10th March 2020 Heriot-Watt University v Linlithgow Rose 1-3
There was a choice of matches to go to tonight but as weather was still changeable I did not want to go to far from home. I decided to go out to Riccarton to watch Heriot-Watt University(HWU) play Linlithgow Rose in the East of Scotland League Cup. I left home around 18.30 and caught a 35 bus out to HWU arriving there at 19.00. An internet search had indicated that the match had been switched to an artificial surface but the Oriam indoor pitch was occupied by a booked team training session and the match was taking place on one of the the outdoor grass pitches. Paid my £6 entry fee and was in the ground by 19.10. There is usually a programme on issue at HWU fixtures but as Linlithgow had only qualified for this round by beating Peebles Rovers 3-0 on Saturday there was not an issue available tonight. Malcolm was going to attend the match but had not arrived by kick-off.
HWU play in the East of Scotland Conference A and are currently fourth in the table with forty-three points from twenty-five matches. This is a commendable performance considering they generally field sides composed of young students against opponents who can field, in most cases, experienced semi-professionals. I had not seen HWU play before this season and was therefore unfamiliar with their side. The lack of teamsheets in addition to programmes did not aid identification. They looked to be fielding a young side and I saw afterwards on social media that the team line-up contained five members of their U20 squad. Linlithgow moved up from the Junior leagues last season and qualified for the seasons East of Scotland Premier Division. The are presently tenth in the table with twenty-four points from seventeen matches although, due to their Scottish Cup exploits this season, they have games in hand over sides higher up the league. Given the success Linlithgow had in the Junior ranks I would have expected them to be in contention for promotion to the Lowland League. Familiar names in their side included Pat Scullion, ex-Edinburgh City, Willis Hare, previously with Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale, and goalkeeper Myles Hogarth who was on Hearts books as a youngster. Hogarth is currently goalkeeping coach at Linlithgow but was chosen to play tonight.
Linlithgow started strongly and took the lead in the second minute. A good move down the left allowed overlapping fullback Liam Allison to hit a low ball across the six yard line from near the byeline. Striker Sean Slaven had an easy task to score in the centre of the goal. Malcolm arrived just after the goal. He and Anne had been childminding in Bo'ness and had not been able to leave until 19.00. Anne had dropped him off on the way home so he could go to the match. Linlithgow continued to press and Hare was denied by a brave save from HWU keeper, Calum Reid, who dived at his feet to gather the ball on the edge of the six yard box following run and cross by Owen Ronald. The keeper looked a good player and was particularly alert in coming off his line and out of his box to clear through balls. He was almost caught out late in the first half when a kicked clearance came to Scullion just inside his own half. Scullion returned the ball towards the goal and the attempt drifted past the post with the keeper rushing back into his box.
Linlithgow began the second half as the first and scored a second goal after forty-seven minutes. From the second of two corners Ronald sent a ball into the box. Defender Gary Thom was unmarked in the centre of the goal around eight yards out and crashed a shot past Reid. Thereafter HWU came more into the game and were playing some nice passing football although unable to seriously trouble Hogarth in the Linlithgow goal. After around seventy-five minutes Dan Nimmo of Linlithgow was booked for a bad challenge on the HWU left-back, Aaron Gamble, around thirty yards from goal and about ten yards from the stand where we were sitting. The HWU players agreed with my view that the tackle was dangerous and were berating the referee for not awarding a red card as their physio treated the injured player. After treatment Gamble began to walk off the pitch until the referee called him back. The player was obviously not aware off the change in the law for this season which allows a player to stay on the pitch after treatment if his side have been awarded a free-kick for the foul with lead to the injury. HWU pulled a goal back in seventy-nine minutes when ,after good move involving four passes after a clearance by goal-keeper Reid, a low ball across the edge of the penalty box fell to Neil Laurenson just outside the box towards the left of the goal. He hit the ball first-time and low past the diving Hogarth into the corner of the net. Despite HWU pushing forward Linlithgow were not to be denied a victory and scored a third and clinching goal after eight-six minutes. Ronald tried a shot from inside the HWU penalty area. When the ball broke back to him after a deflection of a defender he took a couple of steps to the right to create space and shot low past the keeper from around fifteen yards to clinch the tie.
