29th October 2019 Edinburgh City v Stenhousemuir 4-0
I was originally going to go and watch Dalkeith Thistle v Coldstream tonight. However Edinburgh City’s League fixture at Stenhousemuir which was postponed on Saturday, due to Stenhousemuir being involved in the Scottish Cup, was re-arranged for night and I decided to head to Ainslie Park. Left home at 18.15 and walked down to Ainslie Park. Again I stuck to walking through the streets rather than the wooded North Leith pathway given that the clocks had just changed and darkness had already fallen. Met Jim in the carpark outside the leisure centre and we entered the ground together. I got in for £6, after showing my Hearts season ticket, and then purchased the excellent programme for £3. After getting coffee we took up a position at the barrier nearest the goal at the cafe/bar end. When I loaded the match onto Groundhopper I found out this was the seventy-five match I had attended at Ainslie Park and the twenty-fifth time I had seen Edinburgh City play. Jim had been at the Penicuik v Stenhousemuir cuptie on Saturday, as I had given him my ticket as I was unable to go, and had updated me on the score as I was watching Hearts at Livingston. Given Penicuik won 3-0 and the Hearts game ended scoreless I think I made the wrong choice of match to attend. Jim did however get me a programme from Penicuik to act as a reminder of my wrong decision.
I had not seen City play since the Betfred Cup ties at the start of the season. They have had a good start to the league campaign and currently sit third in the table after nine matches. Above them are the two sides to have defeated them in in league matches. leaders Cove Rangers and second placed Cowdenbeath. Both defeats were away from home and City will be looking to beat both at Ainslie Park in the next round of fixtures to pull back the dropped points. Despite the good start City have been hit by a number of injuries and both, last seasons top scorer, Blair Henderson and, midfield player, John Dunn were only fit enough for the bench. Captain Josh Walker has been forced to retire after suffering a recurrent injury and keeper Callum Antell remains on the injured list. Antell has been replaced in goal by Rangers loanee Aidan McAdams who has only conceded four goals in his five appearances to date. Stenhousemuir looked a good side when I saw them narrowly defeated by Hearts earlier in the season but their form has been patchy. New manager Davie Irons appeared to have had an positive influence on the side but they slumped to a 3-0 Scottish Cup to Penicuik on Saturday and it will be interesting to see how they react to that set-back.
City started well and opened the scoring after eight minutes. Robbie McIntyre crossed from the left to beyond the far post where Aidan Wilson gathered the ball. He passed low back across the six yard box were Scott Shepherd prodded the ball past former Hibs keeper Graeme Smith. Three minutes later Conrad Balatoni added a second. Smith made an excellent save touching away a long range drive from Danny Handling for a corner. Jordan Sinclair’s corner kick went over the melee of players in the middle of the penalty area and fell to Balatoni about seven yards out. The stand-in skipper took the ball on the volley and shot high into the net giving Smith no chance. Things got worse for Stenny after twenty-three minutes when Alan Cook, who had been booked earlier in the match, dived into a challenge on Marc Laird on the halfway line. The tackle was powerful but high and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a free-kick to City then showing Cook a second yellow card and a subsequent red leaving Stenny with ten men for the remainder of the game. City were unable to build on their excellent start to the match although Alex Harris forced Smith into another excellent saving with powerful shot. The first half ended with City 2-0 ahead.
The second half continued with City pressing the deployed visitors and they went further ahead after fifty-six minutes. Handling had a shot tipped over the crossbar by Smith for a corner. Sinclair again took the kick and this time found Wilson leaping unchallenged around twelve yards from goal. His powerful header gave Smith no chance of stopping the ball as it flew into the top of the net. City scored a fourth after sixty-two minutes. This time Harris ran into the box with the ball on the left. He beat two defenders and then squared the ball past Smith to Handling who had an easy task to score in the empty net. City then appeared to ease up slightly and although having most of the play were unable to add to their lead. As the game drew to a close Sinclair was fouled by a strong challenge some thirty yards from goal. He got up angrily and expressed his displeasure to the Steeny defender. Sinclair was booked for his reposes to the challenge but despite City being awarded the free-kick no action was taken against the defender despite what looked like a dangerous challenge. The free-kick was cleared by the Stenny defence and the match ended an easy win for City.
