Grant Nelson of Tranent was fouled outside the penalty box. Ian Black and Steven Rutherford stood over the ball. Rutherford tried a shot which was pushed away by Crossgates keeper Grant Henderson. The ball fell to Bradley Barrett after another couple of passes but from about twelve yards out he fired high over the bar. Crossgates went ahead after twenty three minutes. Darren Aitken collected a ball on the edge of the box facing away from goal. He was allowed to turn and fired home a shot into the left hand corner of "Sinky" Inglis' net. The keeper seemed to be slow to react to what was not a strongly hit shot but I think his view was blocked by his defenders. Centre-back Dean Whitson tried a run from his own half and flicked the ball onto Barrett just outside the penalty box on the left. The wingers shot was tipped over the bar by keeper Henderson. Crossgates went two nil up after thirty three minutes. A Crossgates attack broke down and Black tried a pass into the centre of the field from the right hand side of the Tranent half. His attempt flew straight to Allan around twenty five yards from goal and he curled the ball into the top corner giving Inglis no chance. Tranent continued to press forward and in one move both Bob Berry and then Jamie Devlin had shots blocked by the Croosgates defenders. Just before half-time a lovely pass from Devlin just inside the Tranent half sent Barrett running through on goal. Henderson rushed from his line and dived to block the wingers shot before his defence cleared the ball. However as the clock moved to the forty-five minute mark Rutherford sent a good cross into the box from the left. Ben Miller was fouled as he jumped for the ball and the referee awarded a penalty as the midfielder fell to the ground. Grant Nelson made no mistake from the spot firing the ball past the diving Henderson into the left hand corner of the net.
The second half started with a bad foul by Miller on Crossgates' full-back Kyle Brand on the Tranent right just outside the Crossgates' penalty box. The referee booked Miller when it could have easily been a red card for dangerous play. About ten minutes into the half Whitson tried a pass-back to Inglis from about thirty-five yards out. The ball flew high towards the keeper just outside the six yard box and he was forced to touch the ball over his bar. The referee awarded an indirect free kick to Crossgates as the keeper had handled the passbook. With the Tranent wall standing on the goal-line centre forward Lawrie tried a shot from about eight yards out after Aitken knocked the ball back to him. The Tranent wall rushed from the line and blocked the ball to avert the danger. After about twenty minutes Craig Reid fired in a low cross from the right of the Crossgates' penalty box. Miller dived to try and head the ball home but was unable to stretch far enough to meet the cross. Half way through the second half Miller hit a long ball towards Devlin who beat the offside trap. Henderson rushed from his line but Devlin hit a low shot past him into the net for the equaliser. After half an hour Nelson had a shot blocked by the Crossgates' defence. The ball rebounded to Miller but his shot was high over the bar. Tranent had the best of the rest of the game but the match ended two gaols each and thus went into extra time.
Despite both sides using three substitutes and Tranent contiuing to press forward there was little goal mouth action during the extra period. In the first half Tranent substitute Mark McGovern shot wide from about eight yards when the ball rebounded to him after two earlier shots had been blocked. Then in the second half Crossgates had a chance to win the game when substitute Sami Mitchell ran through on goal unopposed. He tried a shot from about fifteen yards but fired wide. The game moved into a penalty kick decider. I checked my phone and found that a 104 bus back to Edinburgh was due in two minutes so I decided to leave to get home. I saw later on Twitter that Tranent won the shootout six to five with Inglis saving the last penalty after the shoot out went to sudden death.
I caught the 104 and was back in Princes Street just after 10.00pm. I walked to Hanover Street and caught a 27 home arriving around 10.20 after watching a good cuptie which neither side deserved to lose.
Teams
Tranent: Sinclair, Reid, Rutherford, Whitson, McKenzie, Miller, Berry, Black, Devlin, Nelson, Barrett.
Subs: Gray, McGovern, Christie.
Crossgtes Primrose: Henderson, Swan, Brand, Nutt, Ross, Moffat, Allan, McDonald, Lawrie, Aitken, McAteer.
Subs: Campbell, Mitchell, Shaw.
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