19th October 2017 The Spartans v Ormiston 9-0

Another game at Ainslie Park. Spartans are playing Ormiston in the South Region Challenge Cup Round 2. The other ties in this competition are being played on Saturday but Edinburgh City are playing at Ainslie Park against Annan on that date so Spartans have to play on another date. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday 22nd but after Spartans got through in the Scottish Cup against Clachnacuddin on Saturday it was moved to tonight. 

Ormiston Football Club are a senior football club based in Ormiston, near Tranent, currently playing in the East of Scotland Football League, the league below Spartans. Ormiston play their home matches at Recreation Park, Ormiston. I have been there when Eammon played with Crammond and I was helping with coaching. It is the only juvenile game I have been to where coaches and substitutes had a dugout at the side of the pitch rather than standing at the side of the pitch. The pitch has moved since I was there but I understand is adjacent to the previous pitch. Ormiston have lost eight consecutive matches before tonight and the game should result in a Spartans victory. As usual I walked to the ground but by the time I got there it was beginning to rain heavily. My season ticket was valid but no programmes were issued although  got a team-sheet. I went to the cafe/bar for a coffee to warm up and then went to the stand where I met Alex. 

Spartans had made a number of changes to their side to give a game to some players who have been on the bench in recent matches and as expected proved a class above Ormiston. Rather than giving my full thoughts on the game I have just given some details on the goals with thanks to the Spartans website for keeping then in the right order !

1-0; Dachi Khutsishvili made a run from the right into the six yard box but Ormiston keeper Morgan McIntosh managed to knock his shot away. The ball went to an Ormiston defender who knocked it back towards his goal where Khutsishvili shot home past the grounded keeper from about two yards.

2-0: Craig Stevenson hammered a free-kick from twenty-five yards out into the top left hand corner. Grinchy scored a similar goal recently against Vale of Leithen.

3-0: Another goal from Khutsishvili after a pass from Ross Guthrie. This time he fired home from fifteen yards although I think the keeper was deceived by a slight deflection of a defender.

4-0: Khutsishvili and Guthrie combined to allow Guthrie to fire a twenty yard shot into the bottom corner. From where we were sitting it looked like a good goal for Guthrie who has not previously scored a competitive goal for Spartans. The stadium announcer agreed but after the game it was announced that Blair Atkinson had deflected the ball past the keeper.

5-0: Scott Wilson shot home from distance with the aid of a deflection of a defender.

6-0: Just before the halftime whistle Spartans won a free-kick outside the box which Scott Maxwell hammered past the keeper into the corner of the net.

7-0: Atkinson scored after racing onto a through ball at the edge of the box.

8-0: Adam Corbett headed home from an Atkinson cross.

9-0: Atkinson beat two defenders and shot into the corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty box.

In addition to the goals both sides hit the woodwork twice and Spartans had two goals ruled out for offside. The game was played in near monsoon conditions and both teams deserved credit for their efforts. If the game had been on a grass pitch I am not sure it would have finished.

After the game we walked out of the ground still with rain pouring down. I walked up to Ferry Road and stood in the bus shelter with number of other fans waiting for a 27 home. The bus did not have lights on the top deck and as the shelter was covered in rain no-one at the front could see it coming. The first I saw of the bus from the rear of the shelter was it flying past the stop and away down Ferry Road. Thankfully the rain had eased a bit by then so I walked to Crewe Toll and got a bus to Princes Street and another home.

Teams

The Spartans: Carswell, Corbett, Stevenson, Nixon, Thomson, Maxwell, Atkinson, Greenhill, Khutsisvili, Guthrie, Wilson

Subs: Herd, Brown, Allum

Ormiston; McIntosh, Fairnie, Cochrane, Rogers-Jones, Bathgate, Ballard, Stokes, Law, Doig, Nash, Heron.

Subs: Millard, Welsh, Jones