2nd August 2017 Civil Service Strollers v The Spartans 1-2



Yesterday Craig Levein, Hearts’ Director of Football, confirmed that Head Coach Ian Cathro, will leave the Club with immediate effect. Interestingly Austin McPhee, Assistant Head Coach, remains at the club although Under-20s coach Jon Daly will take responsibility for the first team until a new Head Coach is appointed. A number of names are already in the frame including Paul Hartley and Steven Pressley both ex-players with the club. With the first League match coming up on Saturday an early appointment would seem appropriate.

Off to see The Spartans for first time this season playing at their near neighbours Civil Service Strollers (CSS) in a Lowland League match. CSS were in the East of Scotland League but moved up to the Lowland League last season and finished mid-table. They play at Christie Gillies Park which is off Marine Drive in North Edinburgh. Last season I went to see CSS play Whitehall Welfare and thought the ground was at the Silverknowes end of Marine Drive near the golf club. I can exclusively reveal that it is at the other end of Marine Drive and I had a long walk round three sides of a rectangle before arriving at the ground. This time I was more astute and checked which buses went closest to the ground and caught a 27 from Tollcross. Having sent a number of years living in Oxgangs I still felt a degree of apprehension getting off a bus in West Pilton but arrived at the ground safely.

Having paid my £5 admission charge I entered the ground and bought a £1 programme. the ground is compact with a metal fence round the pitch and a small seated area under a metallic shed on the halfway line. The remainder of the ground is a grassy standing area. I met Jim in the ground. Alex was meant to be coming as well but he texted me in the afternoon to say he was going to watch Lothian Thistle Hutchinson Vale.  Can you imagine the fans chanting “give us an L, give us a O’ at the start of a game. They would still be going through the chant at halftime. Alex probably made a good choice as LTHV won 13-0 against Burntisland Shipyard at Laughton Enclosure!

Spartans started with two new signings in the line-up. Ian McFarland and Ross Guthrie were both signed after being released by Edinburgh City. Ross Allum was another ex-City player in the line-up having been signed by Spartans in January 2017. 

The first half started off with Spartans on top but CSS came into the game as the half progressed. Despite a lot of effort neither keeper had a difficult save to make and the game remained 0-0 at halftime. Early in the second half Spartans were awarded a penalty after David Greenhill was sandwiched in the box. Ross Allum took the kick and slammed the ball into the top corner of the net. Around ten minutes later CSS equalised through Steven Froude with a low shot after a neat through pass. Spartans continued to press and won the game with a close-in David Greenhill shot after a scramble in the box. CSS continued to search for an equaliser but Spartans held out for a victory.

After the game I walked up to the top of the road and caught a 16 bus home. Despite my initial apprehension I got home safely.

TEAMS
CCS: Burnside, Newall, Fee, Verth, Watson, Cunningham, Stewart, Ballantyne, Froude, Downie, Boggie
Subs: Not announced
The Spartans : Carswell, Herd, Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson, Brown, Dishington, Greenhill, Allum, McFarland, Guthrie.
Subs: Bremner, Wilson, Khutshisvili

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