5th August 2022 Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 1 Penicuik Athletic 2

 

First Friday night match of the season tonight at Ainlie Park. With Spartans at home to Gala tomorrow tenants Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale (LTHV) have switched their East of Scotland league match against Penicuik to avoid a clash with the Spartans match. After an early meal I left home at around 18.20 to walk to Ainslie Park. I walked down the old railway path and arrived at the ground around 19.15. Paid my £3 admittance charge and bought a £2 programme  Jim arrived minutes after me and we took up position against the fence at the cafe end of the ground to await the arrival. he appeared from the cafe minutes before coffee having been in the ground since 19.00 think ot was a 19.30 and not 19.45 kick-off. The teams were to and ready to kickoff so we decided to stay at the cafe end as we thought that most of the action would be there as Penicuik were attacking the goal at that end.

LTHV have started the season with defeats in their first two league matches. They have a young side although there is a backbone of experienced players. These include goalkeeper Kevin Swain (who was replaced by a trials tonight), Centre-half Sean Guiney (signed from Edinburgh United last season), experience goalscorer Sean Wringe (who returned to LTHV from Tranent) and Joe Viola (formerly with Penicuik). Penicuik made one change from the side fielded at Meggetland against Tynecaste earlier in the week. Captain Andy Forbes retuned after suspension to replace the injured Gregor Lamb at right-back. 

The match started with Penicuik having most of the possession but not creating chances due to LTHV closing down quickly and preventing incisive passes from the Penicuik midfield trio of Jack Furness, David Edwards and Scott McCrory-Irving. LHTV broke away in twenty-five minutes and Joe Viola raced through on goal. He was being chased by Darryl Young who fouled him just outside the penalty area. It was an undoubted foul and a case of Young denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. Standing at the other end of the park it was difficult to tell exactly where to foul occurred but when referee Alex Shepherd showed Young a red card it was clear it had happened outside the penalty area. If the foul had been inside the area a penalty would have been awarded and Young only yellow carded as part of the recently introduced 'double jeopardy' protocol. The free-kick came to nothing and Penicuik went straight up the park to take the lead. Aidan Walsh and McCrory-Irving worked the ball well together with Walsh sending McCrory -Irving through towards the byeline to the left of the LTHV goal. McCrory-Irving sent a low ball across the six yard box and Taylor Hendry slid in at the far post to score. LTHV came more into the game and equalised after thirty-eight minutes. A corner was cleared by the Penicuik defence and worked down theft by LTHV. the ball was cut back to Wringe of the edge of the penalty area and he fired a shot past Bob Watt in the Penicuik goal.

Penicuik made a change at half-time, taking off goal-corer T. Hendry and bringing on Alex Chingwalu with Ryan Baptie moving into central defence to cover Young's absence. This left a front two of Walsh and Gregor MacDonald. Unfortunately Penicuik were forced into another change minutes into the second half. Walsh broke though two challenges as he cut inside on the left. However he was fouled in the first challenge and lost his balance after the second resulting in a fall. The referee had initially awarded advantage but pulled play back for a free-kick as Walsh lay on the ground. The Penicuik physio came on to give him treatment but Walsh as unable to continue and was helped off the field limping. Penicuik bought on thirty-five year old striker Aaron Somerville as his replacement up front. Somerville has been with Penicuik since 2015 having previously played for Vale of Leithen, Newtongrange and Whitehall Welfare. He has been a consistent goalscorer during his career but has not had many first team opportunities over the last twelve months. Penicuik kept pressing forward but were not making any clear chances. A number of other substitutions were made including Penicuik bringing on Andy Mair for McCrory-Irving. Mair took over the left back slot allowing Chingwalu to move forward to left midfield. The switch brought the winning goal in eighty-five minutes when a throw-in from Forbes was returned to him outside the penalty box on the right. Forbes crossed into the centre of the penalty box where Somerville the ball flicked on to Chingwalu about eight yards out to the left of the LHTV goal. Chingwalu took a touch and shot across goal into the far corner of the net for a deserved winner for Penicuik. Penicuik held out for the three points although I was getting slightly annoyed by a Penicuik fan sitting to our left in the stand, We had moved at half-time,  and this ‘gentleman’ spent all the second half criticising the referee. Towards the end of the match Gregor MacDonald  broke from the half-way line and headed towards the LTHV goal. He was fouled for behind by a defender and the referee awarded a free-kick The fan was screaming for a red card for the defender but he only shown a yellow by the referee. In my view it was not a clear goal-scoring opportunity as it was further out from goal than Young's foul in the first half and there were also covering defenders who could have intervened but the referee still got a volley of abuse before he blew the final whistle. 

After the final whistle I left Jim and Alex in the car-park and headed up to Ferry Road to catch a bus home. The 27 was not due for ten minutes so I walked along towards Crewe Toll to find there was nothing due there for at least eighteen minutes. I returned to Ferry Road and caught the 27 arriving home around 22.15. On the way home I was thinking about the game and realised that this was the second time this season Young has been red carded for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, having been previously been sent off in a friendly against Auchinleck Talbot. He is going to have to be careful going forward as Penicuik will require their full squad to be available if they are to gain a place in the play-offs for the Lowland League.

Teams 

Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale:Trialist 1, Moore, Crawford, Guiney, Malloy, Trialist 8, Viola, Renton, Scott, Wringe, Begg. 

Subs: Mason, Murray, Trialist 13, Jelen, Walton, Findlay

Penicuik Athletic: Watt, Forbes, Baptie, Young, Page, Edwards,Walsh, Furness, MacDonald, T Hendry, McCrory-Irving

Subs: Somerville, Chingwalu, Mair, F Hendry.