28th May 2020 Leith Athletic 0 Haddington Athletic 3

 

Very few games locally today but I decided to head to Peffermill to watch Leith Athletic v Haddington Atletic. For a long time rhis looked like an East of Scotland Conference A title decider. However Leith have fallen away over the past few weeks and Haddington have clinched the league and promotion to the Premier Division next season. I left home around 13.30 to walk to Op Peffermill. After walking through Marchmont , Causewayside and Prestonfield I arrived at the ground at 14.35. After paying my £4 entry fee I headed to the perimeter fence opposite the dugouts where I met Alan. There were no programmes on sale today and Alan told me that the programme editor was ill and no programmes had been issued for recent games. Our peace was shattered after the arrival of a crowd of guys from Newmachar United. With their season finished they had come down from Aberdeen for a weekend away and certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. They had brought a carry-out into the ground and cans were being cracked open throughout the game. Things got even noisier when the Haddington supporters bus arrived. Flares were being set off and drums sounded as they entered the ground a banner proclaiming their side as 2021/2022 champions was attached to the perimeter fence. 

Haddington have been in the junior leagues for a number of years but have never been among the top ranked sides. However since moving to the senior leagues within the pyramid in 2018 the side has improved. A number of players like Shaun Hill and Gabri Auriemma have been brought in from other sides to mix with some promising youngsters and long-serving players. The combination has worked and Haddington clinched the league title two weeks ago. Leith Athletic were founded in the 1870s but were forced out of business in 1965. The club reformed in 1996, initially As a boys club but now have a number of sides both amateur and semi-professional. Players like Leigh Griffiths and Danny Swanson have come through the Leith ranks.

The match started with Haddington in control and it looked like Leith were already on their close season holidays. Despite hitting the bar it took Haddington until the twenty-second minute to open the scoring. Hill sent a long ball forward for McGarry to chase down the left. The striker cut into the penalty area and had a low shot blocked by the diving Leith keeper. The ball ran free and McGarry gathered it and shot into the empty goal. The second goal arrived after thirty-three minutes after a concentrated spell of Haddington pressure. A Leith defender misfit an attempted clearance straight to Dylan Tait. The striker made no mistake with a low shot into the net from just inside the penalty box. Soon after Haddington full-back Ross King went down under a heavy challenge fron a Leith defender. He required treatment on the pitch in front of where we were standing. The force of the challenge had actually ripped one of his boots. The Newmachar boys were shouting ‘ it was number twelve get him when you get up’ until a wiser head shouted ‘ He’s twice your size keep away from him’

The second half started much the game as the first and Haddington scored a third in fifty-one minutes. McGarry broke into the penalty area on a right. A defender came across towards had and took at wild swing at the striker. McGarry evaded the challenge and headed towards the bye-line. He tried a shot form bout three yards out towards the near post which the Leith keeper managed to block for a corner. However the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. For what I am not sure unless the missed challenge was construed as dangerous play. Centre-back Zach Szemis, who I later found out was the only Haddington outfield player not to have scored this season, grabbed the ball. He stuck the ball confidently to the keepers right as the keeper dived to his left left for a three goal lead. With a three goal lead the game was over and haddington stalled though the remainder of the game. However the Newmachar boys kept things lively as he offered the linesman cans of lager. At one stage one of the lads dropped his jacket which ended up o the pitch side of the fence. Give the linesman his due he did pick it up and hand it back over the fence at a stoppage in play.

On the final whistle Alan and I headed to Peffermill Road and cross into Prestonfield Avenue to wait for a bus. After a shot wait a 30 arrived an I was home 17.30.

Teams

Leith Athletic: N/A

Haddington: Cornet, Robertson, Ross King, Szemis, Aitchison, Simpson, Neave, Jones, Hill, D. Tait, McGarry.

Subs; Congalton, S. Tait, Harris, Robbie King.