25th July 2017 Edinburgh City v Motherwell 1-2



Another game at Ainslie Park and again I walked to the ground. £12 for admission, as with the Berwick game, but I did not grudge paying so much as City were playing a Premier League side. Given this was likely to be City’s biggest game since they joined the SPFL I left early and walked to the ground arriving at about 7.20 for the 7.45 kick-off. Met Alex at the ground and we were later joined by Jim and Anton. I have known Alex for over 40 years since he was moved by RBS from Dumfries to the branch I worked at in Edinburgh, Drumsheugh. Alex is a Queen of the South fan but when Queens are not playing he goes to watching any game he can. He is also fanatical about railways and German football and takes rail holidays to watch games in Germany. Jim I have known for about two years and he is a former Meadowbank Thistle fan who now follows Inverness Caley Thistle. He also goes to other games when he cannot watch ICT and also goes to games all over the world.  Jim has written about his travels for football magazines. Anton is a Celtic fan who worked with Alex and I met him for the first time at this game.

It is strange being at an Edinburgh City match at Ainslie Park. When Spartans play the cafe/bar is open to all and if you want you can have a pint before or after the game. However due to SPFL rules the cafe/bar is closed to the general public for Edinburgh City matches. Also at Spartans matches you can stand anywhere in the ground including the grassy areas behind the goals and the dugouts. Again due to SPFL rules these areas are closed for City matches.

The game itself was good. Motherwell had all the pressure in the first half and missed a number of good chances. Calum Antell kept City in the game with some good saves and the game remained scoreless at halftime. Motherwell made two substitutions at halftime and continued to press forward in the second half. The grassy area behind the goal Motherwell  were attacking was opened by the Stewards at halftime to reduce congestion in the seated area and a number of Motherwell fans moved to that area.  However after about 70 minutes Ashley Grimes chased a long ball from Josh Walker and after holding of a defender shot low into the net from just outside the box to give City the lead. Thoughts of a giant killing act were dashed shortly thereafter when substitute Chris Cadden, a Hearts target during the summer, squeezed in the equaliser from six yards. City were holding out however and with a penalty shootout looming Motherwell finally got a winner in 88 minutes when Elliot Frear shot home after Antell pushed out a shot. City probably deserved a draw after a heroic defensive performance but the crowd of 970 enjoyed a good contest.

I walked part of the way along Ferry Road with Alex and then got a bus home. I switched on BBC Sport on my phone when I got on the bus and was horrified to learn Hearts had been defeated 2-1 at Peterhead by a last minute penalty. I have seen Hearts being the victim of a few giant killing acts over the years, Forfar and Montrose spring to mind, but this must have been the worst yet. Ian Cathro’s jacket must be on a 'shoogly peg' now !

Teams
City; Antell, Caddow, Harrison, Verlaque, Mackie, Thomson, Walker, Laird, Olanrewaju, Grimes, Allan.
Subs: Beattie, Day, McClung

Motherwell: Carson, McMillan, Kipre, McManus, Dunne, McLean, McHugh, Rose, Frear, Fisher, Bowman.
Subs: Cadden, Tanner, Bigirimana

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