1st February 2020 Edinburgh University v The Spartans 2-5

I had been tempted to go to Path today to watch Hearts against St. Johnstone following their great performance against Rangers on Sunday. However by the time I thought about going all the tickets for Hearts fans had gone. St. Johnstone then issued a further batch for sale and I then thought about the long walk from Perth Station to and from McDairmid Park and decided not to bother. I went to  watch Spartans playing their Lowland League fixture against Edinburgh University at the University's home ground, Peffermill. I left hone at around 13.15 and walked to Peffermill arriving around 14.10. There was one other fan waiting to get in and no-one on the open turnstile. The turnstile operator arrived just as Spartans chairman Craig Graham came out of the ground to get something from his car. I paid my £6 entry fee and £1 for a programme and was followed through the turnstile by the chairman. The gatekeeper said to him that he did not need to pay for entry and received the reply "I was always like to pay when we are playing at a university ground". Once inside the ground I headed for the tea-bar and on the way saw Spartans player Alan Brown. He was still in street clothes and I therefore assumed, correctly, he was not in the squad chosen for today's match. In the teabar I paid £1.80 for a cup coffee and a pice of homemade carrot cake. When the lady behind the counter saw I had taken the end piece of the cake she gave me another extra slice saying that the end piece was not full portion. Both slices and the coffee went down well before I left to take up a stance at the fence near the goal Spartans were attacking in the first half. 

Spartans currently sit fifth in the league table having com from behind to beat Stirling University last week. They have lost a number of experienced players since the end of last season and started the season slowly. They have however brought through a number of graduates from their Academy into the squad with Adam Corbett and Blair Atkinson now regulars and a number of others making intermittent appearances. This has lead to a degree of inconsistency in the team's performances but bodes well for the future. Edinburgh University have had a difficult season and are currently second from the bottom of the table. They have however picked up four points from their last two games and a win today would, depending on scores elsewhere, put them above Dalbeattie Star into third from the foot of the league. Pat Baird is their top goal scorer with five strikes so far this season.

Spartans started the match in excellent form and had three shots at goal before going ahead in five minutes. Keeper Blair Carswell had his first touch of the ball when he came to the edge of the penalty area to deal with a pass-back. He punted the ball high up field where it found Atkinson running through the University defence. From just inside the penalty box he shot low into the left hand corner of the net to give his side the lead. Michael Bolocheweckyj and Mikey Allan than had efforts blocked from a  corner before a second goal arrived in sixteen minutes. Atkinson was again involved as he was fouled just inside the penalty area as he looked to make room for a shot. Scott Maxwell took the kick and shot low past University keeper Connor Barnes. University midfielder Mark Waters then went down injured after about twenty minutes following a challenge on the halfway line. He recovered after treatment but two minutes later went down on the halfway line with no-one else near him. The University physio came on to assist him him and after talking to the referee called for assistance from the Spartans physio. There was clear concern for the player and a call was made to the touchline for a stretcher and also for a call to be made for an ambulance. The player was lying on the ground and the physios cover him with foil in an effort to keep him warm. The stretcher arrived but was an old fashioned style which would have required four people to carry it. The physios were unhappy with this and continued to assess the injuries. The player then managed to sit up and, with help, stood up to be assisted off the pitch. The game had been stopped for about fifteen minutes by the injury before being restarted by the referee with Calum McDonald replacing Waters. Heavy rain started to fall as the game restarted so I moved position and took a seat in the stand. After twenty-eight minutes Spartans scored agin. This time Aaron Scott hit a through ball which was missed by the University defence allowing Jack Smith to net from around ten yards. The University side were having a dreadful time and shouts could be heard from the dugout that they were all "playing rubbish". There were a few expletives also included. Shortly after the University were awarded a free-kick thirty-five yards from goal on the left. Luke Murray stepped up to take the kick but Spartans Atkinson was standing about six yards in front of the ball gesticulating that the kick should be taken further back and also speaking to Murray. I could not hear what was said but Murray then stepped out ten paces and shouted back to Atkinson that this was where he should be standing. The referee booked Murray for what I presume he considered to be ungentlemanly conduct. Interestingly when Murray was being booked Atkinson kicked the ball back a few yards to where he considered the kick should be taken. The kick was taken from the spot Atkinson had indicated but there was no booking for the Spartans player for moving the ball from where the referee had originally indicated the kick should be taken. Surprisingly University pulled a goal back six minutes from halftime. Adam Corbett failed to control a through ball and Pat Baird collected in the penalty box and shot home from about twelve yards.

During the halftime interval I was chatting to some other fans when a guy can back from the teabar to say that Waters was still sitting in the tea bar with the University physio waiting for an ambulance to arrive. The rain continued to pour down and the pitch began to cut up a bit in the second half. The rain did not appear to bother Spartans who went further ahead after fifty-four minutes. Scott hit a corner from the left towards Maxwell at the near post. The  striker glanced the ball into the net from the edge of the six yard box giving Barnes no chance. Things got worse for the Uni on the hour mark. Centre half Stuart McFarlane slid in and caught Maxwell on the ankle near the halfway line on their left hand touch line. Maxwell went down and the referee showed the defender a straight red card. I felt that allowance should have been made for the conditions and a yellow card would have sufficed. Spartans defender Blair Tolmie who was sitting a few seats along from me also felt a red card was harsh. Despite losing a player the Uni pulled a goal back after sixty five minutes. Spartans Ian McFarland lost the ball in a challenge just outside his own penalty box. The ball broke to Baird who took a touch and shot low past Carswell from twenty five yards. Spartans however scored a fifth minutes later. A corner was cleared by the University defence to Gregor Woods twenty-five yards from goal. His low shot was touched away from the University keeper with a back heeled flick from Jack Smith. Spartans continued to have most of the possession but there were no further clear chances or goals.

After the final whistle I headed out of the ground to catch a bus home. Thankfully the rain had now stopped and a bus arrived within a couple of minutes. I got off at Bernard Terrace and walked home along the Meadows. Getting home around 17.50 I settled down to watch the Ireland v Scotland rugby international which I had recorded. I had managed to avoid any mention of the score, shades of the Likely Lads for anyone who remembers the show, but unfortunately Scotland lost 19-12.

Teams
Edinburgh University: Barnes, Murray, McGuire, McBeth, MacFarlane, Dick, Purves, Waters, Watters, Baird, Maurice.
Sub: MacDonald, Laing.

The Spartans: Carswell, Corbett, Allan, Bolochewweckyj, Caddow, Woods, Smith, McFarland, Maxwell, Scott, Atkinson.
Subs: Reid, Dawson, Baxter.