17th May 2022. Dalkeith Thistle 5. Craigroyston 1

 

Liverpools game at Southampton is on Sky tonight but I always like to watch a live game where possible. There was a choice of Dalkeith v Craigroyston or Easthouses Lily v Stirling University locally. The two grounds are around a mile apart but I decided to head to the nearer venue for the Dalketh ground as it was likely to have more goals. After any early meal I walked down to Haymarket and caught a 3 bus out to Dalkeith arriving around 19.10 for the 19.30 kick-off. O walked through Kings Park towards the ground where there were a number of groups undertaking rugby training. From a distance it looked as if the main gates were closed and I thought I would have to wander round to the side entrance as had happened when I saw Edinburgh South here recently. However a couple of guys went in through the main gates which were merely ajar rather then closed. I paid my £4 entry charge with a £5 note and used the change for a half-time raffle draw ticket. Dalkeith do not issue programmes  and there is no tannoy announcement of the team line-ups. I managed to get of the Dalkeith line-up from Twitter but have no idea of the Craigroyston team. I walked round to the far side of the ground near the dressing rooms and snack bar where I took up a stance at the perimeter fence. Alex arrived shortly there-after and joined me. His friend Gordon was standing nearby and we all got chatting before kick-off.

This was a bottom of the table clash in the East of Scotland League Conference A. Next season the current A and B conference will split into two leagues being tiers 7 & 8 in the pyramid structure. Craigroyston are already certain to be in the eighth tier while Dalkeith could reach the higher level with wins in their remaining two matches tonight and Saturday. I had seen Dalkeith earlier this season in an 8-2 victory against Tweedmouth and they had looked impressive albeit against ten men for most of the second half after a red card for a Tweedmouth player. I have only seen Criagroyston once before, in a pre-season friendly this season. They have however struggled since returning to the EoS League and announced they would be folding at the end of last season. A new management team and committee have taken over to continue the club's existence but they are still struggling. The only player I have head of in their squad is Tyler Bolochoweckyj who is related to former Spartans centre-half Michael Bolochoweckyj.

The first chance in the game fell to Craigroyston. With keeper Dowie stranded at the left hand post the ball fell to a Craigroyston forward on the edge of the six yard box. With everyone in the ground thinking 0-1 he screwed the ball past right hand post. Dalkeith took the lead in seventeen minutes with a excellent goal from Cammy Leslie. He ran on to an excellent through ball on the right hand side of the penalty area and shot across the keeper into the far corner of the net.Dalkeiths Jack Burrows was booked for a tackle from behind on his Craigroyston opposite number. The Craigroyston player got up and pushed Burrows which lead to a spot of ‘handbags’ as other players joined in. The fouled Craigroyston  player joined Burrows on a yellow card. Craigroyston equalised in thirty-seven minutes when Bolochoweckj latched on to a loose ball in the penalty area and Dowie from eight yards. I only knew who scored as Alex wandered round the pitch and asked the Craigroyston bench ! 

The second half started with a bang for Dalkeith as the clinched the match within the first ten minutes. Within a minute Mikey Fairnie shot into the right hand corner of the net from the edge of the penalty. Two minutes later Burrows headed home a third goal from a free-kicked floated into the box towards the six yard box. A Craigroyston defender attempted to clear  the ball from the line but the near side assistant referee flagged for a goal which did not please the Craigroyston players. Burrows scored a fourth goal after fifty minutes with a shot from eight yards to give Dalkeith what like like an unassailable lead. The rain now started to come down heavily but thankfully we were protected by the over-hanging roof of the pavilion. There was an amusing incident later in the half. The Craigroyston number four had be substituted in the first half and did not look happy as he headed towards the dressing room area. He emerged around half-way through the second half, suited and booted with his kitbag. He walked down to the perimeter fence and talked to an older guy. The two of them then headed out the gate to the car-park obviously to head home. I just wonder if he had spoken to his manager about this beforehand given the dugouts are on the opposite side of the park to the dressing rooms. Fair ie scored Dalkeith’s fifth after eighty-one minutes with a carbon copy of his first albeit in the left hand corner this time. It was a deserved victory for Dalkeith with. Craigroyston  having a very poor secong half. Craigroyston best player, despite the result, was their keeper who make an excellent diving save near the end of the match to prevent another Dalkeith goal. 

Thankfully the rain had eased off y the final whistle and we walked across the pitch to the exit gate. Alex gave me a lift to Cameron Toll where I caught a 31 bus to Haymarket. The rain was again pouring down but eased off as I got of the. Us for the short walk home arriving at around 22.20. 

Teams

Dalkeith Thistle: Dowie, Lennie, Cleland, Woods, Callaghan, Fairnie, D. Leslie, Burrows, C. Leslie, Muir, Aitchison.

Subs: N/A

Craigroyston : N/A