17th September 2021 Edinburgh City 2 Stirling Albion 2

 

Another Friday night match at Ainslie Park. Tonight Edinburgh City are playing Stirling Albion in a League Two fixture. City will have another two games at Ainslie Park before returning to Meadowbank in November if everything goes to plan. I left home at 18.15 and plan was to walk along to Lothian Road and meet Natalie. who had been childminding, before heading off to Ainslie Park. However she went into Tesco on the way along Fountainbridge and we missed each other. Undaunted I decided to walk to the game. I went down Lothian Road to Stockbridge before cutting through Inverleith Park and heading top to Ferry Road arriving at the ground around 19.15. I showed my electronic ticket at the turnstile before entering the ground. Jim had written an article for tonights programme and asked if I could pick up his complimentary copy from Alick, the programme editor. I found Alick and got the complimentary copy along with another two, one for myself and one for Stefano in Italy. I had not had anything to eat since lunchtime so I bought Bain's mince pie and a coffee before taking a seat in the stand. The pie was exceptionally good and I would have bought another but that would have just been greedy. 

City have down well gently after a poor start to the season although they lost at Kelty in there last match. they have had  number of injury issues and were missing several key players tonight including striker Danny Handling and captain Robbie McIntyre. Hibs loanee Innes Murray lined up in midfield. Ryan Shanley would had also been on loan from Hibs was named on the bench. Shanley is now a full City player having been released from his Hibs contract and signing for City. Stirling are good League Two side and finished fifth last season. This season they currently stand third are will be pushing for promotion. There are a few Hearts connections in their side with ex-players Dale Carrick and Dylan Bikey in the starting eleven. Substitutes Nathan Flanagan and Leo Watson both have played for Hearts with Watson currently on loan from the capital side. Given I saw Bikey and Flanagan made two substitute appearances between them I doubt they will be included a Hearts greats sides.

City started well and striker John Robertson had a great early chance. He was alone at the far post on he edge of the six yard box when a cross came over from Ciaran Brian on the left. It looks like an easy header for goal but the ball seemed to glance of his head straight into the arms of Stirling keeper Blair Currie. Stirling took the lead in the twelfth minute when a cross from the left rom Dale Carrick found Dylan Mackin in the centre of the penalty area. He nodded the ball down to Jack Leitch who took a touch before shooting high past Brian Schwake from around fifteen yards. City then lost centre back Lee Hamilton around the half hour mark. He went down with what looked like a hamstring strain and was helped from the field to be replaced by Lewis Toshney. Toshney was himself returning after a spell out injured. Stirling then forced an excellent save from Schwake who leapt high to turn a Carrick shot away for a corner. City equalised in forty minutes when Murray raced onto a through ball from Robertson in the penalty area. He took the ball past a defender then rounded keeper Currie but was forced wide and close to the byeline. He looked up and from about a yard from the line fired a shot into the far corner of the unguarded goal. 

At halftime City replaced Toshney with Danny Jardine. This must have been due to a recurrence of his injury as it meant a monumental reshuffle in the City side. Scott Reekie moved to centre back with Brian switching to right back and Crane moving back to left back to accommodate Jardine in midfield. Stirling now had most of the game with Mikey looking pacey and Mackin an arial threat with his height and strength. City however took the lead after an hour. James Hilton cut in from the left and from twenty five yards fired a shot high into the corner of the net giving Currie no chance of making save. I had moved to the embankment near the Pilton end goal at halftime and the goal celebration in front of me showed how much City relished taking the lead. Minutes later Jardine went down in midfield and had to be helped from the field and replaced by Chris Kane. I think this was  the first time I have ever seen two substitutes replaced in the same games. Stirling continued to press forward and Mackin emulated Robertson by missing a headed chance when it seemed easier to score before Mikey had a cross deflected off a defender onto the cross. After sixty-nine minutes Reekie fouled Martin McNiff about twenty yard from goal in the centre of the field. Mackin took the free-kick and fired the ball past the defensive wall into the right hand corner of the net giving Schwake no chance. City replaced Robertson with Shanley in an attempt to force a winner but either side were able to create another clear chance. I moved up to the other end of the pitch as the final whistle approached and met Ian, a fellow Hearts fan. He was talking about the upcoming "Groundhop" weekend where it is possible to visit four grands in one day. I may consider going to a couple of the matches depending in who Hearts are laying.

After the final whistle I walked up to Ferry Road to find a fourteen minute wait for the next 27. I walked along towards Crewe Toll roundabout and just missed a 24. When I arrived at the bus stop there was not another bus for fifteen minutes so I crossed back over Ferry Road and caught the next 27. I eventually arrived home around 22.20 after watching another good game.

Teams

Edinburgh City: Schwake, Reekie, Hamilton, Bronsky, Tapping, See, Hilton, Brian, Murray, Robertson, Crane. 

Subs: Toshney, Jardine, Kane, Shanley.

Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, McNiff, Cummins, McGregor, Grant, Carrick, Roberts, Mackin, Leitch, Bikey. 

Subs: Flanagan