27th August 2019 Edinburgh University v Berwick Rangers 0-1

After being at Meggetland in the afternoon I decided to head to Peffermill for Edinburgh University's Lowland League match against Berwick Rangers win the evening. Alex had texted me while I was at Meggetland and asked if I was going. He had thought about heading to Kelty v Spartans but had decided to stay and watch a local match. After having something to eat I left home to catch the 18.30 number 30 bus to Peffermill. The journey normally takes around forty-five minutes but with the Edinburgh Festival having finished yesterday the roads and the buses were quiet and it looked as if the bus was ahead of the timetable. As I did not want to arrive too early I got off the bus at Prestonfield and walked along Prestonfield Avenue then Peffermill Road to arrive at the ground at 19.15. After paying my £6 admission and £1 for a programme I got a shock when I entered the ground as there was a van parked behind the stand selling drinks and snacks. One of the joys of visiting Peffermill is the tea-bar which serves decent coffee and tea along with a selection of home baked cake and scones in addition to savouries. Thankfully the van was in addition to the tea-bar and not i replacement. I purchased a coffee and a slice of delicious carrot cake for £1.80 and sat in the tea-bar waiting for Alex. He arrived shortly after me and opted for a scone with cream rather than the carrot cake and we sat and had a chat about football while waiting for the teams to emerge from the changing rooms. I recently downloaded the Grounghopper app, were you can record matches you have attended,  after seeing Alex use it and he updated me on some of the features. We went out five minutes before the kickoff and after checking in the stand to see if anyone else we knew was there took position at the perimeter fence for the kick-off.

Edinburgh University have been members of the Lowland League since it was founded in 2014 and generally start the season slowly. This is because at the start of the season all students have not returned to the university and while the club constitution permits them to field a number of non-university players their choice is somewhat limited until all students are on campus. So far this season the students have only won one league game, against Vale of Leithen, but will hopefully see an upturn in form as the season progresses. There star man is midfielder Finn Daniels-Yeoman who I did hear described as " the University Beckenbauer" last season. Berwick Rangers were in the SPFL last season but finished bottom and lost their League status after defeat from Cove Rangers in the play-off. The 'wee Rangers' have lost a number of last seasons squad and are trying to build a new side from players who have experience of the lower leagues. Thus far they have not won a league match, although they have only played two matches, but have been successful in two cup ties. Berwick fielded Mark Walters as a trialist in goal, the keeper having previously been with Coldstream.  

The game started much a expected with Berwick doing most of the attacking. Lewis Barr, who previously played for Penicuik, looked effective on the right and put a couple of dangerous crosses into the box but Daryl Healy and Grant Rose were unable to take advantage. The first clear chance came after fifteen minutes when Euan Smith had a shot from the edge of the penalty area which Ross McGuire attempted to block. The ball however hit his arm as he dived to block the shot and the referee awarded a penalty. Healy stepped up to take the kick and sent Kieran McDougall in the University goal the wrong way. The ball rebounded of the keepers left hand post and bounced away to safety. Kevin Waugh, formerly with Hibs, was playing at left-back but had little defending to occupy him and was making good ground on the overlap sending dangerous balls into the box. McGuire and his fellow central defender Stuart McFarlane were playing well for the University and keeping the ball away from the Berwick forwards. The University's only real chance in the first half came when Mark Waters shot past the post from just outside the Berwick penalty area.

The second half was generally more of the same with Berwick having the bulk of the possession but unable to create any clear chances. Just after the hour mark Berwick took off striker Healy and brought on Yaw Osei. He made an immediate impact and after sixty-four minutes raced onto a through ball and into the penalty area. He took the ball round the diving goalkeeper McDougall and slotted the ball home with a low strike. Ten minutes later he tried a similar move but this time McDougall got down to block his shot as the forward entered the penalty box. The University side tried hard in the last ten minutes for an equaliser but other than a half-hearted appeal for a penalty when Sinclair went down in the penalty box did not trouble the Berwick defence. Daniel Purves came on as a substitute and there was an interesting clash as he faced up directly to his twin brother Jordan who was playing for the University. I think Jordan came out on top as he was making a number of breaks upfield from his left-back position. The substitute however did have a good run into the box with couple of minutes to go but his low cross was blazed over the bar by Rose from about eight yards out in the centre of the goal.

The game ended 1-0 to Berwick and Alex and I left the ground and headed for the bus-stop in Peffermill Road. A 30 arrived in a few minutes and we both got on. Alex got off in Princes Street to connect with another bus home to Leith while I continued home and arrived back around 10.15.

Teams
Edinburgh University: MacDougall, Murray, Purves, McGuire, McFarlane, Daniels-Yeoman, Sinclair, M. Waters, R. Watters, Baird, Maurice
Subs: Kemp, McBeth, Maskery
Berwick Rangers: Walters, Brian, Waugh, Cook, Miller, E. Smith, Barr, Forster, Healy, Rose, Lumsden.
Subs: Osei, Purves, A.Smith