31st July 2021. Albion Rovers 2. Edinburgh City 0
Hearts were playing Celtic today in the first SPL game of the season. Due to Covid restrictions the attendance was restricted to 5727 and Hearts held a draw among season ticket holders to decide who could attend. Unfortunately I was not successful in the ballot and had to look for an alternative match to attend. With the Hearts game not kicking off until 20.00 I also needed to be back to watch the live coverage on Sky TV. I had never been to Cliftonhill, the home of Albion Rovers, before and as Rovers were playing Edinburgh City I decided to cross another ground of my wisest. I wandered down to Haymarket and caught the 13.08 train to Coatbridge Sunnyside. After calling at a number of stops in West Lothian and Lanarkshire the train arrived around 14.15. I followed the directions on Google maps and walked to the ground driving after a twenty-five minute stroll. I would have been quicker but had to keep checking my phone for instructions. There were three turnstiles open marked tickets, cash and card. I went in through the cards turnstiles paying £7 for a concession entry. Inside there was a table for sale of halftime draw tickets where I asked if programmes were available. The answer was 'we are still discussing what to do about programmes". I walked up the steps to the main stand area. there is a seating area at the back and standing terracing n front. Fans were also permitted to stand behind on of the goals. Attendance was restricted to a maximum of 404 but with a crowd of 275 there was no danger of anyone being locked out. Across the pitch from the main stand there is another stand, see photo. This stand is behind the dugouts and was being used to accommodate socially distanced substitutes and club staff from both sides. The goal area where fans were not permitted is basically an overgrown grassy bank filled with a variety weeds. The ground is regarded by many as the worst is the SPL but I wouldn't agree as it is certainly better than Cowdenbeath's Central Park at the very least.
Rovers have struggled for many years in the lower reaches of the SPL although they have reached the heady heights of league One on occasions. This season however they have again signed a number of new players with strikers Kyle Doherty (formerly with St. Mirren) and Declan Byrne (Stirling Albion() providing an attacking threat. Cammy Binnie signed from Stirling has replaced Hearts loanee Harry Stone in the Rovers goal. Rover due 1-1 with City in the League Cup so a close game is anticipated. As for City there have been massive changes in the squad which reached the play-off final last year. Five of the players in the starting line-up were not in the squad last year. All six named substitutes are new to the squad included latest loan signing, striker John Robertson, from St. Johnstone. Results in the league Cup were disappointing and the jury is out as yet to whether this was due to new players settling in or lower quality of player being brought in as replacements for those departed.
The game started with an early goal. After four minutes an attempted ball into the Rovers penalty area by Calum Crane was blocked by the Albion defence. With Crane out of position the ball was played out to Rovers winger Callum Wilson on the right. He sprinted downfield chased by Crane with other City players also trying to get back. As Wilson cut into the City penalty area he was challenged from behind by Danny Jardine. There was clear, although minimal, contact, and Wilson went down. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Bryne took the kick and hit the ball low past Ryan Goodfellow into the corner of the net. Rovers took control of the game and looked the more dangerous side before James Hilton had City's first attempt on goal near the half hour mark. His shot flew high over the bar into the wilderness behind the goal. Rovers scored a second after thirty-nine minutes. Wilson and Crane were again involved with the winger dispossessing Crane over the halfway line and setting off towards the goal. On this occasion he passed to Docherty about fifteen yards out to the right of the penalty box. The striker took a touch and then shot across Gooodfellow into the net. City had the final chance of the half when Lewis Toshney headed a free kick from the right over the crossbar from about twelve yards out.
The teams came out for the second half but there was a delay before the officials arrived. At first I thought that the players and officials had been kept apart for Covid protection reasons and the officials would not be aware that the teams were back out on the park. When the officials came back out it became apparent one of the assistants was taking over as referee with some-one in a Rovers tracksuit running one line and the other assistant referee staying on the dugout side of the pitch. The original referee having been unable to continue due to an injury picked up in the first half. Both managers, Brain Reid for Rovers and Gary Naismith for City, came onto the park to chat to the 'new' referee. It seemed clear that Naismith was unhappy with a Rovers substitute linesman, especially as a later announcement confirmed he was an injured Rovers player. Discussions continued for some time and it seemed City were looking for the game to be called off. Both chairmen also came on the pitch to discuss the situation and it appeared as if attempts were being made to source another official by telephone. Eventually the half began after a delay of almost half an hour with the referee and one linesman. After the game If checked the FIFA website as generally in an SPL match the fourth official would take over to run the line in the event of an injury to any of the nominated match officials. The website stated - However, if there are only three match officials then the senior assistant referee will then specifically work one side of the field and the assistant referee would then take the place of the main referee. Additionally, if there is no ready-made replacement (usually in kids’ soccer or amateurs) then both the main referee and his/her assistant would then split duties and have no official on one side of the field.
City brought on striker Robertson for Jardine when the second half finally started. The change made a difference giving Oosy See a partner up front although Rovers manager Road made a valid point in the post match press briefings. He stated that the lack of a linesman on the side nearest the goal Rovers were defending faced his defence to lie deeper as an assurance against possible offsides against City players being missed by the lack of an official. Hilton was first to have an attempt at goal but his shot from the centre of the goal inside the box went past the right hand post. Danny Handling then broke into the box on the left but his shot was comfortably held by the diving Binnie. City’s best chance came in seventy-four minutes. The ball ran loose after a scramble in the penalty box. Robertson ran to retrieve the ball and was fouled by Alfie Robinson just outside the six yard box for another clear penalty. Handling stepped up to take the kick but hit the ball too close to the diving Binnie who saved at his right hand post. Minutes later Handling had another shot fro the left hand side of the six yard box but again Binnie got down to save. Some City fans claimed the ball was over the line before the keeper saved but it did not look like a goal from where I was standing. The game then petered out as City used their substitutes in an attempt to save the game but to no avail.
I walked back to Sunnyside station but missed the 17.27 back to Edinburgh, catching the next train at 17.59. When other City fans got on at Coatdykes, the next stop, I realised that I had chosen to go to a station further from the ground. I was home by 19.10 in time for something to eat before watching Hearts beat Celtic 2-1 live on Sky.
Albion Rovers : Binnie, Lyons, El-Zubaidi, Robinson, Leslie, C. Wilson, d. Wilson, Mckernon, Reilly, Docherty, Byrne.
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