11th August 2021 Lothian Thistle Hutcheson Vale 0 Hill of Beath Hawthorn 1

 

Another visit to Ainslie Park for an East of Scotland Qualifying Cup match. Tonight it is a first round tie between Lothian Thistle Hutcheson Vale (LTHV) and Hill of Beath Hawthorn (HOBH) who must have two of the longest team names in Scottish football. I was going to leave home at 18.30 and walk there but weather was miserable with rain pouring down. I changes into a waterproof jacket and walked to Tollcross to catch a bus to the ground. I caught a 27 at around 18.45 and got off her the ground at 19.15. After a quick visit to the ATM at Morrisons store I arrived at the ground around 19.25. I had bought my electronic ticket through the Fanbase but the code reader at the ground was not working. My name was checked against a list of those who had bought tickets and after paying £2 for a programme I entered the ground. Thankfully the rain had now ceased at I met Jim at the barrier near the entrance. He told m that Martin, a friend of his from Meadowbank Thistle days, was coming along tonight to watch his first match for some time. Martin arrived shortly after at we decided to stay at the barrier rather than move into the stand given the rain had stopped.

LTHV were created in 2011 by the merger of existing East of Scotland League side Lothian Thistle with juvenile side Hutcheson Vale. The merger was to provide a pathway to senior football for youngsters no longer eligible for youth football. The new side have been successful in the EoS League but are struggling this season and currently lie in seventeenth place in the table with one point from their eight matches. surprisingly LTHV have started to issue regular programmes this season frustratingly there are no team announcements of team sheets available to fans at the ground. Unlike other clubs in the EoS League team line-ups are not available on social media however I have based their line-up on the squad numbers shown in the match programme. HOBH were formed in 1975 and originally played in the Fie Amateur Leagues, moving to the junior level in 1982. After many successful years in the junior, including winning the Scottish Junior Cup in 1990, they moved into the senior ranks in 2018 joining the East of Scotland League. This season has not yet been successful and they currently sit one place above LHTV on goal difference although they have played a game less. Again it is difficult to get much information on their team line-ups as I have been unable to find an detail on social media or the Internet. 

It was surprising that LHTV lined up with Darren Smith playing in central defence. He normally plays in midfield and scored an excellent goal against Musselburgh when I lasted watched LTHV. However he was sent off in a recent defeat at Penicuik and, given LHTV have conceded nineteen goals in their six leagues games to date, management probably thought that his experience would help strengthen the defensive areas. To be honest there was not a  great deal of action in this games although HOBH had most of the possession and attacking threat, especially in the first half. The only goal of the game came around the fifteen minute mark following HOHB winning a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Their  number eleven took the kick and his shot hit the left-hand post and bounced out. Despite claims for offside from the LTHV defence Daniel Watt slammed the ball into the net from the edge of the six yard box. 

There was an amusing incident at halftime. The teams stayed on the pitch for their half-tome break while the match officials retired to the dressing. Wen the officials returned and the teams lined up to kick-off the referee suddenly ran back to the dressing room area. As he went back he shouted "I forgot my whistle' before returning and restarting the game. LTHVV improved in the second half as they brought on Joe Viola who provided an attacking threat. Mid-way through the half he went on a run down the left. The HOBH goalkeeper came running out to the touchline to challenge him. Viola knocked the ball past the keeper and as he went to follow hit was grounded by what was at best a reckless challenge but probably  more of a dangerous one from the keeper. As Viola lay on the ground clutching his leg the players all surrounded the referee as he looked to make a decision. Fortunately for HOHB the referee only showed a yellow card to the keeper as he awarded a free-kick to LTHV. The game deteriorated after that with a number of poor tackles resulting in six yellow cards. The best chance of the half came when the HOBH number ten ran onto a through ball. It looked from where we were standing that he was unsure what to do as he bore down on goal and his shot from the edge of the area was hit past the near post. As the match moved into injury tIme LTHV goalkeeper Ruaridih Adams came up the field after his side were awarded a corner. The move was to no avail as the ball was cleared by HOBH whose centre half was winning everything in the air. As the ball was cleared the referee blew the final whistle with HOBH qualifying for the next round of the EoS Qualifying Cup. 

After the final whistle I walked up to Ferry Road to catch a 27 home which I misssed by a couple of minutes. I blame the referee forgetting his whistle. I then walked to Crewe Toll and caught a 37 from there to the West End. A sort walk and I was home by 22.20.

Teams

LHTV: Adams, Moore, Deland, Smith, Lally, O'Brien, Cumming, Dalglish, Murray, Donald, Daniel.

Subs: Viola, Unknown (22).

HOBH: N/A