19th September 2021 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 2 Edinburgh University 2

 

Second Scottish Cup game of the weekend today with an Edinburgh Derby between LTHV and Edinburgh University at Ainslie Park. Left home at 13.30 to walk down the railway path to the ground. There was a slight drizzle as I left but this cleared up as I covered the four mile journey. I arrived at Ainslie Park around 14.35 and showed my e-ticket for entry. I also purchased the Scottish up special programme for £2.  Jim was already in the ground when I arrived and I have him the copies of Friday nights Edinburgh City programmes he had asked for. We were later joined by Jim’s friends Martin and Keith as we took up position against the perimeter fence at the cafe end of the ground.

Today’s tie is an inter-league clash with LTHV  urgently thirteenth in the East of Scotland Premier League while Edinburgh University are second bottom of the Lowland League. This is the first Scottish Cup tie between the two clubs who have not met competitively since season 2013/14. LTHV have shown improved form recently and with Errol Douglas, Joe Viola and Joe Murray have a strong attacking threat. The University side generally start the season slowly but improve around this time as students return for the new academic year. Th done thing I do not like about going to LTHV matches is the lack of information on team line-ups. The programmes lists player names but no squad numbers and no tannoy announcements or ten sheets are available. I have listed as many players I recognised in the teams and will try to update these from various sources as far as I can. 

I had thought hat LTHV would win this tie but was proved wrong in the first half as Edinburgh Uni attacked for most of the game. In fourteen minutes they took the lead through impressive left-winger Innes Lawson. The LHTV defence failed to clear a cross into the penalty area and the ball fell to Lawson just inside the box. The winger took a touch and shot past Adams into the net from about fifteen yards for a deserved lead. The play continued to favour the Uni side and they went further ahead fifteen minutes later. Maskery broke down the right and his cross was cleared back to him. He carried the ball into the penalty box and is shot from about twelve yards was deflected home of an LTHV defender. Ben Spelman had a chance to clinch the tie when he rn onto a through ball and into the left hand side of the penalty area. His shot beat the onrushing keeper Adams but hit the side net. 

The old story of a game of two halves was regurgitated here. The second half was a completing different story as LTHV dominated after Kenny O'Brien came on as a substitute and provided a strong attacking force down the left. LTHV scored after around fifteen minutes of the half with a penalty. Their right-back was fouled in the Uni penalty area about twelve yards from goal when he was challenged from behind as he was about to soot. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty which Douglas sent into the left hand corner of the net as the keeper dived the other way. LTHV equalised five minutes later when a corner was not properly cleared by the Uni defence. The ball was crossed back into the penalty box and O'Brien headed home from about ten yards. The game was end to end until the final whistle from then on in. Uni winger Lawson looked lively with a couple of good runs into the area but was crowded out by the LTHV defence before he could get a clear shot at goal.

on the final whistle I walked towards Crewe Toll but managed to catch a 27 bus before I reached the roundabout. As I got off at Tollcross I saw Alan who had also been at the game. We both agreed that it had been a good day out with a draw probably the right result. The date for the replay has still to be decided but I will go along if I can. I arrived home around 17.30 in time to watch the end of Tottenham V Chelsea on Sky which was not as entertaining as the live game I had seen.

Teams

LTHV: Adams, Deland, Penker, Crawford, ?, ?, Murray, Doherty, Douglas, ?, Viola.

Subs: O'Brien

Edinburgh University: ?, Condie, ?, ?, ?, ?, Maskery, ?, Spelman, ?, Lawson

Subs: