19th April 2022 Penicuik 2 Sauchie 1
After a difficult weekend now back to a game. On Friday night I went to watch Leith Athletic but they were pkaying on a different Pitch so ended up watching an amateur game where the way side won 4-1. Woke up on Saturday morning all ready to go to the Scottottish up semi-final with Hearts v Hibs. However was feeling awful and ended up at home watching the game on TV. A 2-1 win for Hearts cheered me up. However I am all booked up for the Megabus to the final as on Saturday Megabus was fully booked days before the game. After an early meal I left home at 18.15 and walked to High Riggs to catch a 47 out to Penicuik. It arrived at 18,45 and I was in Penicuik by 19.10. Showed my Fanbase ticket at the turnstiles for entry and also bought the £2 double issue program e covering tonight’s match and Saturdays game against Dundonald. Give Oenicuik their due as the issue also included an insert covering Saturdays matches with updated league positions.
Tonight’s match was going to be interesting, With five games to play as with five games to play Tranent lead the EiS Premier League with 69 points, Penicuik are second with 67 and Linlithgow third with 65. However in the last five games Tranent face Linlithgow twice while Penicuik face Linlithgow in the last match of the season. While Tranent are still favourites any of the top three could still win the league depending on the results against their table topping rivals. Penicuik where without captain any Forbes to ight and Lumbert Kateleza came in for a rare start upfront. ‘Lumbo’ is nott a prolific striker but his strength and power creates space for others to score. Strikers Aaron Somerville, Paul Tansey and Cammy Dawson were on the bench for Penicuik to provide further attacking options. Sauchie are currently seventh in the eighteen club league and are safe from relegation with. With nineteen points from last possible twenty-seven they are in a good run of form although having only seen them once before I have little knowledge about their side.
Penicuik started well and Kateleza had an early chance when he rounded the keeper but delayed his shot too long within the line which allowed the keeper to get up and back on the goalie to block his eventual shot at the expense of a corner. Penicuik were definitely the better side in the first half with Nicky Reid being very effective up front. However his shots were not the best and either from blocked by defenders or saved by Evan Collumbine in the Sauchie goal. Penicuik are going to miss Reid next season as he, along with midfielder Kieran Watson, has signed at pre-contract agreement to move into the SPFL with Edinburgh City. Penicuik eventually opened the scoring after thirty-eight minutes. A long clearance from bob Watt was modded on by Scott McCrory-Irving to Kateleza. The strikers flick on found Matty Combe racing beset the Sauchie central defenders into the penalty area where his shot beat the keeper for a deserved lead.
I don’t know what Sauchie manager Fraser Duncan said to his players at halftime but the second half was a completely different game. Sauchie came out looking to get at Penicuik and scored an equaliser after four minutes. A pass found Gary Carroll in the penalty box. Penicuik's Darrell Young slipped as he went into a challenge and Carroll skipped the ball to Aidan Cracknell on his left. The midfielder shot across Watt into the far corner of the net to give Sauchie an equaliser. Penicuik were struggling to get back into the game and brought on Tansey and Reece Hope for Katezela and Young after sixty-two minutes. The Penicuik fans are not happy with manager Stevie McLeish as a number of comments were made along the lines that substitutions should have been made earlier. Tansey had a chance about ten minutes after coming on when he cut into the penalty area from the left. His shot however was high, wide and not very handsome. Penicuik finally took the lead again with eight minutes to go. Reid beat two players in the penalty area and was then fouled as he looked to shoot. Despite shouts of ‘diver’ from the Sauchie fans the referee awarded a penalty. Tansey stepped up to take the kick and unlike his earlier attempt fired his shot into the corner of the net. As the game moved into injury time I checked the bus app on my phone to end a bus back to Edinburgh was due in two minutes.
Rather than wait thirty minutes for the next one Alan and I left the ground and walked the short distance to the bus stop. the bus arrived just as the fine whistle blew and we headed back to Edinburgh on the scenic route via Roslin and Loanhead. we both got off at Surgeons Hall and while Alan waited for a 30 due in six minutes I walked through to Lauriston and caught a 27 home.I arrived home around 22.30 after an enjoyable night watching the 'Cuickie' looking to consolidate their place on the EoS Premier League with a view to being in the Lowland League next season.
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