9th July 2021. Edinburgh City 0 Hamilton Academicals 1

A first competitive match of the season for me tonight. With the Premier Sports Cup, or the old League Cup, group stages starting tonight I was off to watch Edinburgh City play Hamilton at Ainslie Park.  It’s have announced that they will be moving back to Meadowbank after the council refurbishment is complete and this is likely to be towards the end of this year. I left home at 18.30 and walked down the old railway path to Ainslie Park. I had bought my ticket online and loaded onto my phone for access. On arrival at Ainslie Park I had to queue at the main gates as fans were called forward to have tickets scanned on entry. The City website had also advised temperature checks would be taken but this did not happen. After my ticket was checked I walked into the ground by way of the exit gates as the turnstiles were not in use for tonight’s match. No programmes were available, although I understand they will be on the website for sale soon, so I met Jim at the pitch barrier and took a photo of his team sheet.  As I was a bit later arriving no team sheets were left. 

Edinburgh City manager Gary Naismith had a major clear-out over the close season.Several first team regulars were released including fullback Craig Thomson, midfielder Marc Laird and keeper Callum Antell. Centre-back Conrad Balatoni was also released and has since joined Clyde. The biggest surprise however was the cancellation of top goalscorer Blair Henderson’s contract “by mutual consent”. Henderson has since joined Spartans despite offers from a number of SPFL clubs in Leagues One and Two.   Replacements  have been brought in including Stephen Bronsky (previously with Elgin), Scott Reekie (Brechin), James Hilton (Stranraer), Callum Tapping (Stenhousemuir) and Alex Ferguson (on loan from St Johnstone) who all started tonight. Tapping a former Herts player has taken over the City captaincy from the new departed Thomson, another former Hearts player.

Hamilton were relegated from the SPL at the end of last season and will in the Championship this season. Surprisingly for a relegated club they have retained their manager Brian Rice. Rice played for Hibs and Nottingham Forest and has held coaching positions at a number of clubs including his first club Hibs. Hamilton have a good record in developing young players with James McCarthy and Scott McArthur, both of whom played with Crystal Palace last season,  good examples of their achievements in this area. Despite their record with youth development Hamilton have made a couple of signings for this season with goalkeeper Joe Hilton on a season long loan from Blackburn and former player Kieran MacDonald returning after a spell with Raith Rovers. Hamilton also included Hakeem Odoffin who has been linked in papers recently with a move to His recently. 

The match started with Hamilton on the ascendency with David Moyo shooting over the bar after breaking into the penalty box on the left. Lewis Smith also forced a save from City keeper Ryan Goodfellow after his cross was deflected back to him on the right.  City lost defender Bronsky early in the game with what looked like a muscle strain. The defender was replaced by forward Michael McFarlane necessitating a reshuffle in the home defence. A corner was narrowly headed over the bar by Moyo before Hamilton took the lead in twenty-five minutes. Reegan Mimmaugh broke from his own half on the left before playing the ball forward to the left hand side of the penalty box. Smith played a neat one-two with MacDonald and ran onto the return before shooting past Goodfellow from about twelve yards. The half continued with Hamilton having most of the ball but City defended well and no further chances were crated, City had a chance with a free-kick from just outside the Hamilton penalty box. Hilton sent the kick over the bar at the Pilton end of the ground. 

Smith almost got a second goal early in the second half. He attempted an ambitious overhead kick from about fifteen yards which keeper Goodfellow did well to tip onto and over the cross-bar for a corner. City improved as the half progressed and began to trouble the Hamilton defence. Ouzy See headed a cross wide of goal when he should have scored before shooting across goal as he broke into the right hand side of the penalty area. City were trying hard for an equaliser and a possible penalty shoot-out decider as the game moved into the closing stages. As the match moved into injury time substitute Ryan Shanley forced keeper Hilton into a diving stop to ensure three points for Hamilton.

After the game I walked up to Ferry Road to catch a bus home to find it was eleven minutes till the next 27. I walked to Crewe Toll roundabout where there are more bus options to find that nothing was due for twelve minutes. Went back to Ferry Road to catch the 27 which arrived in 5 minutes. When I went to get off at Leamington Terrace I found the stop was closed due to roadworks so had to get off at Viewforth and walk back to finally arrive home at 10.25.. 

Teams

Edinburgh City: Goodfellow, Crane, McIntyre, Jardine, Bronsky, Reekie, Hilton, Ferguson, See, Tapping, Handling.
Subs: McFarlane, Shanley, Fraser

Hamilton Accies: Hilton, Odofinn, Easton, Stirling, C. Smith, MacDonald, Watt, Mimnaugh, L. Smith, Hughes, Moyo.
Subs: Munro, Hamilton, Redfern