16th March 2018 The Spartans v Cumbernauld Colts 5-0

First game I have been to for some time as I tripped and fell in the street. I went to the hospital to find I had fractured both elbows. Thankfully they were green stick fractures and will heal naturally over 3-6 weeks. Been four weeks since it happened and have found some things very difficult, like opening bottles of wine. Last time I had a fracture as when I was at school and played in goals at football. A player shot from the edge of the six yard box and I dived up and backwards and tipped it over the bar. Unfortunately I tipped it over with wrist rather than hand and fractured my wrist. I ended up in hospital and wrist was put in plaster. It meant I missed Tommy Murray's debut for Hearts in a 4-1 win over Dunfermline at East End Park. It also meant I avoided being a goalie in the future !

Because of my injuries I got a bus to Ainslie Park and met Alex and Jim in the cafe/bar. There was a bigger crowd than usual for the game tonight. Firstly because it was on a Friday night and none of the other Edinburgh sides were playing and secondly because tomorrow is the East of Scotland League Groundhoppers day. This allows fans to attend a number of EoS League games on the same day due to staggered kick-offs and the programme tomorrow is Burntisland, Kelty, Heriot Watt and Lothian Thistle. Unfortunately the Lothian Thistle game has already been called of due to the state of the Saughton pitch. However some fans who have come up from England are planning to go and see Tweedmouth on the Sunday on their way home.

Spartans suffered a blow before the kick-off with David Greenhill feeling unwell during the warm-up. Blair Atkinson stepped up from the bench to replace him in the side. Cumbernauld currently sit seventh in the Lowland League but have had good results against the top sides and a close game was anticipated.

Spartans had the ball in the net early on but Guillermo Lamarca's effort was ruled off for offside. Spartans continued to press forward and Alan Brown opened the scoring midway through the first half. 'Hovie' hit a shot from twenty-five yards which deflected off a defender and flew over the Cumbernauld keeper to give Spartans a deserved lead. Willie Bremner then had a headed goal again ruled off for offside before the break.

Shortly after that start of the second half Spartans got a second when Atkinson had a run down the left cut into the box and curled a shot past the Cumbernauld keeper into the far corner of the net. Spartans were well on top now and Blair Carswell in goal had little to do. The third goal came from a free kick thirty yards out. Craig Stevenson's shot hit the bar and bounced back to Jamie Dishington on the six yard line who headed home number three. Midway through the half Guillermo Lamarca held the ball up well inside the box and with a  good touch, opened up an opportunity for Atkinson to unleash an unstoppable drive past the keeper. With four minutes left ,Lamarca was rewarded for his efforts with a goal of his own.  Collecting the ball out on the edge of the box, he looked up before sending his shot flying past Fallon.

A comprehensive win for Spartans and on Twitter Cumbernauld responded by saying Spartans were the best side they had played this season.Walked along to Crewe Toll after the match and caught a bus to Princes Street then a 30 home.

Teams

The Spartans: Carswell. Herd, Stevenson, Tolmie, Corbett, Aitkinson, Brown, Dishington, Lamarca, Bremner, Maxwell

Subs: Stevens, Khutsishvili, Thomson.

Cumbernauld Colts: Fallon, Kerr, Fergus, Davidson, Piscasso, Eadie, Murray, Marshall. Brown, Ferguson, Wallace.

Subs: McKenzie, Nash, McMillan.