16th October 2022 Edinburgh South 4 Arniston Rangers 1

It's Sunday and off to see another South of Scotland Challenge Cup match. This time iy is Edinburgh South v Arniston Ranges at Pates Road. Kick-off is at 14.30 but I left home just after 13.00 to walk to the ground.I walked along the canal as far as Happy Valley and then cut off to head through Craiglockhart. After I crossed the road at Craiglockhart Hill I continued walking through the Criaglockhart area towards Paties Road. I missed the turn-off and ended up in Redhall but it was only a short walk walk to turn to the right and head towards Pates Road. I arrived at the ground at 14.05 and paid my £4 admission. Alex had said he was also going to the game and he arrived around 14.15. I saw him speaking to a couple of people and it turns out he was asking to take photo's of the team sheets. I asked him to send them on to megs there were no programmes or tannoy for team announcements. We took a seat in the stand and met up with 'The Game of Throw-ins" couple along with a student who was a Peterborough and Spurs fans but also a groundhopper. 

The game looks like being an interesting clash. Both sides are in the East of Scotland league Division 2 with Edinburgh in 9th position and Arniston 6th. Arniston beat Edinburgh 4-1 at Paties Road on 24th September and the home side will be looking for revenge. Edinburgh player/coach Ainslie Hunter lined up in midfield and with Jordan Cropley alongside him there was certainly plenty experience in the centre of the park.I did not know much about the Arniston side but goalkeeper Jamie McQueen certainly has plenty lower league experience. He has previously played for Dalkeith Thistle, Edinburgh United, Newtongrange and Craigroyston. 

Arnison made the first chance when South goalkeeper Ross Gilpin did well to block a through ball from Stephen Anderson with Arniston forwards waiting to pounce. Gilpin then kicked clear a short passbook from Kieran Fox although his clearance was almost intercepted by Arnistons Ewan Graham. South took the lead in nine minutes when Jacob Riley burst into the penalty box on the left. His low cross evaded deeper Gilpin as it headed towards centre-forward William Scott at th far post. Liam McCardle slid in attempting to clear the ball but was only able to turn it int his own net to give South the lead. Arniston equalised after seventeen minutes when a cross by Graham was locked but fell to James Peggie on the edge of the penalty box. He took a touch before firing a low shot into the right hand corner of Gilipin's net. After twenty-five minutes McCardle charged in from behind with an awful challenge on Riley right in front of the South dug-out. This caused a bout of pushing and saving between both players and officials before the referee sent of McCardle and booked Arniston's Dale Miller for part for his part in the fracas. I was surprised that there not more cards shown in what was an ugly incident. South took the lead two minutes later. Scott chased a through ball and both the keeper and and a defender hesitated. With no cover at full-back Scott was able to un in between the pair and toe-poke the ball into the empty net. There was no further scoring before half-time in what was an entering match. 

After 52 minutes South went two ahead when a Cropley free-kick from outside the penalty box was only partly cleared by the Arnston defence. The ball fell to South centre-half Fox who shot past McQueen from around sixteen yards. After sixty-six minutes South scored again with what looked to be a game clinching goal. Cropley received the ball about five yards inside his own half. He looked up to see McQueen off his line around the penalty spot. Cropley took a shot which flew over the back-tracking keeper into the net. It was a spectacular goal and I would not blame the goalkeeper given the ball was in the other half of the pitch when Cropley struck it. The game continued but at a slower pace as South knew that it was highly unlikely that they would lose the game. The final whistle sent South through to the next round where they will meet St Cadocs at Parties Road. Arniston played well but with ten men for over an hour they were never going to match their recent victory over South. 

After the final whistle Alex and I walked up to Colinton Road where there was a choice of various buses. We just missed a 10 hcjh we saw gong past before we reached the main road. We walked down to Craiglockhart Sports Centre where we caught I 27. I got home about 17.45 and settled down to watch the Liverpool v Man city game which I had recorded on Sky. No fifty-yard goes i that game however ! I don’t think I have ever seen a player score from his own half before. Closest was probably back in 1968 when Alan Gordon scored with a header for Hearts from about thirty-five yards. The Raith Rovers keeper slipped when taking a goal kick on an icey pitch and Gordon headed the ball back into the net with the keeper helpless lying on the ground. 

Teams

Edinburgh South: Gilpin, Kerr, Brady, Day, Fox, Hunter, Riley, Stewart, Scott, Crropley, Roose.

Subs: Rixon, Pritchet, Ferguson

Arniston Rangers: McQueen, Anderson, McCardle, Kennedy, McManus, Miller, Graham, Peggie, Laidlaw, Davies, Turner.

Subs: Horsburgh, McLachlan.