After the final whistle Malcolm and I walked down to the bus stop in the Avenue. A 35 bus arrived in minutes to take us back into town. Malcolm got off at Longstone and I continued on arriving home just before 22.00 after watching a good game of football between two committed sides. I did contact HWU FC during the 'lockdown' period and they were very quick in providing me with a note of their team line-up for the match.
Teams
Heriot-Watt University: Reid, Tedviotdale, Gamble, Barclay, Thomson, Shrive, Macdonald, Donnelly, Cairns, Barker, Smith.
Subs: Laurenson
Linlithgow Rose: Hogarth, Ross, Allison, Thom, Scullion, Nimmo, Ronald, Meikle, Slaven, MacLennan, Hare.
Subs: Smith
Linlithgow started strongly and took the lead in the second minute. A good move down the left allowed overlapping fullback Liam Allison to hit a low ball across the six yard line from near the byeline. Striker Sean Slaven had an easy task to score in the centre of the goal. Malcolm arrived just after the goal. He and Anne had been childminding in Bo'ness and had not been able to leave until 19.00. Anne had dropped him off on the way home so he could go to the match. Linlithgow continued to press and Hare was denied by a brave save from HWU keeper, Calum Reid, who dived at his feet to gather the ball on the edge of the six yard box following run and cross by Owen Ronald. The keeper looked a good player and was particularly alert in coming off his line and out of his box to clear through balls. He was almost caught out late in the first half when a kicked clearance came to Scullion just inside his own half. Scullion returned the ball towards the goal and the attempt drifted past the post with the keeper rushing back into his box.
Linlithgow began the second half as the first and scored a second goal after forty-seven minutes. From the second of two corners Ronald sent a ball into the box. Defender Gary Thom was unmarked in the centre of the goal around eight yards out and crashed a shot past Reid. Thereafter HWU came more into the game and were playing some nice passing football although unable to seriously trouble Hogarth in the Linlithgow goal. After around seventy-five minutes Dan Nimmo of Linlithgow was booked for a bad challenge on the HWU left-back, Aaron Gamble, around thirty yards from goal and about ten yards from the stand where we were sitting. The HWU players agreed with my view that the tackle was dangerous and were berating the referee for not awarding a red card as their physio treated the injured player. After treatment Gamble began to walk off the pitch until the referee called him back. The player was obviously not aware off the change in the law for this season which allows a player to stay on the pitch after treatment if his side have been awarded a free-kick for the foul with lead to the injury. HWU pulled a goal back in seventy-nine minutes when ,after good move involving four passes after a clearance by goal-keeper Reid, a low ball across the edge of the penalty box fell to Neil Laurenson just outside the box towards the left of the goal. He hit the ball first-time and low past the diving Hogarth into the corner of the net. Despite HWU pushing forward Linlithgow were not to be denied a victory and scored a third and clinching goal after eight-six minutes. Ronald tried a shot from inside the HWU penalty area. When the ball broke back to him after a deflection of a defender he took a couple of steps to the right to create space and shot low past the keeper from around fifteen yards to clinch the tie.
After the final whistle Malcolm and I walked down to the bus stop in the Avenue. A 35 bus arrived in minutes to take us back into town. Malcolm got off at Longstone and I continued on arriving home just before 22.00 after watching a good game of football between two committed sides. I did contact HWU FC during the 'lockdown' period and they were very quick in providing me with a note of their team line-up for the match.
Teams
Heriot-Watt University: Reid, Tedviotdale, Gamble, Barclay, Thomson, Shrive, Macdonald, Donnelly, Cairns, Barker, Smith.
Subs: Laurenson
Linlithgow Rose: Hogarth, Ross, Allison, Thom, Scullion, Nimmo, Ronald, Meikle, Slaven, MacLennan, Hare.
Subs: Smith
Comments
Post a Comment