2nd October 2021. Dalkeith Thistle 8 Tweedmouth Rangers 2

 

I don’t normally go to matches on a Saturday morning, at least not since the boys played school football. However today was different. Every year the lower leagues in Scotland organise a Groundhoppers day. Kick-offs are staggered to allow fans to attend a number of days over a weekend and a number of fans from England try to make a weekend away to collect visits to new grounds. This years Groundhopper Tour started last night at Bo’ness with Dalkeith being the second venue before fixtures at Bonnyrigg, Newtongrange, Easthouses and  Broxburn (tomorrow) . I decided to head out to Dalkeith to watch her their game against Tweedmouth Rangers before going to Tynecastle this afternoon. With the game kicking off at 11.15 I left home at 9.35 and walked to Haymarket to catch a bus to Dalkeith. I caught the 9.35 bus to head out to Dalkeith. My Victor Meldrew tendencies almost came out when a guy board the bus at South Bridge wearing mask. He sat down upstairs on the other side of the bus me wearing the mask. He then proceeded to roll his mask down put on his glasses and started to read his Kindle with nose and mouth uncovered. I was seething but decided to keep silent. I arrived at Kings Park around 10.45 and checked where I could get a bus back before heading towards the ground. There was rugby match in progress on the park between my old school Boroughmuir and I assume Dalkeith. I paid my £7 entrance fee and then sent Jim a text as he had said he was arriving early and would get me a programme. I met him behind the goals on a grassy embankment and we waited for the start of the match.

I did not no much about either side who are both in the East of Scotland League Conference A. However with Dalkeith tenth in the league table and Tweedmouth twelfth I was not expecting afstibval of silky  soccer.The only time I say Dalkeith play before he game was abandoned due to a serious injury to one of their players. In their side today the only name I recognised as goalkeeper Shea Dowie who I have seen prevoiously playing for other sides including, I think, Whitehall. The only time I have seen Tweedmouth before was a 5-0 defeat by LTHV when their goalkeeper had a great game. I recognised the goalkeepers name however, Mark Walters. Not the former Rangers player but has played the past for Berwick Rangers.

The game started with Dalkeith having most of the ball although tweed mouth took the lead after five minutes. A low cross from Craig Colquhoun found Michael Robinson in the centre of the penalty box ten yards from goal. His low shot beat Dowie’s dive and went in of the far post. Minutes later Dalkeith almost equalised when a headed attempt hit the bar. Dalkeith equalised just after the half hour when a low cross from Josh David found Ryan Weston at the back post. His shot from just outside the six yard box flew high into the net giving Walters no chance of making a save. Tweedmouth then went ahead agin after thirty-five minutes when Colquhoun broke into the penalty area and as Dowie came out of goal passed to Robinson who stroked the ball into an empty net. There was a suspicion of offside about the goal but with no linesman and no protests from the Dalkeith side the referee awarded the goal. Tweedmouth held the lead till halftime despite another Dalkeith effort coming back of the cross-bar. During the first half we had been joined by Alex, Jamie and Graham who were all taking part in the Groundhop. Alex and Jamie were however missing this afternoons groundhogpmatches as they were going to to maatches at Queen if the South and Edinburgh United. 

The game changed just after the start of the second half when Robinson clashed with Dalkeith’s Jack Burrows of the ball. I have to say that I was following the ball and did not see what happened but the referee had no hesitation in stopping the game and showing Robinson a red card for what I later learned to be use of an elbow to floor Burrows. I was surprised that the referee had seen the situation given it took place of the ball and he had no linesmen to assist him.  Dalkeith made the most of their one man advantage and went equalised after forty-nine minutes. A corner was headed back across goal by Greig Callaghan for Darren McTernan to score at the far post. Minutes later Rhys Dixon brought down Duncan Muir in the penalty box although the forward did make the most of the tackle. Darren Leslie took the penalty and gave Walters no chance although it did look as if the ball was not sitting on the penalty spot when the kick was taken. it seemed as if the Tweedmouth side had lost their motivation after the sending off and Dalkeith scored again again the hour mark. Weston made space outside the penalty area and shot low past Walters from twenty yards for what was probity the goal of the game. in sixty-five minutes Dalkeith went further ahead when a defensive header from a corner rebounded of the Tweedmouth cross-bar for Callaghan to shoot into the top of the net. Dalkeith scored again five minutes later when a pass from Weston was deflected into his own net by Tweedmouth defender Dixon. I saw on social media claims that Weston scored the goal but given his pass was not aimed at goal I am sure that it was an own goal. The seventh goal arrived in seventy-six minuted when a long range shot from Ross Aitchison hit the cross-bar. The ball fell to Dalkeith substitute Danny McFadden whose initial shot was pushed out by the diving Walters. McFadden made no mistake with the rebound hitting the ball into the unguarded net. As we where heading towards the exit Dalkeith scored their eighth goal when Burrows rose above the Tweedmouth defence to head home a corner from Muir. I felt the final score was a bit harsh on Tweedmouth. They had competed well in the first half but seemed to have fallen apart in the second half after the sending off. Apart from Weston's second all the Dalkeith goals were scored from inside the penalty area and I thought that the Tweedmouth lacked understanding on how to defend balls into their own box. 

On the final whistle Jim and I headed out of the ground towards Dalkeith High Street. Jim was picking up his car to head on to Easthouses for the next Groundhop match while I was going to catch a bus back into Edinburgh. A 3 arrived after a short wait and I was back in Edinburgh within twenty minutes although the journey slowed down as the bus arrived in Edinburgh. I got off the 3 at South Bridge at 13.50 and headed towards George IV bridge to find the bus stop there was closed. I walked across to Lauriston Place and caught a 35 home arriving back at 14.05 and ready to head to Tynecastle for my second match today. 

Teams

Dalkeith Thistle: Dowie, Johnston, Hutchison, Callaghan, Woods, Burrows, Leslie, McTernan, Weston, Davidson, Muir.

Subs: McFadden, Beiwki, Lennie

Tweedmouth Rangers : Walters, Baverston, Whitson, Dixon, Viera, Richards, Colquhoun, Cummings, Robinson, Forster, Graham.

Subs: Wilson, Gibson.