19th August 2017 The Spartans v Dalbeattie Star 3-2


Another Saturday and another game at Ainslie Park. Hearts were playing Rangers at Ibrox and the fans there are just like those at Parkhead and get away with murder from both stewards and police. Last time I was there Hearts fans were held back in the ground in an effort to prevent trouble. This however did not stop Rangers fans throwing coins, spitting and hurling abuse at Hearts fans in the lower half of the stand as they left the ground. Surprise, surprise the stewards did nothing to stop this.

Walked down to Ainslie Park and sat in stand to watch Spartans take on Dalbeattie Star. Alex was brought up in Dalbeattie and Star are therefore his hometown team however today is is watching his favourite side, Queen of the South, who are at home to Dumbarton. I have been to Dalbeattie but never seen the Star before. They finished fifth in the Lowland League last season just missing out on a place in the Irn-Bru Cup and beat Spartans in both their league matches last season so it should be a good game.

Spartans started the match well and forced some saves from the Dalbeattie keeper. However after about half an hour Liam Park, who looked a good player, put Dalbeattie ahead from close in after a cutback from the right side of the penalty box. Just before halftime Spartans equalised with a penalty from Scott Maxwell after David Greenhill was tripped in the box. 

I took at walk round the ground at halftime and met Jim on the far side of the park. He had texted Alex saying he was watching his home side today. Alex replied 'where are you at ?', when Jim replied 'Spartans', Alex then responded 'who are they playing ?' Jim had counted the crowd and reckoned attendance was 96 although this included at least four Dalbeattie fans who had made the long journey to Edinburgh.

The second half was mostly Spartans who took the lead from a wind assisted cross from the right which was fired home by Scott Wilson. Just after I said that Dalbeattie had never looked like scoring in the second half a speculative pass into the Spartans penalty box was deflected past his own keeper by Adam Corbett. Deep into injury time Jamie Dishington found Alan “Hovie” Brown on he edge of the Dalbeattie penalty box and he stroked the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area for a Spartans victory. 'Don’t say Brown say Hovie' to paraphrase the old TV advert.

I walked back from the ground to Crewe Toll and caught a 24 bus to Lothian Road and then walked home.

Teams
The Spartans: Stobie, Herd, Brown, Tolmie, Corbett, Greenhill, Dishington, McFarland, Wilson, Guthrie, Maxwell
Subs:Stevenson, Bremner, Atkinson,
Dalbeattie Star: Parker, Wilson, Thorburn, Todd, Cameron, Baty, McHarrie, Milligan, Muir, McKenna, Park
Subs:McColm, Degnan, Mason

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