29th June 2019 Edinburgh City v St Johnstone 2-0
Thirty-four days since the last match of season 2018-2019 and today I am attending my first match of the new season. Edinburgh City are now entering the final year of their agreement with Spartans to use Ainslie Park as their home ground. While City will use Ainslie Park for competitive matches Spartans have precedence for other games. As Spartans have a friendly today City have arranged to play this match at the Oriam Centre at Heriot-Watt University. Left the house at 13.30 after lunch and walking the dog and walked along the canal bank to Slateford. At Slateford station I caught a 34 bus out to the Heriot-Watt campus at Riccarton. As I arrived at Riccarton at 14.30 I got of the bus at the Park and Ride and walked from there to the ground arriving around fifteen minutes before the kickoff. I met John in the ground and we sat together to watch the match.
City had a good season last year and reached the play-offs after topping the League for most of the season. Unfortunately they lost out to Clyde in the play-offs who went on to win the promotion slot to League One for this season. During the close season City let several out of contract players leave - Brad Donaldson (who has joined Tranent), Gareth Rodger (Sirling Albion) and Danny Galbraith (Gala Fairydean). They have however brought in several players who were out of contract with their previous clubs - Alex Harris (York City), Jordan Sinclair (Brechin), Chris Kane (East Fife), Johnny Court (East Fife) and Callum Crane (Livingston). The remainder of last seasons squad including thirty-eight goal top scorer have all signed contract extensions to remain at City. Blair Henderson and John Dunn however were not included in todays squad a sthey are still recovering from injury. I knew nothing about the St. Jonstone side as none of the first team squad were included in the line-up.
The game started in blazing sunshine with City doing most of the attacking and having the bulk of possession. They took the lead after just before the fifteen minute mark. Walker, McIntyre and Crane combined well on the left hand side of the park and the ball eventually found its way to Crane just inside the penalty box. He squared the ball to Harris, twelve yards out in the centre of the goal, and he shot low past the keeper to open the scoring. After twenty-five minutes City were awarded a free kick for a foul on Craig Thomson just inside the St Johnstone half. Before the kick was taken the referee stopped play to allow the players to have a water break in view of the exceptionally warm. City scored a second after half an hour. The ball found its way to Sinclair on the right just inside the Saints half. He hit a wonderful pass into the penalty box. Johnny Court won a race with a Saints defender and from about ten yards out squeezed the ball into the far corner of the net beyond the keeper.
The second half started with City bringing on five substitutes. Players coming on included last season regulars Liam Henderson, Marc Laird and Scott Shepherd. Substitutes were a regular feature of the second half with City using a further four U20 players and Saints also bringing on a number of players. Just after the start of the second half the heavens opened with a torrential thunderstorm which lasted for about five minutes. A further thunderstorm occurred later in the half with rain bouncing off the pitch. The rainfall made sure the first half water break was not repeated. To be honest not a lot happened in the second half. City were in control although Saints had a couple of chances with their numbers nine and ten both looking good players, however Adamson in the City goal was not seriously tested. City's main threat came from Shepherds' pace and he had a couple of good runs down the left although his team-mates could not keep up with him and his final ball into the box was wasted. Shepherd had good chance himself when the ball came to him eight yards out following a corner. The ball however stuck under his feet and the defence was able to clear. Allan Smith was clearly taken out by a defender as he ran towards the byeline. The ball bounced off Smith and went behind for the referee to award City a corner when the decision should have been a free-kick.
After the match ended I walked down to the Avenue and caught a 34 bus back home. I arrived home around 17.20 in time to tae the dog out for a walk. First game of the new season and hopefully a lot more to come.
Teams
Edinburgh City; Anderson, Thomson, McIntyre, Shaw, Kane, Walker, Sinclair, Harris, Court, Crane, Smith.
Subs: L.Henderson, Laird, Shepherd, Watson, Duncan, MacDonald, Rea, Beveridge, Lumsden.
St. Johnstone: TBC
I attended the Edinburgh City v Dunfermline game a few weeks later and the match programme included a report on this game. The report stated - 'Not sure if there was even a first team player in the Perth squad, as the line-up doesn't seem to have been published anywhere'. I don't think there were any first team players playing but cannot confirm.
City had a good season last year and reached the play-offs after topping the League for most of the season. Unfortunately they lost out to Clyde in the play-offs who went on to win the promotion slot to League One for this season. During the close season City let several out of contract players leave - Brad Donaldson (who has joined Tranent), Gareth Rodger (Sirling Albion) and Danny Galbraith (Gala Fairydean). They have however brought in several players who were out of contract with their previous clubs - Alex Harris (York City), Jordan Sinclair (Brechin), Chris Kane (East Fife), Johnny Court (East Fife) and Callum Crane (Livingston). The remainder of last seasons squad including thirty-eight goal top scorer have all signed contract extensions to remain at City. Blair Henderson and John Dunn however were not included in todays squad a sthey are still recovering from injury. I knew nothing about the St. Jonstone side as none of the first team squad were included in the line-up.
The game started in blazing sunshine with City doing most of the attacking and having the bulk of possession. They took the lead after just before the fifteen minute mark. Walker, McIntyre and Crane combined well on the left hand side of the park and the ball eventually found its way to Crane just inside the penalty box. He squared the ball to Harris, twelve yards out in the centre of the goal, and he shot low past the keeper to open the scoring. After twenty-five minutes City were awarded a free kick for a foul on Craig Thomson just inside the St Johnstone half. Before the kick was taken the referee stopped play to allow the players to have a water break in view of the exceptionally warm. City scored a second after half an hour. The ball found its way to Sinclair on the right just inside the Saints half. He hit a wonderful pass into the penalty box. Johnny Court won a race with a Saints defender and from about ten yards out squeezed the ball into the far corner of the net beyond the keeper.
The second half started with City bringing on five substitutes. Players coming on included last season regulars Liam Henderson, Marc Laird and Scott Shepherd. Substitutes were a regular feature of the second half with City using a further four U20 players and Saints also bringing on a number of players. Just after the start of the second half the heavens opened with a torrential thunderstorm which lasted for about five minutes. A further thunderstorm occurred later in the half with rain bouncing off the pitch. The rainfall made sure the first half water break was not repeated. To be honest not a lot happened in the second half. City were in control although Saints had a couple of chances with their numbers nine and ten both looking good players, however Adamson in the City goal was not seriously tested. City's main threat came from Shepherds' pace and he had a couple of good runs down the left although his team-mates could not keep up with him and his final ball into the box was wasted. Shepherd had good chance himself when the ball came to him eight yards out following a corner. The ball however stuck under his feet and the defence was able to clear. Allan Smith was clearly taken out by a defender as he ran towards the byeline. The ball bounced off Smith and went behind for the referee to award City a corner when the decision should have been a free-kick.
After the match ended I walked down to the Avenue and caught a 34 bus back home. I arrived home around 17.20 in time to tae the dog out for a walk. First game of the new season and hopefully a lot more to come.
Teams
Edinburgh City; Anderson, Thomson, McIntyre, Shaw, Kane, Walker, Sinclair, Harris, Court, Crane, Smith.
Subs: L.Henderson, Laird, Shepherd, Watson, Duncan, MacDonald, Rea, Beveridge, Lumsden.
St. Johnstone: TBC
I attended the Edinburgh City v Dunfermline game a few weeks later and the match programme included a report on this game. The report stated - 'Not sure if there was even a first team player in the Perth squad, as the line-up doesn't seem to have been published anywhere'. I don't think there were any first team players playing but cannot confirm.
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