28th December 2019 Edinburgh City v Cowdenbeath 2-0

I was not sure where to go today with Hearts not playing until tomorrow. My first thought was to go and watch Craigroyston as I have never been to a match at St. Marks Park. This game was called off yesterday as Craigroyston did not have sufficient available players. I then thought about going to Bonnyrigg Rose against Civil Service Strollers. Again the match was postponed, this time due to the home pitch being unplayable. I finally decided to head to Ainslie Park to watch the second and third teams in League Two in action, Edinburgh City v Cowdenbeath. I left home at 13.30 and walked to the ground arriving at 14.25. I paid my £5 entrance fee, discounted by 50% as a Hearts season ticket holder and paid £3 for an excellent programme. After having a coffee to warm up I met the two Johns and we took seat together in the back row of the stand. 

City are having another good season and are currently second in the table behind leaders Cove Rangers. They have however hit a bit of an injury crisis and currently have first choice goalkeeper Callum Antell, deputy keeper, and Rangers loanee, Aidan Adams, Andy Black, Robbie McIntyre, Jordan Sinclair and, top scorer last season, Blair Henderson of action. Joshua Rae has been brought in on loan from Hibs to cover the goalkeeping position and today's side includes former Hearts player Craig Thomson, now club captain following the retirement though injury of Josh Walker, and unavailability of Conrad Balatoni. The squad is however stretched and the line-up includes three members of their under 20s squad on the bench. Cowdenbeath finished in mid-table last season and this season are currently third having beaten City in their first meeting at Central Park. Their match-day squad includes loanees from Hearts in Chris Hamilton and Connor Smith along with Fraser Mullen and Robbie Buchanan who both started their senior careers at Hearts. Former Spartans full-back and captain, Michael Herd, returned to Ainslie Park in the Cowdenbeath midfield.

Cowdenbeath started well with Smith linking with Jordan Allan. The Fifers had the first shot of the game when Kyle Miller tried a shot from just outside the penalty area. His shot however did not trouble keeper Rae as it went past his right hand post. City came more into the match as the half progressed and Scott Shepherd met a cross from Allan Smith on the right hand corner of the six yard box. His shot however went past the right hand post. City won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area after about twenty-five minutes when Shepherd was barged from behind by Jamie Todd while challenging for a ball in the air. Danny Handling took the free-kick and hit it low past the defensive wall but straight at keeper Peter Morrison. City continued to press and forced a corner after thirty-seven minutes when Craig Barr was forced to put the ball out to clear a cross. Thomson's kick from the left hand side found its way to Liam Henderson alone about eight yards out. While it looked easier to score his header from around ten yards was straight at Morrison who held the ball easily. 

Cowdenbeath again started well in the second half. After about five minutes Smith tried a shot from around twenty yards on the right side of the penalty area. His shot beat Rae in goal but clipped the top of the bar and flew over. City continued to attack but the Cowdenbeath defence held firm with Morrison untroubled in goal. Handling tried a shot from twenty-five yards but his effort was high and wide and almost went over the fence behind the goal area into the gardens behind the ground. City went ahead just after the hour mark. Alan Smith was fouled by Todd just outside the penalty area on the right about twelve yards from the byeline. The free-kick by Thomson found Henderson unmarked about six yards from goal and he leapt to head the ball into the top left hand corner of the net. With fifteen minutes to go Cowdenbeath brought on Buchanan for Herd to provide a greater threat going forward while City replaced Shepherd with Keiran Stewart to stiffen the midfield area. Jonny Court replaced Smith for City just after the eighty minute mark. The substitute clinched the game after eighty-six minutes when he ran onto a clearance by Rae which was missed by the Cowdenbeath central defence. Keeper Morrison started to come from his goal then hesitated and this allow Court to take the ball first time and shoot low into the bottom left corner of the net. I do not think the striker caught the ball cleanly but the keeper was wrong-footed following his hesitation and was unable to get across and down to save the ball. The final whistle blew leaving City now on forty-one points, two points behind leaders Cove Rangers with both having played eighteen games. Cowdenbeath remain third but on twenty-nine points are well behind the top two, albeit they do have a game in hand. Surprisingly City announced Alex Harris as man of the match. While he showed some good touches I would have gone for goalscorer Henderson, playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, or Liam Brown who worked hard in midfield and showed a good range of passing to drive City forward.

After the match John gave me a lift to the Crewe Toll roundabout where I caught a 24 bus after  two minute wait. I got of at the top of Lothian Road and walked home along Fountainbridge arriving how at 17.35.

Teams

Edinburgh City: Rae, Thomson,Wilson, Balatoni, L. Henderson, Handling, Brown, Laird, Smith, Shepherd, Harris.

Subs: Stewart, Court, Kane

Cowdenbeath: Morrison, Barr, Hamilton, Todd, Mullen, Taylor, Miller, Herd, Swann, Allan, Smith.

Subs: Buchanan, Cox.