After the game I walked along to the Crewe Toll roundabout and after a short sprint caught a 29 bus to Princes Street. I changed onto a 30 there and was home by 10.15, in time to take Rufus for his last walk of the day.
Teams
Edinburgh City: McAdams, McIntyre, Balatoni, Laird, Handling, Sinclair, Wilson, Kane, Shepherd, L. Henderson, Harris.
Subs: Smith, Brown, Court.
Stenhousemuir: Smith, O'Neil, Marsh, Halleran, McGuigan, Hopkirk, Cook, McLaughlin, M. Munro, A. Munro, Gibson
Subs: Scullion, McBride, Potter.
I had not seen City play since the Betfred Cup ties at the start of the season. They have had a good start to the league campaign and currently sit third in the table after nine matches. Above them are the two sides to have defeated them in in league matches. leaders Cove Rangers and second placed Cowdenbeath. Both defeats were away from home and City will be looking to beat both at Ainslie Park in the next round of fixtures to pull back the dropped points. Despite the good start City have been hit by a number of injuries and both, last seasons top scorer, Blair Henderson and, midfield player, John Dunn were only fit enough for the bench. Captain Josh Walker has been forced to retire after suffering a recurrent injury and keeper Callum Antell remains on the injured list. Antell has been replaced in goal by Rangers loanee Aidan McAdams who has only conceded four goals in his five appearances to date. Stenhousemuir looked a good side when I saw them narrowly defeated by Hearts earlier in the season but their form has been patchy. New manager Davie Irons appeared to have had an positive influence on the side but they slumped to a 3-0 Scottish Cup to Penicuik on Saturday and it will be interesting to see how they react to that set-back.
City started well and opened the scoring after eight minutes. Robbie McIntyre crossed from the left to beyond the far post where Aidan Wilson gathered the ball. He passed low back across the six yard box were Scott Shepherd prodded the ball past former Hibs keeper Graeme Smith. Three minutes later Conrad Balatoni added a second. Smith made an excellent save touching away a long range drive from Danny Handling for a corner. Jordan Sinclair’s corner kick went over the melee of players in the middle of the penalty area and fell to Balatoni about seven yards out. The stand-in skipper took the ball on the volley and shot high into the net giving Smith no chance. Things got worse for Stenny after twenty-three minutes when Alan Cook, who had been booked earlier in the match, dived into a challenge on Marc Laird on the halfway line. The tackle was powerful but high and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a free-kick to City then showing Cook a second yellow card and a subsequent red leaving Stenny with ten men for the remainder of the game. City were unable to build on their excellent start to the match although Alex Harris forced Smith into another excellent saving with powerful shot. The first half ended with City 2-0 ahead.
The second half continued with City pressing the deployed visitors and they went further ahead after fifty-six minutes. Handling had a shot tipped over the crossbar by Smith for a corner. Sinclair again took the kick and this time found Wilson leaping unchallenged around twelve yards from goal. His powerful header gave Smith no chance of stopping the ball as it flew into the top of the net. City scored a fourth after sixty-two minutes. This time Harris ran into the box with the ball on the left. He beat two defenders and then squared the ball past Smith to Handling who had an easy task to score in the empty net. City then appeared to ease up slightly and although having most of the play were unable to add to their lead. As the game drew to a close Sinclair was fouled by a strong challenge some thirty yards from goal. He got up angrily and expressed his displeasure to the Steeny defender. Sinclair was booked for his reposes to the challenge but despite City being awarded the free-kick no action was taken against the defender despite what looked like a dangerous challenge. The free-kick was cleared by the Stenny defence and the match ended an easy win for City.
After the game I walked along to the Crewe Toll roundabout and after a short sprint caught a 29 bus to Princes Street. I changed onto a 30 there and was home by 10.15, in time to take Rufus for his last walk of the day.
Teams
Edinburgh City: McAdams, McIntyre, Balatoni, Laird, Handling, Sinclair, Wilson, Kane, Shepherd, L. Henderson, Harris.
Subs: Smith, Brown, Court.
Stenhousemuir: Smith, O'Neil, Marsh, Halleran, McGuigan, Hopkirk, Cook, McLaughlin, M. Munro, A. Munro, Gibson
Subs: Scullion, McBride, Potter.
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