18th March 2022. Edinburgh City 1 Stranraer 2
Another Friday night game at Ainslie Park with Edinburgh City hosting Stranraer in League Two. After having a chicken curry to keep me warm I walked to High Riggs to catch a 27 bus to Ferry Road. I arrived at around 19.15 and walked the short distance to the ground. after showing my Fanbase electronic ticket for entry I met Alan at the programme sellers stand. We had a quick chat as I purchased my £3 programme and then walked towards the stand. Alan was taking a seat in the stand while I walked to the grassy knoll beyond the stand where I met Jim. The gate money for this game was being donated by City to the Ukrainian Appeal Fund and we both agreed this was a good cause.
This has been a strange week for Edinburgh City with manager Gary Naysmith ‘relieved of his duties’ yesterday despite the club being in a playoff spot in fourth place of League Two. Assistant manager Brown Ferguson has also left due to ‘personal reasons’. I suspect that City have already have someone lined up for the job but we shall see. Naysmith, a former Hearts player, inherited a good side but seemed reluctant to play attractive football having moved on a number of good players from James McDonagh’s City side. City have had another spell of serious I injuries and, in addition to long term absentees, Robbie McIntyre and Calum Tapping, John Robertson, Danny Jardine and Jack Brydon are now likely to be out for the remainder of the season. Goalkeeping coach Alex Connor was in charge of the side and fielded an eleven who had all previously played in the first team. The bench however was filled by players from City’s U20 side. Stranraer, managed by former Hearts player Jamie Hamill, are currently sixth in the table but could reach a play-off spot with a strong finish to the season. James Hilton who joined City from Stranraer at the start of the season returned to his former club in a January and was included among their substitutes.
The game started with Stranraer looking the better side. And after two minutes Grant Gallagher hit the bar with a shot from outside the penalty area which left Brian Schwake helpless. City looked kplike a side which had been chosen from eleven guys in the pub before the game and the only surprise was that it took Stranraer twelve minutes to open the scoring. A corner on the left was cleared back only as far as Paul Woods and his cross found Brian Ross at the far post who headed into the bottom corner of the goal net. Minutes later Schwake did well to save Tommy Muis header in the centre of his goal. A second goal arrived in Twenty eight minutes a corner was partially cleared to Sean Buns on the left hand edge of the penalty box. His low shot gave Schwake little chance of saving in the right hand corner of the goal. City improved slightly after the second goal and Anthony McDonald had City’s first chance after thirty five minutes, He ran onto a Danny Handling pass but lifted his shot over the advancing Lee Scullion in goal and the crossbar from about fifteen yards from goal.
The secong half continued much the same as the first with Stranraer well on top. Thankfully the action was now mostly at the end of the ground where we were standing. City were defending desperately and conceded a number of corners as Stranraer looking for a clinching goal. However in sixty-six minutes City pulled a goal back. Innes Murray fed the ball through to McDonald and from just inside the penalty box he shot into the right hand corner of Scullions goal. Handling had an attempt saved try Scullion as the match moved to a conclusion. However i injury time Handling had an attempt from outside the box. Scullion knocked the ball, up in the air and up it looked that he may have knocked it over his own goal line. However the referee and his assistant waved play and Stranraer were worthy winners. The BBC statistics showed Stranraer with 56% of possession and fourteen shots on target against City’s nine which was a fair reflection on the game.
After the final whistle Jim and I walked our through the car park. I turned off to head to Ferry Road and met Alan. We walked up to the bus stop but it was twelve minutes before the next twenty seven was due. Alan waited but I walked to Crewe Toll and caught a forty seven. I arrived at the top of Lothian Road around 22.05 and walked home arriving ten minutes later.
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